December 1, 2013

Prestyn's 8th Month

Holy Talito, Batman! When people ask me how old you are it sounds so weird to say 8 months! It has been 8 months of pure joy, trial & error, challenges & successes, and lots of learning & love!

You had this new thing this month where as soon as we'd lay you down you would stand up in your crib and cry. I think it's because 1. you have figured out how to stand on your own and 2. you have figured out that Mommy will come in and rescue you. I wasn't getting any sleep. I would just hold you all night long. I even tried putting you in bed with me. You would sleep like an hour then stand up in our bed, hit the headboard, clap, and blow raspberries. (Those are other new things you do that I'll talk more about later). Daddy has been telling me to just let you cry. :( It's called the Ferber Methold. I was SO against it! I told him to get me the book so I could read more about it then I would CONSIDER it! So he did...we tried it...and it worked! It was so hard to hear you cry, but you can now go back to sleep on your own.

So you go to bed between 6:30-7:00 and sleep until about 2-3 AM, nurse, then go back to sleep until about 6:30-7:00. (Besides this past week when Mommy was off work, and we slept in until 8! This self soothing thing is awesome!) :)

It's so sweet when you wake up so happy! Just standing in your crib. You smile and clap when Mommy and/or Daddy go in to get you. Sometimes you nurse when you wake up, but I think you're self weening because you'd rather play! So you play while Mommy gets your breakfast ready. For breakfast you have fruit with berry oatmeal, maple syrup lil crunchies, and water.

We play for a while until you've been up for 2 hours then you're ready for your morning nap. Same nap routine: diaper change, story, nurse, sleep for about 2 hours! Once you wake up, and before you're ready for your afternoon nap is usually when we run errands, or do something fun! Including you having lunch!

You eat stage 3 foods now, but you're wanting to feed yourself more so Mommy is working on giving you more of what we eat so you can feed yourself. You've had mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, green beans, refried beans, and rice. You've loved it all! I think you just love it that you can feed yourself! Your new thing is blowing raspberries while you eat resulting in food and/or water going everywhere. I think it's pretty funny!

You love giving hugs and kisses! Your version of kisses is sticking your tongue out and licking our faces. haha! Love it! It makes you laugh when Mommy bites your finger nails (this is much easier than clipping them). It also makes you laugh when Daddy says he's "going to get you!" You love to be thrown in the air, and still love to play peek-a-boo!

You are one mobile baby! Crawling on your knees now. No more army crawling! And you are fast! It's getting more difficult to keep up with you are! You're just exploring everything! You also love to pull up and stand on EVERYTHING! You walk with your walker, and can free stand for a little bit. :)

We've had to tell you no a lot lately. :( You're testing your limits, and throwing little fits when you don't get your way. You bang your hands on your high chair tray and scream if we don't let you feed yourself! You kick your feet and scream when we try to change your diaper. You make huge splashes in the bath tub when it's time to get out. You LOVE bath time! Especially now that you have free range! But you get mad when I make you sit on your bottom and not stand. It's just not safe my darling. :)

You say mama all the time! And gaga and baba. And some other gibberish baby talk, but still no dada. :( You will though! I just know it!



We love you our sweet 8 month old!

November 2, 2013

Prestyn's 7th Month

I cannot believe you're already 7 months old! It's true what they say...they grow up so fast! And...time flies when you're having fun!

This was somewhat of a difficult month as far as sleep is concerned. You were waking to nurse what felt like all night long! Thankfully you have gotten to sleeping thought the night/just waking 1 time!!

You are getting 2-4 oz of formula before bed which I think is helping you sleep. I literally felt sick to my stomach the first night we gave it to you, but I knew that part of your health is a happy/healthy momma which means momma needs rest! So we resorted to the formula before bed, but you still get breastmilk the rest of the time!

You have solid purees for breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner. Breakfast is fruit mixed with oatmeal cereal. Lunch is a veggie & fruit. Snack is puffs and/or mum-mums and breastmilk in a sippy cup! You love the independence you get at snack time since you can feed yourself and give yourself your milk. Your don't take all the milk in the sippy, but we're getting there! You LOVE all flavors of puffs! A lot of them end up on the floor, but you still love being able to feed yourself! ...this is why we need a puppy! ;) Dinner is veggies and fruit, but not as much at lunch...

I love waking up to you in the morning. You sit up in your crib, and peek over the bumper, or stand up on the edge to look out. It's so fun to walk in, and see your smiling face. Some mornings I have to wake you, and you are too happy with me, but we get you dressed & get to play a little before I take you to Ms. Amber's house.

Have I told you how incredibly blessed we are to have Ms. Amber to keep you during the day?! Of course Mommy & Daddy would LOVE for you to be able to stay home with me, but since you can't we are very happy that you get to go to Ms. Amber's! You did your 1st art project with her! So cute!!

You said your 1st word on your 7 month birthday! You've been saying ba-ba-ba-ba-ba and ma-ma-ma-ma-ma, but on the evening of your 7 month birthday Daddy & I were putting your pjs on you after your bath, and you looked at me & said ma-ma! It was the sweetest sound! I am so glad Daddy was there to confirm that that counts as your 1st word, and you did in fact say it!

Then the next day when I went to pick you up at Ms. Amber's you reached for me, and said ma-ma! Now you say ma-ma all the time! Haha! I love it, but I know Daddy is ready for you to say da-da! :)

Back to what you eat...you've definitely gotten picky! You've decided what you like so if we try to give you something you don't like you protest it. Or if you can't feed yourself...you protest it! That's why we give you a sippy cup of water while you eat...You are happy when you can do something by yourself at meal time! You still like all the sweet fruits, but now that we're able to mix veggies I think you're liking some of them more?! ;) And you're picky about where you nurse! It's now typically only in your nursery in the rocker! If there's too much going on you don't want to nurse..I guess you're thinking you'll make up for it all night long! :)

So during your 6th month you were napping wonderfully for Ms. Amber, but not so well for us...then we started following the schedule Ms. Amber had you on & you nap wonderfully for us & not so well for Ms. Amber! ha!

You still love bath time! So much so that you SCREAM when we take you out of the bath...but raspberries on your belly & blowing in your face usually distracts you well enough!

You are such a mobile baby! Crawling all over the place! More of army crawling, but sometimes you crawl on your knees...you just realize it's quicker to army crawl. But you've even started pulling up on stuff to stand! Crazy!! We predict you'll be walking by Christmas, but if you wanted to wait a bit that'd be ok with me! :)

Daddy says we need to put you in a cage because you're moving everywhere...he has to chase you, but I know you'll just follow me wherever I go!





 

October 18, 2013

The Perfect Day!!

Oh happy day!! Today was a wonderful day! Yes...most of our days do technically start at midnight since P usually wakes then to eat. 

But this oh happy day...I woke at 3 AM to a sound asleep baby who had not woken up yet! I had to go check on her to make sure she was ok! She was...and alwpt until 5! Which is awesome! From 8 PM - 5 AM...little miss slept through the night!! Monumental day as her daddy would say. 

It could be because she's pretty much choosing not to nap much during the day, but I'll take it!! The night before she only woke up once so fingers crossed, and prayers being said that we're onto a new good trend!! 

So I woke up to a happy rested baby who woke up to a happy rested mommy! The morning at school was wonderful! The afternoon was crazy, busy with our weekly Science Lab trip and Popcorn Party that we won. It was a fun day!!! We even danced to Just Dance videos! Without going through too many days it was a wonderful day and lots was accomplished!!

When we got home P was quite sleepy from not napping hardly at all today so she nursed, and we both took a little cat nap. 

Our evening was complete with a family trip to Chiloso! P was so well behaved, and had so much fun!! She had so much fun in fact that she was so sad when we left that she SCREAMED the whole way home. 

PJs and bottles and we're hoping for another STTN! Tomorrow is a big day with a trip to the Pumpkin Patch with Nonna! 

And what blog is complete without never before seen pictures?!

Oh and how could I forget?!?! P says mama!! She's been saying baba, but I could've sworn I've been hearing mama. I thought maybe it was just wishful ears. But her sitter mentioned that she's been saying mama! Music to my ears!! 

I'll give a prize to whomever can tell how many !! I used!! Seriously...wonderful end to my week! 



October 17, 2013

Verse of the Week

I know I haven't posted since the last verse of the week, but I didn't just want to post out of routine....I wanted the verses that spoke to me, and had meaning in my life at that given time. 

So I leave you with this verse...

And maybe it reminds you of something too, and will speak to you like it has to me...

In Him 

October 7, 2013

6 Month Well Visit

Well I just couldn't wait to post about P's 6th month so I went ahead and did without including the deets of our doctors visit. But here they are! 

P weighed in at a wimping 15.1 lbs. more than doubles her birth weight, and puts her in the 27th percentile for weight. 

She measured 25.5 inches. Over 2 feet tall. But not tall enough to ride rides at the fair! :) 

And her big ol' noggin was in the 69th percentile. I believe her head is so big because she's so smart! I'm already convinced she's gifted with the advancements she's made in her development. :) but I am her mom so I'm a little biased! 

Sweet P had to get 4 shots! :( and 1 oral vaccine. 1 of the shots was the flu shot so we go back in a couple weeks for the 2nd round of it. 

I usually pump at 3 o'clock, but with P's appointment at 3:45 I wanted to be nice and full in order to nurse right after shots to soothe her. It worked for a little bit then she just wanted out of that room! 

The aftermath of these shots was the worst. She was super fussy and woke up screaming for a couple nights after. She did however sleep ALL NIGHT the night of the shots. That was nice! 

All in all she's big and strong and there's no worries here. Dr. Drake was very pleased with how she was doing. We just love our pediatrician! 

Cheers! Xoxoxo 

Oh and of course more never before seen photos! Oh how I love my sweet P! 


October 2, 2013

Letters to Prestyn Part V

Dear Prestyn, 

I have a few requests: 

1. I am so thankful for your mobility now. But if you could sit still for a diaper change that'd be awesome! I don't even mind if you wiggle while I dress you but it's very hard to get a diaper on you the right way when you're trying to crawl off the changing table. I know you think it's quite funny. Then I laugh because I love your laugh, but seriously girl...

2. I love snuggling with you at 7, 10, midnight, and 4 am, but...Could you please go back to only waking up once during the night? Then maybe eventually drop that one time and sleep through the night? As you've experienced on the handful of times you have slept through the night sleep is a glorious thing! You might even like Mommy more if she's more rested. Thank you sweet girl. 

3. I love your 2 bottom teeth. They're so cute when you smile and laugh. And it's great now that you're using them to bite mum mums and puffs...but please don't use those 2 teeth to bite Mommy when you're nursing. It hurts very bad. When you have a baby one day you'll understand...I love you! 

Thank you for reading and following through with my requests. Oh and a blog isn't complete without never before seen photos of you! 

Cheers! Xoxo! 


September 21, 2013

Prestyn's 6 Month

Seriously...I don't know if I can get through this post without crying...I don't know why I'm so emotional with P turning 6 months...I guess because I can hardly believe that it has been half of a year since she was born!

Looking at the clock it is 11:06 now. I don't know exactly where I was in labor at this point, but I do know that we were anxious and excited! In 12 hours and 18 minutes will be her official birth time! So hard to believe! The past 6 months have been so exciting and full of so many milestones! Here's what's been going on the past 6 months. :)

I would say Prestyn is officially crawling. It's technically called army crawling, but she definitely has it down! She is getting to where she wants to be where we are so she starts "crawling" to get there...she doesn't mind being on the hard wood or the carpet...whatever it takes to get her to where she wants to go!

We clap our hand and hold them out and she crawls to us. We clap our hands and hold them out and she reaches for us when she's sitting. It's so sweet! It's a nice feeling to be wanted...and she makes it known who she wants when somebody else is holding her...she might reach for Ryan when I'm holding her, and he comes home after a long shift. Or she reaches for her Papa when Nonna is holding her...(this girl knows that the men in her life are the ones who will give her what she wants!)

P can sit all by herself! She sits there and plays and/or watches TV, but this isn't her preference...she'll eventually fall forward to her tummy then start crawling!

We have officially reached the age where she doesn't like the bows and pulls them out to throw them down! I just pick them right back up, and put them back on! We play this game several times before she gives up, and leaves it on...or I give up & leave it off! hahaha! She's cycling through wearing her size 3-6 month clothes one last time. 1. because they're getting too small and 2. because they're out of season now. :)

I moved Prestyn to sitting on the "big girl" part of her bath tub. She can sit there and play! She still loves the bath. No matter how sleepy she is the bath automatically calms her. She just laughs and giggles as we sing and play while I bathe her. Daddy has gotten to bathe her a few times too. :) But now that I'm back to work I enjoy that time with her! Not that I didn't before, but when I wasn't working I was willing to share duties since I had all day with her! :)

She's still not sleeping through the night...with me going back to work her daytime schedule has changed so we're trying to figure out this schedule to hopefully get her to sleeping through the night. I'm not dream feeding her anymore so she usually wakes around midnight (5 hours after her last feeding) to nurse. Then 4 AM to nurse again. Then wakes up about 6:30. When we go for her 6 month appointment I'm going to ask the doctor about this...I'm pretty sure she's just waking for comfort and habit...I really don't mind getting up because I know it won't be like this forever! I do have to say I have to give myself a pat on the back for continuing breastfeeding for 6 months! And pumping 3 times a day/5 days a week for 1 whole month! Oh and with me going back to work we're trying to figure out how to get her to nap on the weekends. Miss Amber gets 2 good naps from me...her afternoon nap is usually 2-2 1/2 hours! So she wrote down her schedule every day for us this week so we're hoping to get those good naps on the weekends too! Lately she's been getting cat naps on us...But as I type this she's been down for over an hour now so that's great!!

Prestyn is getting solid food 3 times a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. She has a fruit mixed with oatmeal for breakfast, veggie for lunch and dinner, and a fruit at dinner time also if she's still hungry. She doesn't normally finish the fruit at dinner time so we save it to mix with oatmeal the next morning. I know the conversation of poops makes people uncomfortable, but I do have to say that even with adding solids her poop still isn't completely awful smelling. I don't know if it's because she's still getting breastmilk, but I can't complain! Oh! She's had: green beans, sweet potatoes, carrots, apples, and bananas. Tomorrow we try peaches! This girl DOES NOT like apples! LOVES the veggies more than anything! I can't complain!!

We made it through our first sickness. It lasted about 3 weeks. :( Nose congestion, chest congestion & cough, and feeling down right icky! With antibiotics, humidifer, Nose Frida, and lots of love & snuggles P is feeling better! But now we've begun teething again. Prestyn got her 1st 2 bottom teeth at the same time at about 5 months...I wrote the date down, but she's napping so I don't want to wake her when I go in her room to look. I thought the top teeth were next to come, but I don't feel anything there...so there's not telling where she's teething, but she is drooling, putting everything in her mouth, and downright cranky sometimes. :) God love her!

Let's talk about talkin: There are so many exciting things parents look for in their child...1 being the 1st word! Will it be mama? Or dada? Or something random like cheese?! haha! She is definitely talking up the baby talk, but not quite saying words we can understand. :) I like to say she says mama when she's crying, but Ryan's not so sure about that one...he has said though that he thinks she says hi. I think she does too...maybe that one will be clearer to us soon! :)

Oh and I should add that: blogger really should have spell check! Ain't nobody got time to go re-read to edit...I'm sure there's lots of grammatical & spelling errors in this, but I spend all week editing that stuff so hopefully nobody cringes reading this with all my errors...coming from a teacher!

Mommy & Daddy love you Prestyn Reese!!!!!!!





Six Weeks to Six Months:: Weight Loss

Well...today marks Prestyn's 6 month birthday. That is so hard for me to type without tearing up...I can't believe it's already been 1/2 a year! That's for another post though...this one is about me! ;)

When Prestyn turned 6 weeks old I had my 6 week check with my doctor. And as they do when you go...they weigh you...womp womp womp...I won't share my weight with you, but I will share that it was 35 pounds more than what I am now!

The yummy, fabulous meals that had been brought to us had stopped so it was time to start cooking. I had already decided I would join Weight Watchers so at 6 weeks postpartum...I joined! This wasn't anything new for me since I did it before our wedding...I was successful so I knew I'd be successful again. :)

So it started out with logging points every meal, every day. Since I'm nursing I got more points than if I wasn't so I found it was hard to eat all my points...especially since fruits and vegetables are zero points! I had many successful weeks of losing...a couple weeks of gaining...but would lose again the next week.

Well now that I've been doing it for 4 1/2 months I've kinda levelled off...I'm at the weight I was at when I quit Weight Watchers before our wedding. I'm happy with how I look, but not happy with the number...I know, I know...it's just a number.

My clothes are definitely fitting looser...So it's time to go shopping! Now that I've made it this far...and P has made it to 6 months it's time to join the gym! Prestyn is old enough to go to the daycare at the gym, and it's time for me to tone up!

I'm hoping with joining I'll lose the last 10-15 pounds I want to lose, and tone up! I'm thankful to my mom & husband who cheered me along, and encouraged me as I weighed each week...

No, I wasn't paid by Weight Watchers to write this, but it does work! And I never felt like I was on a "diet". Oh...and I quit logging points a long time ago! I love it for the recipes, and to see how many points something that I wouldn't normally have is...

So 6 weeks to 6 months...I've lost 35 pounds! I'm below pre-pregnancy weight, ready to tone up, and shop for new clothes!

I don't have any before/after pictures to post because I'm not that confident, but I don't mind looking in the mirror anymore. :)

CHEERS! XOXO

September 16, 2013

Verse of the Week::Proverbs 3:5-6

I'm trying something new...Verse of the Week...for a couple reasons

1: The Bible is my foundation for daily living. It's the book of life that tells us how to live as Godly people who follow Christ. So I thought I needed to know it more. I know the stories, but I don't feel like I REALLY know it well enough so I thought I'd try to learn a verse a week...

2. It has always been my hope and prayer that our children are Christ followers...even before we were pregnant...even before we were married...even before we met! This is somethin I want for my family. I don't want them to just memorize verses because it's what "Mom says to do." But I want them to so that they can better know the Bible, and live by God's word. Children are excellent followers...they will follow us as their parents...and in turn follow Christ...or that's my hope & prayer at least. :)

3. I've always relied on the Bible a lot if I'm in need. And search for the specific words to help ease my mind. Since having a child my need for comfort and peace in God has heightened...

It's inevitable that once you have a child you lose sleep because a. the baby is waking to eat or b. you're worried the baby won't wake! I definitely don't have to worry that P won't wake to nurse because that baby loves to eat...especially late at night! But I do worry a lot while she sleeps...Ryan can assure you of that...I'm always asking, is she ok? Is she too hot? Is she too cold? Can she breathe? What if she gets stuck? I mean the possibilities are endless...

But what always eases my mind is this verse: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6. I say this to myself at night when I catch myself worrying...I sometimes only get through the first part..."Trust in the Lord with all your heart..."before I'm fast asleep!

So my message to my readers this week is "Trust in the Lord with all your heart..."when you're worried or feel helpless put your trust in the Lord and His will be done. He has set your path for you...submit yourselves to Him, and He will guide you through this path. Don't try to figure everything out on your own...God already has it all figured out for you...so just trust Him!

Amen!

Letters to Prestyn Part IV

Dear Prestyn,

Mommy hasn't blogged in a while, and there has been so much going on with you! I didn't think just because I went back to work that it would be fair for you not to have these precious moments documented!

Since I've gone back to work you're not napping as good for me and Daddy. :( You nap great for Miss Amber during the week...it's so hard not to give in on the weekends, and let you nap in our arms since those are the only full 2 days I get with you...

You officially had your first illness... I'm pretty sure you're completely over it now, but you're still taking antibiotics. Daddy took you to the doctor the week I went back to school since you're nose was very stuff and you were coughing, but they said it was just a cold & would run it's course...well 2 weeks is long enough so when you woke up with a slight fever one morning Mommy took off work to take you to the doctor!

We didn't get to see your pediatrician so I didn't feel quite as comfortable talking with the one we did see...so she didn't really diagnose you...I think she thought it was silly that we were bringing you in...but I'm glad we did!

That night your fever got higher...I gave you Tylenol then checked your temperature an hour later & it was higher! That was super scary for Mommy since Daddy was at work. I'm so thankful for your favorite nurse Cyndi who was texting with Mommy & telling me what to do...

Since I took that day off I couldn't take the next day off...thankfully you're Papa was able to come stay with you. He took such good care of you! He knew you didn't feel well. :( That day was September 11th so Daddy participated in First Responders' Day at my school so Papa was with you most of the day...you seemed to be doing a little better, and slowly, but surely have been acting more and more like yourself...

You are crawling baby girl! I call it crawling! Maybe it's scooting, but I think that's what you were doing when you started moving...now you do what some may call "army crawling". It's so cute! And you're all over the place! And boy can you move fast! You've gone from the living room rug to the kitchen to find Mommy & Daddy.

You are quite attached to us...which is a good feeling. :) You might be a little too attached since you must miss us during the night & still wake up to nurse! ;) I love you though, and know you won't go to college waking to nurse! So I'm not worried!

I can't remember if I already blogged about your 2 teeth, but you have 2 on the bottom that came at the same time! Crazy!! Thankfully you haven't bit Mommy while nursing, but you have bitten my finger pretty hard! It hurts!!

I miss you when you're at the sitter, but so thankful to whomever is watching you: Daddy, Miss Amber, or Papa...they send me pictures and videos of you!

I love you my sweet P! Sleep tight!

September 1, 2013

Prestyn's 5th Month

Well...it's August so Mommy has started working again. :( BREAKS MY HEART!! Oh baby girl any time I'm away from you I miss you SO much!!

Although I do have to say that on a positive note I'm excited about the new school year in a new school. I'm excited about your babysitter. I'm excited for the growth and milestones that are ahead! 

This summer with you has been SO nice! We were able to get into a good routine. We'll just set a new routine! We spent most Wednesday afternoons at breast feeding group then our weekly trip to target! Mondays were usually our grocery shopping days! I know it won't be long before these 2 trips don't excite you as much. So Mommy tries to make the best of it by finding you a new toy to play with while we shop then we buy it! 

Mommy's favorite toys to buy you are the V-Tech toys and Baby Einstein toys. Your favorite toys to play with though are the linking rings! Pretty much anything you can put in your mouth!

**I'm a bad mommy & have been SO busy working that I haven't finished your month 5 post...so I'm going to try to post about what happened in the past month rather than think about what's been happening lately since that's month 6! :)

You are such a big girl now, and can now ride in the stroller without the carseat! We've had fun strapping you in the jogging stroller, and taking you for rides around the neighborhood. Mommy has especially loved being able to walk you to her new school! Also, since it's been so hot lately it's cooler for you to ride in the stroller rather than in the carseat then in the stroller. Mommy has HAD to do lots of shopping lately so you've enjoyed people watching, and shopping with Mommy!
 
You have begun to HATE the nasal aspirator. Not that you ever liked it, but I have to sort of hold you down to get boogers sucked out! It's been even more difficult lately since you're actually sick. :( But I'll have to blog about your 1st cold in my 1st Week of School post. :) Coming soon!!
 
You are just a ROLLY POLEY! Yes you have rolls on your arms and legs, but you roll all over the place! You have figured out that rolling gets you places! So you roll and/or scoot to get where you want to go! Either to mommy or daddy or to find a new toy!

Well you certainly know who Mommy & Daddy are. We first experienced you being terrified and screaming STRANGER DANGER on the 4th of July...It continued when somebody would pick you up from playing, from bed, or just anybody who Mommy or Daddy didn't hand you too. Thankfully this isn't as bad as it was...you still have your moments though when you prefer Mommy or Daddy to hold you. :) We secretly like this :)  

You began going to Mrs. Amber's house a couple weeks before you turned 5 months. You're doing awesome there! I really think being around the other kids helps your development. Mrs. Amber just LOVES on you & you just love it! You're always happy to see Mommy or Daddy when we pick you up, and we're SO happy to see you! I miss you when you're there, but Mrs. Amber is so great, and texts me pictures & sweet messages about your day. :)  

You're still in a size 2 diaper. You have outgrown all 0-3 and 3 month clothes. You wear size 3-6 months. :) Growing girl!

Oh & since it's an odd month you didn't have a well visit, but you were weighed when Daddy took you in when you were sick. You weigh 14 lbs. 4 oz. You've almost doubled your weight!

I love you P!




 

August 1, 2013

What to Pack for the Hospital!

This is more for my soon to be mommy friends, but also for myself for the next time around!

I researched the perfect hospital bag and took advice from friends, but after my own experience there were still some things I needed that thankfully my mom went out and got me!

So here are the necessities!:

-toothbrush & toothpaste

-everything for a shower...including a razor because you're going to want to feel as "normal" as possible when you're finally able to take a shower!

-hair ties, hair clips, bobby pins, anything to keep your hair up & out of your face!

-make-up...just the essentials though...you'll pretty much just feel like putting on powder, mascara, and lip gloss. Ya gotta look good for pictures!

-gowns that you can easily nurse in...not necessarily nursing gowns since those are expensive, but ones with buttons in the front so you can easily nurse. And lightweight gowns! I got so hot! I had a pretty set of button up, pant pjs that were light weight, but I was still so hot!

-stretchy house shoes that you don't mind wearing around the hospital. I say stretchy because my feet were so swollen they would not have fit in tight ones.

-socks...Yes even though I was hot I wanted socks to try to hide my super swollen feet. :(

-nursing pillow

-neck pillow. Thankfully Ryan took his so I used it...I was too sore to completely lay flat to sleep so I slept sitting up a little. I was able to do this with a neck pillow. :)

-a maxi dress to go home in. I packed a velour suit and had to have a c-section so this was SO uncomfortable to wear home! A maxi dress would have been most comfortable either way.

-now as far as shoes to wear home...I don't know! I packed flip flops, but my feet were too swollen to put them on...I wore my house shoes home!

What to pack for the baby!

-Swaddle Me's...since they're easy & that's what you'll be using at home!

-gowns and matching hats for the baby to wear while in the hospital

-footed PJs & matching hat for the baby to wear home...I packed a gown & this was difficult with the car seat...

-pacifiers. Our hospital doesn't provide pacificers since it's suggested they're not used until 4 weeks once breastfeeding is well established. I had planned on waiting the 4 weeks, but I'm glad I packed them because Prestyn needed one to get home! I packed a couple different kinds & of course she took the green soothie kind. :)

-noise maker...it'll help the baby sleep!

-a pretty blanket to wrap the baby in. :)

**There's of course the "duh" items like your camera, Husband's stuff, etc.**
 
 
What not to pack:
 
-a bra! you won't wear it!
-panties. you'll be most comfortable in the kind the hospital provides
-pads. they'll provide those too!
-reading material. 1. you won't have time. 2. when you do have time to do anything else you'll want to get caught up on respond to people's texts and FB messages. ;)

 
I think that's all I can think of! I'll add more if I think of more!

 


What's for Dinner?::Baked Ziti with Turkey Sausage

I made a baked ziti recipe a while back, but that was before I was posting recipes...I prefered that one over this one, but this wasn't too bad...I mean it was good, but yeah I liked the other one better. :) This one had peas in it...which I thought was weird, but I guess that's one way to get your greens in! Also, the only turkey sausage I could find was breakfast sausage. Ha! But with all the seasonings you couldn't tell the difference. :) Here it is!

And below this one is the recipe for the baked ziti recipe that I liked better. :) The picture is of the turkey sausage one...It makes a lot! Don't judge my portion size. ;)

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Crumble the sausage meat into a large saucepan and brown over medium heat, stirring often, about 4 minutes.
  • Drain off any fat, then add the onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes.
  • Stir in the tomatoes, peas, tomato paste, oregano, basil, thyme, fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and cook uncovered 5 minutes, stirring often.
  • Stir in the cooked pasta and half the cheese. Spread evenly into a 9- X 13-inch baking pan. Top evenly with the remaining cheese.
  • Bake until the cheese has melted and the casserole is bubbling, about 20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes at room temperature before slicing into 8 pieces. Yields 1 piece per serving.
Baked Beef Ziti

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.
  • Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add garlic and sauté 2 minutes. Add beef and cook until browned, breaking up meat with a spoon as it cooks, about 3 to 5 minutes; drain off any fat and set pan back over medium heat.
  • Add oregano, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper; stir to coat beef. Cook until herbs become fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Spoon a small amount of beef-tomato mixture into bottom of a 4-quart casserole dish (just enough to cover surface); top with half of cooked ziti. Next, layer with half of remaining beef-tomato sauce and half of mozzarella cheese. Layer with remaining ziti and then top with remaining beef-tomato sauce; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake until cheese is golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Slice into 8 pieces and serve. Yields 1 piece per serving.

July 28, 2013

What's for Dinner?::Beer Soaked Beef

I've never bought steaks nor have I ever cooked them! So this was totally new for me! They weren't too bad. They were actually very tender & juicy...

I didn't follow the recipe to a T. (Get it? T? Like T-Bone steak, hahaha!)

#1. I couldn't find "flank steak" at the grocery store so I think I bought sirloin? IDK they're all the same to me! haha!

#2. My steaks must have been thicker than a flank steak because they had to cook longer than what the recipe said.

#3. I followed the directions for the "sauce", but didn't like the way it turned out so I didn't pour it over the steaks...OK actually I did then I took the steaks off, rinsed off the plates, and started over.

#4. I didn't "cut against the grain" or whatever...I just served the whole steak on the plate!

Ok...so here's the recipe...I'm posting my pic, but don't judge! I think I'll definitely make this again...or make the marinade rather & have Ryan grill the steaks. :)

Cheers!

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a 9- X 13-inch glass baking dish, combine beer, oil, garlic, lemon juice, sugar, salt and cloves; add steak. Cover dish and marinate in refrigerator, turning once or twice, at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
  • Place a grill pan in broiler; preheat broiler to high. Remove meat from marinade and broil about 3 1/2 minutes per side for medium rare, or longer until desired doneness.* Remove meat from broiler and place meat on a plate; loosely cover with aluminum foil and let stand for about 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, place grill pan on stovetop over high heat; carefully pour marinade onto grill pan. Bring to a boil (beer will foam) and cook until all alcohol burns off, about 5 to 7 minutes.
  • Thinly slice steak against the grain and serve with sauce. Yields about 4 ounces of steak per serving

Letters to Prestyn Part III

My dear sweet Prestyn,

You are 4 month and 1 week old, and such a ball of fun! Literally a ball...you lift both feet up and if you tried...could probably roll into a ball. Speaking of rolling...you're rolling all over the place now! You like to roll to your tummy to go to sleep...and if we lay you on your back to play...you roll to your tummy! Too cute!!

So here's kind of how your days have been looking lately:

7 AM: Wake-up, diaper change, eat
7:30 AM: Play in the exersaucer while Mommy makes breakfast
8 AM: Play in your high chair learning shapes and colors of the plastic cookie cutters while Mommy eats breakfast.
8:30 AM: Your wake times are extending so if you're pretty awake you might stay in your high chair & eat some cereal.) :) Yep...that's right! You're such a big girl now! But if you're ready for a nap then this is how we get ready for a nap::

1. Diaper change. 2. Story. 3. Rock until you're drowsy 4. Lay you down to sleep.
 
10 AM: Wake-up, diaper change, eat
10:30 AM: This is usually when Mommy is doing things around the house so you play. Here are things you like to do during play time these days::
 
1. Jungle Play Mat. 2. Piano Play Mat. 3. Bumbo with tray & toys. 4. Jumper-roo. 5. Exersaucer 6. Tummy Time with toys. 7. Lay in your chair on your tummy with your boppy while Mommy sings & dances for you! 8. Sit in your bouncer & watch Baby Einstein or Nick JR.
 
*Now I know some of your other friends' mommies won't agree with #8...it doesn't happen often, but sometimes Mommy needs that!* :)
 
12 PM: Go down for an afternoon nap
1:30 PM: Wake-up, diaper change, eat
2:00 PM: This is really the best time to take you anywhere...by now you've had 2 good naps & are a pretty happy baby. :)
 
 
*You're getting to where you don't need another long nap...So at about:
 
3:30-4 PM: You have some down time...maybe a cat nap in your swing, maybe a cat nap in Mommy or Daddy's arms. (We LOVE when you nap in our arms!) :)
 
4:30 PM: Diaper Change, Eat (Woops! It's 4:30 now & you have fallen asleep in the swing...I guess I should wake you up & stop blogging for now!)
 
*Well I decided to let you nap until 5...I woke you up to feed you & this worked out perfectly! I hope this continues!*
 
5:00 PM: diaper change, eat
 
5:30 PM: Playtime/watch Mommy cook dinner
 
6 PM: Eat cereal (Ideally I'd like for us to have dinner at the table while you have your cereal so we're all having dinner together, but Daddy wasn't home from work yet.)
 
6:30-7:30 PM: More play time/down time/dinner time with Mommy & Daddy. (On the nights Daddy works you get a bath during this time)
 
7:30 PM: Get ready for bed...PJs, lavender lotion, medicine, vitamin, night time diaper, night time feeding
 
8 PM: Down for the night...aaaand you're out!
 
Night night P...sleep good!
 
Oh, I should also add that now I turn your noise maker off when I dream feed you around 10:30. It's harder for me to fall asleep without it, but easier for Daddy. And that's what marriage is all about...compromise!
 
Love,
Mommy


4 Month Sleep Regression

So I like to read. And when it comes to how-to's on a baby--I read a lot! So I knew the 4 month sleep regression was coming. And of course it would come after the stormy period of Wonder Weeks which followed the giant 12 week/3 month growth spurt.

It basically just all means sweet girl is growing! And I'm so thankful for that! She's growing physically (mommy's little piggy!) and mentally (daddy's little smarty pants!). 

The sleep regression basically means Prestyn would go back to sleeping like a newborn. Well since she still gets up 1-2 times a night my friend Jaimee and I thought maybe..just maybe P would progress rather than regress! 

Wrong! She isn't waking up anymore than 1-2 times a night but she is thinking the 4-5 am wake up time is a good time to start the day! It's pretty sweet to hear her laughing and talking to herself in the mornings. My body will sleep on the day my soul leaves, right? So who needs sleep now?! 

So we've noticed with this regression Prestyn is having trouble napping now. aaaand break...

I began writing this the other day, but was unable to finish it because I really don't have much to say. I believe Prestyn's nap troubles have been due to teething. So next time we're at this point again...teething tablets to the rescue! Amber teething necklace! And maybe some Tylenol. :)

Here's some pics on how our sweet girl has been sleeping. :) I'm so in love!!




A Beautiful Day!

Today is Sunday...a day of rejoice & rest...we did rejoice in this beautiful weather while Husband rested after a long night at work...so we missed our rejoice at church this morning. Since the weather was so nice I thought a walk would be nice! So I strapped P in the jogging stroller, and we started walking. Along our walk I thought...let's go by the new school! I do have to say she was stylin'! I timed it...from the school to our house is a 10 minute walk! Not too bad! A car drive is 1 minute. I wonder how long a bike ride is?! ::ahem:: Husband...time to fix those bike tires!

I do have to say...P has taken good naps today & been in a great mood! Ryan is working his last shift at Urgent Care...yes...last shift...again. When I go back to work he will need to be home with Prestyn on the days he doesn't work. That is if she goes to the daycare because we only have her signed up to go part time. Please pray with me that the wonderful lady in the neighborhood still has a spot open for Prestyn in the fall! That would be the best scenario for all of us!

So we took Ryan lunch, and some of the people at Urgent Care got to meet P. :) They were so sweet to shower us with gifts when I was pregnant...I'm glad they got to see her! So I'm sitting here on a Sunday afternoon thinking...will life be this "easy" when I go back to work? I'm super excited about the new school year, but I'm a little leary on how I'll manage a baby, a job, a home, etc. Again...please pray with me! I'm going to need it!

Maybe I should've titled this one a Beautiful Weekend! Yesterday was a great day too! My Uncle Tim & Aunt Brenda were in town so we got to visit with them a little bit at my parent's house with my mom, brothers, and nephews. :) Ryan and Dad were missed, but I was thankful P was being so social! We enjoyed our visit, and had a delicious home cooked meal! Gotta love Mom's cooking!

That walk today was good...I haven't ran since the last time I did Day 2 of C25K. It's hard to find the time! I'm still workin' on losing the last 5 pounds of baby weight! So for dinner tonight...beer soaked beef, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Be looking for the recipe post! :)

Cheers! XOXO!

Oh and the last pic is included because that was playing while we walked and it's our song! :)





July 27, 2013

Rebel AKA Beau-Beau

So after the tragic loss of Ryder Pup we knew we would one day want another dog...that day came sooner than we planned! I opened Safari on the iPad one day, and saw that Ryan had been searching dachshunds on petfinder.com. I perked up, and began browsing too!

We found 3 that we loved, and wanted to meet! 1 of them had a video! And oh my cute!! This dog was found and taken to DFW Pup Patrol. The vet thought he was about a year old, and a mix between a long haired dachshund & pomeranian. He was so cute!!

So we went ahead & filled out the application. I got a call from Beau-Beau's foster mommy. Their only concern was us having a 4 month old baby, and how Beau-Beau would do around a baby. So I asked if we could at least come over & meet him to see how he would do...

He did great! And we fell in love with him! We wanted to go home, and talk about it before taking him with us...so we talked...and decided we would try! With the adoption process you're allowed a 72 hour "test run" just in case! Since we were out of town for the Baucom wedding we decided to get him once we got back.

The day before picking him up we went to PetsMart. We got him toys, treats, a collar, and even a tag with the name Rebel engraved on it! ::Side Note:: Those who know...Ryder was named Ryder because the offical Texas Tech mascot is Masked Rider. I just changed the spelling because apparently I like doing that i.e. naming my daughter Prestyn. :) Well since Ryan went to Ole Miss we always said our next dog would be named Rebel.

So we went to get Beau-Beau, brought him home, and began calling him Rebel! He was a really smart dog & caught on really quit! He would come if we called Rebel. He could sit, shake, stay, lay down...he was a great dog! We had so much fun with him the first day and night...he even slept on our bed!

The next day Ryan had to work so I was home alone with the baby & the dog. And oooohhh boy! That was a lot of work! A new dog with a baby was just too much for me to handle alone. All day I was looking forward to Ryan coming home that evening since he was working his part time job. But I kept thinking, "I can't do this again tomorrow!" Since Ryan was to go in for 24 hours the next day...

So with tears in my eyes we decided it was too soon, and wasn't going to work for us...So I texted Beau-Beau's foster mommy. She completely understood, and came to pick him up the next morning. There will be another "Rebel" in our life, but not for a while...

I just had to blog about this since this sweet dog was a part of our lives even if it was just for a couple days. :) And I had to include the pictures I got of him! :)





What's for Dinner?::BBQ Turkey Joes

This is the WW version of sloppy joes...I've had another sloppy joe recipe that they have, but I thought this one would be good...and it was! I didn't measure anything. I just kept adding BBQ sauce until it looked "sloppy". I also added chili powder for a little kick. I served it with waffle fries...again...not WW, but all is ok in moderation! ;) Here's the recipe!

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Brown turkey in a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain off liquid. Add peppers and onion and cook until tender, about 3 minutes.
  • Add barbecue sauce and cayenne pepper; heat thoroughly, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes.
  • Top bottom half of buns with turkey mixture; cover with top half of bun and serve.