first class traveler

Well, it's the holidays and like most Jews on Christmas we are following the exodus to Southern Florida. I feel like we're really starting to get the hang of traveling (Who am I kidding? It will probably never be easy). There's the stress of packing for two and the concern of the inevitable delayed flights. In the end, it's all worth it for some sun on our faces and a break from prison (I mean being stuck inside the house all winter:)

I remember when packing myself for vacation was stressful. Now, whether it's a weekend or 3 weeks, packing is a week long process when I'm packing for two. I've been known (by my husband mind you) to be an over-packer. Like most women, I need/like to have options. Now that I am raising a future over-packer, it's only natural that since she can't pack for herself that I would over-pack for her, right? My over-packing has taken a backseat for my little fashionista. Is it normal that a nearly 7 month old baby girl has her own rolling suitcase and we had to extend the zipper for more room? I'm asking you this as if she packed and demanded to have all of this for herself. I admit, I go a little crazy when it comes to planning Sadie's wardrobe for vacation, but god forbid she get caught in a picture not looking her cutest, right?

Once the bags are packed (usually still adding things the day we leave) it's time to head to the airport. For an average Joe, flying can be stressful. When you're a newmie it's like stepping into the unknown. The first time I flew with Sadie I was alone and she was 6 weeks old. I thought I was such a pro when she slept the entire flight, but now looking back I realize it was pure luck. Babies at that age just sleep all the time. I did nothing to make this happen. As babies get older it is definitely a bigger challenge to fly.

Just when you think you've got the whole traveling routine down, in true newmie fashion a curve ball is thrown directly in your face. Our last trip down to Florida, just a few weeks ago, was our first experience having an awake baby for the entire flight. It's enough of a challenge keeping my husband entertained for a 2 and a half hour flight, but now I had to figure out how to keep a 6 month old happy on my lap! Other than a few screams and fusses here and there, she was truly a first class passenger.

I figured if we can handle being in a confined space for 2 and a half hours with a wide awake baby and minimal entertainment, then we must have become incredible traveling parents. Wrong again! Fast forward to our trip home. With a flight delay of 2 hours, an airport gate that felt like a 3rd world country (Miami travelers know what I mean) and a beyond over-tired baby, I just knew we were headed towards catastrophe.

Michael and I thought that the delay would actually work in our favor. It was almost Sadie's bedtime and she would have a bottle during take-off (***helpful hint for those newmies who have never flown with their babies before - always feed during takeoff and landing regardless of baby's hunger. It helps their ears:) and then she would hopefully pass-out for the entire flight. WRONG AGAIN!

As we are taking off and I'm feeding Sadie and staring lovingly into her tired eyes, I feel and hear the rumbling of what I am hoping is a little bit of gas. Wishful thinking! As the plane's wheels quickly leave the ground, Sadie is exploding! (***Side note: we were also on a tiny 2 and a 1 row plane) As Michael and I are cracking up at our current situation (you have no choice but to laugh), I joked that I would pay money to watch Michael take her into the airplane bathroom and change her diaper. Just the thought of that makes me giggle inside. At this point we're wondering if the bathroom would even have a changing table. I even asked Michael if he thought it would be bad if I changed her on the table at our seats. I bet that would probably be frowned upon, don't you think?

When it was finally safe to leave my seat I did what any newmie would do...I went to face the challenge! As I got up I thought that nothing could be more comical than a baby pooping during takeoff, except...a back-scratching poop during takeoff (for those of you reading this who are not newmies, a back-scratching poop is a poop that conveniently goes up the entire back). Yep, folks, it happened. Right there on our regional jet we had a back-scratcher! Luckily we newmies could probably save a life with all the gear we travel with and I had everything I needed right there with me.

I rushed my stinky little girl to the teeny tiny bathroom and unlatched the make-shift changing table. Poop was everywhere! Sadie was hysterical and I couldn't stop sweating (ever since I became a mom I feel like I'm always sweating). I hate airplane bathrooms when I'm in one alone and now I was trapped with a screaming, doodie-filled baby! As I'm cleaning her off and changing her completely, I thought to myself, 'I really deserve some kind of award for this.' I felt like I was being hazed. Honestly, I would take SDT hazing over this any day. Puzzle night anyone? I imagined emerging from the bathroom and having the entire plane stand up to give me a round of applause for the incredible work I just did. OK, I know I'm overdoing it a bit, but we newmies really don't get enough credit. The rest of the flight's hurdles (we had the token screaming baby for a majority of the flight) paled in comparison to my bathroom back-scratcher.

It was definitely a flight experience I will never forget. Bring on Thursday's flight! No travel hazards can stand in my way! Now, if I could just figure out how to pack a little smarter. That will probably always be a problem. Hmmm, oh well, we can't be perfect at everything, right?

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and a happy New Year! Since I just managed to bang out 2 posts in 2 days (so impressed with myself) you probably won't hear from me until 2010. Stay tuned...

the battle of the boob is over!

Well, they got big, they got small and then they got really really small. The breast feeding war is over ladies and gentlemen! It was a continuous battle of blissful moments and times of constant frustration, but my time with my porn star boobs had to end at some point. It was five months (as I said previously, this is an out-dated post) that I'm proud of, yet as I suspected it left me with nothing but pancakes and no sign of syrup:(

Before I had Sadie I knew I was going to give breast feeding a shot. I had no idea what to expect. I heard horror stories of razor-like sensations on your nipple (earmuffs for the sneaky male readers) and I heard fairy-tales of how wonderful the bonding would be with your baby. Now, after experiencing it all first hand, my final opinion on breast feeding is that if nothing else-it's convenient!

I never had to deal with the scary pain of breast feeding. My little newmie secret (and some might call it cheating) was a nipple shield. While some don't agree with the use of a nipple shield, I swear by it now. It looks like a nipple from a bottle and it does exactly what you would think - it shields your nipple! I had a huge amount of success with my shield and I never left home without one. When your not well-endowed like me you resort to any help you can find. Not to mention, I never experienced the misery of destroyed/chapped nipples. Take that nipple shield haters!

As far as bonding goes, I'm a stay-at-home newmie so my job is to literally bond with my baby 24/7. I didn't need to have my baby suckling on the teet to feel connected to her. I do agree that breast feeding is a good way to have some quiet time alone with your baby, but I have found so many ways to be close to my child (especially when I shower her with kisses all day long:)

Overall, I would say my breast feeding experience was a good one. I would definitely do it with my future children if I was successful. Society has so many opinions on what newmies should do with their boobies. They are your boobies and it's your choice. As one of 3 healthy children that wasn't breast fed, I am living proof that it probably doesn't make a damn of a difference if you breast feed or not. For me it was the idea of not having to race downstairs in the middle of the night to fix and warm a bottle when I had a screaming baby. That was the selling point:) Once Sadie started sleeping through the night and woke up smiling the convenience factor started to lessen. Now, I find it more convenient that I don't have to pump or breast feed every minute of the day.

As with everything else we newmies experience, everyone does what's best for them. For some, breast feeding isn't an option and for others, it's an obsession. The best lesson I have learned so far in my short time as a newmie is that life should be made as easy as possible. Why stress yourself out or make things more challenging. Do what works best for you! In an ideal world that would mean that our husbands would learn how to breast feed too! Wow, I should really figure out some way to make that happen. Until then, I think I'll go enjoy my pancakes - with syrup:)

blogging from my cell...

So, I know it's been ages since I've blogged and I am truly sorry. As all of you newmies know, there are never enough hours in a day to do everything you want to do. On top of the normal baby craziness, Sadie is going through a phase where it seems like I can't take her anywhere. As soon as I get into a store she loses her mind (and consequently... so do I). Anyone else go through this? I feel like I'm a prisoner in my home. HELP!!! Let me out!

There are some positives to my situation though... it's so freakin cold outside and by the time I bundle Sadie up I'm asking myself why I am leaving the house anyway. So, I figured, since I'm not going anywhere I might as well stimulate my brain (something I don't do often these days since I spend most of my conversations talking to a baby that can't even speak yet).

I have started a bunch of posts over the last few weeks and haven't completed any of them (kind of like the way I do our laundry - I wash, but I can't seem to fold it or put it away:). My mission over the next few days will be to finally post them for your enjoyment. They are a bit out dated now, but I promise to make them worth your reading time. I know you all need something to do at work or if you're a stay at home newmie you need some good prison cell reading too.

Stay tuned...

life is good

So, I don't want everyone out there to think that being a new mom is all about mistakes and stress. Well, that's a lot of it, but there's obviously a whole lot of positives to it too. If there weren't why would people go back for more, right?

When you're pregnant you're in a fog. You get big and huge (I gained about 40 lbs) and everyone stares at you when you walk into a room. People love to touch your belly and tell you that you're glowing. While all of this is going on you never really register the idea that in a few short months you will soon be someone's mother. It's like you get stuck into this weird tunnel and you're moving slowly for awhile and then all of the sudden you get sucked out into the light and someone changes your life forever.

As you've seen from my previous posts, that little someone does not make life easy for you. Not gonna lie, the first few weeks are really tough. So tough, in fact, you might even look at your husband and say, "what have we done?" Like everything else difficult in life, things do get easier.

Everyone always tells you that the beginning is the hardest part and that it really does get easier. I mean it has to, right? When you're in those first couple of months it's hard to imagine how life could possibly get better. You're sleep deprived, stressed out and you have no time to think of anything but this tiny little person. Then, out of no where, the sun finally shines. Without a sign that says 'turn here for happiness,' your life begins to turn around. I think the first 3 months should be called the "newborn slump." As soon as you start heading towards months 4 and 5 something just snaps into place and life is pretty good.

I've been lucky. Sadie came out of her slump in the earlier weeks. We got full nights of sleep very early on and I'm convinced that's the key to true happiness. The other secret to my new blissful life is finger sucking. In the beginning pacifiers were like gold. Losing one or realizing that I didn't have one with me on an outing for the day was like what I would imagine hell to be like. A screaming baby with no solution = hell! Then, with some miracle from above, Sadie discovered these amazing little objects that she carries with her all of the time...fingers and toes.

Some people are so against finger sucking because you can never take them away and it's a bad habit to have when you are an older child (or a teen). Other people are concerned about teeth coming in crooked. My feeling on both of these concerns is...screw it! I can put Sadie in her crib for nap-time and bedtime now and she sucks away in silence. All I have to say to those crazies that are against it is...if my child's worst habit in life is finger sucking then I will be one lucky mama. Oh, and as far as her having some buck teeth...whatever! That's what braces are for, right?

Every newmie has their own self-soothing method for their child. What I've learned most from this crazy experience called newmiehood is that no one newmie should judge another. What works for my little one, might not work for yours. So your child might have perfectly straight, braces free teeth, while mine will be stuck in braces until her Bat Mitzvah. At least I've had a few months of pure bliss and technology has developed clear braces for my future teen:)

If you're currently in your newborn slump just remember that time goes by very fast. Like that wine that has made life easier these days (I'm not encouraging a drinking problem, but it does help), the babies get better with age. Be careful not to wish away those newborn slump days because once they're gone you'll look at your growing baby and want them to stay little forever. If you do that...POOF...you'll be pregnant again. Let's not rush things ladies. Let's be honest, the wine tastes good and that skinny bitch in you is finally showing her face again.

the first night away

The nights of going to late dinners and drinking for the hell of it are fond, distant memories. Who am I kidding? The nights of simply deciding at the very last second on a Saturday night to go to the movies are behind us. I never thought a simple plan like dinner and a movie would sound so exciting until we became parents.

When you have a new baby, and you have no family within a flight's distance, you are forced to make the best of your circumstances. If you are ready to get out of the house for dinner because wearing your pj's at every meal is no longer acceptable, then your only option is to take the baby where ever you want to go. When they are little it's really no big deal. The baby pretty much sleeps through the meal so it's virtually like you're on a romantic date with your husband. Who am I kidding again? Bottom line is... date night is only date night if you can leave the baby for the ENTIRE night with grandma and grandpa.

Last weekend my husband and I experienced our first full night away from Sadie. Although it was tough leaving her for the entire night, I think I adjusted pretty well and managed to enjoy myself. A friend's wedding brought us to DC for the weekend. Before Sadie was even born we planned on attending and having my parents babysit for the night so we could stay at a hotel. Planning this so far in advance, it was hard to even imagine having a baby at all. Then, the weekend arrived and it was impossible to imagine leaving her for a whole night.

I took advantage of the wedding completely. I decided I deserved some pampering and spent the day getting a mani/pedi and my hair blown out. I felt like a new woman. I can count on one hand the number of times my hair has been straight and done since Sadie was born. I forgot how amazing it feels. I figured since all of my beautifying was completed before we arrived downtown that getting ready would be so easy. There must just be something about being a new mom that makes everything more complicated. Even when the baby is not with you there is always going to be something that makes you late or frazzled.

The getting ready process started with a minor injury. I'll try and be as nonspecific as possible since it was pretty gory. Long story short, I sliced my finger on my razor. It was mildly like a slasher movie. The pain was bearable, but it totally cut into my dressing process. About that...my husband thought it was crazy that I brought 3 dresses to the hotel, but most woman out there (especially newmies) know that a. you have to have options and b. you never know what you are going to look like in formal wear with your post prego body. Due to the minor finger ailment I went with the dress that I envisioned in my head. I achieved the look I was going for, but I definitely didn't account for a few things. First, the dress was very form-fitting and there wouldn't be much room once I ate (and I was starving!). Second, I am still breast feeding and a few hours with no feeding or pumping and my little pancakes would soon be watermelons.

This was a pre-pregnancy dress and I definitely didn't have room for my new jugs. By the end of the night I could barely move in the dress and my boobs weren't the only things that felt like they were going to explode. Oh yeah, definitely negative points for breast feeding when you have a formal event to attend for the night. No one should ever have to worry that they might leak through their dress. Wearing black is encouraged!

A decent amount of wine helped with any feelings of insecurity about my looks, but I still had to make the normal phone calls to check in on our sitters, Gammy and Pops. After feeling pretty confident that they had everything under control, I continued to 'let go' as much as I possibly could. It wasn't until I received a phone call from Gammy when my heart stopped. When I answered my mom immediately said, 'the monitor is beeping and flashing red.' I calmly said, 'is Sadie crying?' 'No, she's sound asleep,' said Gammy. I instructed her that the monitor must not be charging properly and is probably running out of battery. Insisting that she had the monitor plugged in and that couldn't be the issue, we hung up as there was not much I could do from the wedding. From this conversation, my husband and I concluded that the grandparents will never understand the change in technology, but the babies haven't changed. So, we continued to drink...

As we arrived back at the hotel the entire wedding party was planning what bar they would all meet at once they changed. Michael and I gave each other the eye in the elevator. We were both thinking the same thing...pjs and a full night of sleep without waking up for a baby! There was no way these parents were partying any longer. The cool Katie and Michael from years past would have thought we were so lame, but new parents reading this can totally relate. Sleep is so much more important these days than a few more drinks. In the last 4 and a half months I haven't slept without something to wake up to in the morning. It was so freeing, but those multiple glasses of wine did not make for a good night sleep. I woke up mildly hungover and still tired! Unfortunately hotels have a check out time and the clock was running out for our time alone. It was like we were Cinderella and it was midnight. Poof! Back to being parents.

Although it all went by so fast, arriving home is the most rewarding part. Just when you want to cry because your head hurts so much, you get to see your baby again and all of the pain goes away. Sadie is at this incredible age that when you walk into the room her whole face lights up. It makes you forget how tired and grumpy you really feel. Actually, babies are very similar to wine. They are able to completely alter your mood and they both often make you feel hungover. Wow, my life has totally changed. Comparing babies to wine. Gotta love being a newmie!

I learned a few lessons from this experience:

1. Breast feeding is getting old. "Pumping and dumping" is no way to end a romantic night in a hotel room with your husband. Not to mention that all that wine you just consumed made your milk completely useless. Extra points for formula.

2. Gammy and Pops raised me and I turned out pretty good. So what if they can't figure out a modern day monitor. They're learning fast. I've already got them Skyping...HUGE STEP.

3. Trying to squeeze into a dress that you bought about 7 years ago for a sorority formal only 4 months after you've had a baby is probably not a good idea. That's why the empire waist was invented!

4. Last and most important...if you plan on leaving your little one for the entire night remember that the hangover doesn't disappear the next day and neither does the baby. Instead of partying like you did in college, try to do something that you never get to do now...SLEEP!

everybody poops!

My mother/daughter relationship with Sadie started when she pooped in me sometime before labor. Apparently this is pretty common (1 in 4 babies does it), but they're never really sure why it happens. Although it made the labor process a little more traumatic than normal, my husband and I knew she was a real Sugar-Scheiner by starting life off with a good poop.

My newmie motto is that 'everyday is better when you start it off with a poop!' Whenever Sadie is fussy and I know she hasn't gone I always tell her that if she would just poop in the morning the day would be so much better. You probably think I'm one of those crazy people that constantly talks about pooping. Ok, I kind of am, but who isn't, right? Why are people so obsessed with pooping? As if we don't have enough to worry about with our own bowel movements, now we are strangely concerned with our children's.

I remember in Sadie's first few weeks she was pooping about 10 times a day! This is very normal. You go to the pediatrician and their first question is always, 'is she having a good amount of wets and poops?' Good amount? The kid is going every 5 minutes. I would say that's pretty incredible, wouldn't you? I guess now that her digestive system is maturing her pooping seems to be slowing down. So slow I often wonder how such a tiny little girl can consume all that milk and not completely explode.

Did someone say explode? Now, that brings me to the messiest part. Newborns poops are always liquid. If it's a breast fed baby the poop resembles a seedy yellow mustard (sorry for those who have sensitive gag reflexes - you probably shouldn't be reading this anyway) and if the baby is eating formula it pretty much looks like diarrhea. I'd take the breast milk poopies (no smell either) any day over the formula. More points for breast feeding.

As my breast milk started to slow down a bit over the last few weeks, I have been trying to master the science experiment of finding the right formula. I'm still breast feeding, but supplementing with formula here and there when I have to. I still haven't figured out what formula works for Sadie. I'm so stumped that I have actually decided to work on getting my milk production back so I don't even have to deal with the formula. Breast feeding definitely gets big points these days since I can control what goes in it.

During this whole trial and error period I have completely screwed up Sadie's system. Now, that kid that pooped ten times a day has gone a week without one. Pretty scary, right? Consuming milk about 4 times a day, weighing in at around 13lbs (and counting) and where is it going? I had visions of going into her room one morning and finding poop all over the crib. I became so concerned that those visions turned into fantasies because I wanted her to poop so badly.

After trying to keep my cool for a few days since Sadie seemed pretty happy all of the time, I caved and emailed the pediatrician (yes, my pediatrician is on email - gotta love 2009). Not sure if the email thing is good or bad for the doc and me. I think I'm reaching crazy mommy status and I knew I was becoming a stalker when I got excited to see that he was a recommended friend of mine on facebook. My husband told me there was no way he would accept my request since I was quickly becoming psycho mommy. He was probably afraid to, but he did! After explaining to the doctor that it had almost been a week since Sadie pooped, he advised me to do something I feared even doing to myself... SUPPOSITORY! You become a real mommy very quickly when you have to insert something up your kid's tush. I thought the thermometer would be unpleasant until I had to do the suppository. This experience was not fun for either of us, but I will tell you... it totally worked! Exactly 10 minutes after insertion we were back! I felt such a relief. Sick, I know!

Now that things seem to be falling into place with Sadie's eating I feel like we've gotten over such a big hump in parenting. All of the sudden life seems to be so much more calm and stable. Everything flies by so fast and without even realizing it you really get the hang of things. Looking back, I think the thing I learned most from this whole experience is no matter how laid back of a newmie you think you are emailing your pediatrician is never a bad thing. Inviting him to be your friend of facebook...a little crazy!

bad mommy

I would like to think that I've become a pretty good mom over these last 4 months, but recent events might prove otherwise. I have had a few bad mommy moments recently, but if I'm here and Sadie is here to tell about them they couldn't have been that bad, right? Ok, so you already know about me and the nail cutting disaster. These next two instances make the nail cutting look like a walk in the park.

I think most people that know me would say that I'm a pretty laid back person. Although being a calm mother is good for me and my baby, it has almost gotten me into some pretty big trouble over these last few weeks. I'm not ashamed to admit my flaws, (hey, that's what this site is for, right?) but I've come to learn that taking care of another human is NEVER easy. I still consider myself a child and now someone thought I would be capable of taking another person's life into my own hands. Maybe that person should have thought twice. (I think it was my husband and my decision, but again we're stupid kids. What do we know!?!?)

Bad mommy moment number one:

We were on vacation and finally getting into somewhat of a routine. We decided, after a few nights of cooking at home, that we would take our little show on the road for dinner. (***Side note: getting a baby ready to go out anywhere is a production. If you plan on not looking like a train wreck yourself I recommended enlisting the help of others to get you and the baby out the door in a timely manner). Ok, as I was saying...In usual Sadie fashion there was minimal sleeping in the car on the way to the restaurant and as soon as we arrived her eyes were even more wide open. I always try to remain calm when this happens, but the truth is you have no idea what a baby will do at any moment so there's always a little nervous pit in a mommy's stomach. A meltdown could occur at any moment...just breathe.

In order to enjoy any meal out you should always revert to my helpful hint...feed, feed, feed. I'm not the kind of mommy that whips a boob out at a restaurant (no judging for those that do) so I always come prepared with pumped bottles or formula if I don't have milk stored up. It's not that I'm bashful, I just haven't felt the urge to show perfect strangers my hoots. I do have one of those breast feeding covers too, but let's all be honest bottle feeding in public is just so much easier (for me at least).

So, I take Sadie out of her car seat, pump her full of food and gently rock her into sweet slumber. Once she's out there's a sigh of relief and it's time for me to eat! At this point I'm clearly more concerned about putting food in my mouth then strapping her back into her car seat. I figure it will probably disturb her sleep and I'll just do it once we get back to the car. Well, a large dinner and a glass of wine later, we are ready to head home. Sadie slept through the whole meal and the entire trip home. I am so excited that everyone got to enjoy a quiet dinner and most of all that I got to eat without a baby on my lap. We get back to the house and I go to unstrap Sadie from her car seat and realize that I never strapped her in once we got back in the car. We drove our 20 minute drive home from dinner and Sadie was just chillin' on top of all of the car seat straps! I didn't beat myself up too much since thankfully nothing happened, but honestly what kind of sane mommy does that? Obviously one who was hungry and needed some wine. I got over it pretty quickly and bad mommy moment number two made me forget it entirely.

Bad mommy moment number two:

Most people would say managing more than one child is difficult, but I think managing a new baby and a doggy you've had for over three years is much more challenging. Since the weather has been gorgeous in the 'BUS, I've made it our routine (me, Sadie and Rosie) to go for a very long walk everyday. Everyone benefits from this - Rosie gets to run around outside since she's stuck at home these days, Sadie gets to nap because it's pretty much the only place she'll sleep during the day and mommy gets exercise since she gained nearly 40 pounds with Sadie and needs to get rid of it.

Making this all happen on my own isn't always easy. I usually let Rosie out of the house first off her leash while I get the stroller down our three steps up to our house. Rosie's a good dog, but still acts like a puppy. I can usually trust that when I let her out that she'll stand and wait for us at the bottom of the stairs. (Lesson number one: Never again let Rosie out of the house without a leash when manning a massive stroller at the same time). When I opened the door to go outside I assumed Rosie was standing there waiting for us, but I was wrong. I shut the door of the house and locked the stroller by my side (keep in mind that the stroller was definitely LOCKED and about 3 feet from the steps). I look up to make our way down and I notice that Rosie has darted across the street to play with the neighbor's dog. As I am just about to go chasing after Rosie thinking that I could have almost killed my poor pup, I hear a thud thud thud and a whaling baby. "OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD," my exact words. Per usual, my mind left worrying about Rosie's whereabouts (poor Rosie) and turned around to find my little Sadie in her stroller at the bottom of the stairs on its side. "I killed my baby!" I thought out loud in a scream. As I ran over to the stroller to make sure Sadie was still alive, Rosie came darting back across the street to make sure everything was ok. Almost killed my dog a second time, but at this point I don't even realize that Rosie could be hit by oncoming traffic. I removed Sadie from the car seat and she immediately stopped crying. As soon as she stopped, I started. I couldn't fathom how such a thing happened. When I turned the stroller upright it was still locked. I was convinced an evil spirit tossed my child down the stairs. It was virtually impossible for her to have fallen from so far away. I must have had a black out moment in the whole happening because I really have no idea how it all went down (no pun intended).

After calming myself down enough to call my husband and my mother (who assured me that everyone has a story like this), I realized that Sadie was totally fine. We all survived a bad mommy moment and I can even laugh about it now. I'm just so grateful for bad mommy moment number one because without it I probably wouldn't have had Sadie strapped in for bad mommy moment number two. Now, my new motto is that I will never make the same mistake twice, but I can almost guarantee that there will be plenty more bad mommy moments. Come on people, no one's perfect:)

The Birth of Sadie Sugar Scheiner

My friend Jackie sent me the story of her son Eli's birth last night. She told me a friend told her to write down the story of her baby's birth because as time flies it will all become very fuzzy. I spent the morning writing and rehashing our story. I thought I would post it because it is the real reason for me writing this blog in the first place. Here goes:

On Wednesday, May 20th 2009, I went for my weekly visit to the doctor. Only a week and a half from my due date (May 29th) I was expecting to hear that I would be going into labor any minute. As prior check-ups had gone, there was NOTHING going on down there. So, I continued my week as I normally would. I finished out my week at work, walked up the 6 flights of stairs to my desk and then said goodbye to my co-workers for the weekend. I was looking forward to a long, relaxing Memorial Day weekend with Michael.

On Saturday, the 23rd, Michael and I went to Whole Foods to get food to cook out and stay at home for the weekend. We got some Chesapeake spiced shrimp (our favorite) for dinner Saturday night. It was a gorgeous night so we sat on our back porch to eat. After stuffing our faces I planted my HUGE body on the family room couch. I started to feel a little funny. I told Michael I thought I was having contractions. I wasn't really sure if they were real or if it was just a little pain from eating too much. They were all over the place and I couldn't really even time them out. Thinking that it must be nothing, we went up to bed. The same random contractions proceeded to keep me up in a sweat the rest of the night. At about 7am on Sunday I went to pee (something that happened about every 5 minutes at the end of pregnancy) and I noticed a little spotting. I knew that with the contractions and a little bit of spotting that something was happening. I called my doctor (Dr. Green) and told him that I thought I was having contractions and they were about 20 minutes apart. He told me to just relax and that if they got to 5 minutes apart to just go to the hospital and let him know we are on our way. Until then, we were forced to just wait.

We continued our morning as we normally would. We relaxed, watched some tv and ate breakfast. At around 11am the contractions seemed to be dying down a bit and I couldn't even track them anymore. I was so stir crazy that I couldn't stand being in the house anymore. I told Michael I wanted to go to the mall because there were a few things I needed. We head over to Easton and as we're walking around I notice that the pain is back and it's coming much faster at this point. I called my mom to tell her that I was having contractions and she asked where we were and I simply responded, "we're at the mall." Still thinking that it was false contractions, I went into Abercrombie to pick up some flip flops. It must have been the pounding music, because the contractions came on stronger and stronger. It was unseasonably warm outside and I could barely make it to the car due to the pain and heat. I told Michael we should get home pretty soon because the contractions were becoming increasingly painful. We stopped for gas and I called my mom again. She said if they were as painful as I described that I should really keep my eye on a clock and make sure I'm timing them. I started looking at the clock at 2:30 PM. From 2:30 until 3:30 the contractions were coming every 5 minutes and they were about 45-60 seconds long. The pain was starting to worsen, but I still wasn't sure if I was ready to go to the hospital. I was such a calm patient that at one point Michael actually turned to me and said, "are you sure you're really having contractions?" After the full hour passed of the contractions hitting at every 5 minutes I told Michael that we should grab our bags and go. Meanwhile, our poor dog Rosie had no idea what was going on. Our amazing neighbors, who always watch her for us, had already left for the night to go to their lake house. We had no place for Rosie to go and while I was having unbearable contractions I was more concerned of where Rosie would stay for the night. Unfortunately for Rosie that was probably the last time she was priority number one:(

We calmly headed to the hospital. I called the doc on the way and he said he would alert the on-call doctor that we were coming in. (My doctor wasn't working that weekend, but he promised us he would deliver our baby - amazing man!) Michael drops me off at the front door of the hospital. At this point I can barely breathe. The contractions were coming faster and harder. After Michael parked the car we went to check in and I told the woman at the desk that I thought I was going into labor. She tells me that they were expecting me and my doctor had already called. They give me my hospital bracelet and walk me to the testing room. The maternity floor was very quiet. They gave me a gown and set me up with a monitor that would track my contractions and the baby's heart beat. The nurse said I was definitely in real labor and the contractions were 2-3 minutes apart. When they did my internal exam they found I was only 2 cm dilated. I was so confused because I knew women that were walking around at work 3 cm dilated when they were at the end of their term. Regardless, they called my doctor and he advised them to officially admit me and get me to my birthing room. Michael and I were so excited! We called both of our parents and told them to get on flights immediately because the baby would probably arrive sometime in the night or the next day.

At around 6pm we were all set up in our room. At this point I'm still handling contractions pretty well. Our first nurse came in and told me that they were going to get me started on pitocin since I wasn't dilated much at all. She said they would hook me up with an IV and then they would break my water. She said I could have the epidural anytime I wanted. I wasn't sure I wanted it yet because I didn't think you were suppose to have it until you were at least 5 cm dilated and I was worried it would wear off by the time I was pushing. She quickly said, "ok, your choice." (Not the nicest nurse, but she went off duty shortly after). Another speciality nurse came in to break my water. She literally took a small wooden stick (sterilized obviously) and punctured the plug. It just felt like I peed myself. When they broke my water they noticed that something wasn't right. The water is normally clear and mine was greenish and thick. The new nurse on duty (so much nicer) informed me that the baby had a meconium poop inside of me. Meconium is usually the baby's first poop outside of the womb. One out of four babies has this poop inside of the womb. It can be caused by stress or if the baby has fully matured. The nurse assured me that everything would be fine and they would just have to flush me out to keep the fluids clear for the baby.

At this point the contractions had escalated to extremely painful. As soon as the pitocin kicked in I couldn't handle it anymore. I insisted on the epidural. I didn't want to feel this pain any longer. They brought in the nurse esthetician who would administer my epidural. He was not the nicest man and it seemed like he had no idea what he was doing. When you get an epidural they like you to sit up and arch your back up so your spine is easily accessible. Keep in mind you are experiencing horrible contractions at the same time which become quite distracting. This insensitive man could not get the catheter in my spine correctly. Apparently the epidural process is usually no big deal, but I clearly had a nurse who was not very good at his job. He FINALLY got it in and it was like the clouds opened up and the sun shined through on a stormy day. HEAVEN! I couldn't feel my legs. I laid back and relaxed for the next few hours.

We didn't know what we were having so Michael and I discussed names. We could never agree on a boys name so we were still unsure at that point what our baby's name would be if it was a boy. I made Michael turn on the ipod so we could rest and listen to the "belly mix" I had made. A few of the songs I put on the mix implied I was having a girl...John Mayer's "Daughters" and a James Taylor cover of the song "Sadie." I just knew it was a girl! As the hours passed and I was feeling pretty awesome, my parents arrived. We just hung out in the room for awhile. I remember telling my mom that this labor thing was really no big deal once you had the epidural.

Later on, my in-laws arrived. They made it all the way from Miami just in time because I was about to begin pushing. That blissful thought of labor being easy breezy changed a bit when the pushing began. Dr. Green told the nurse to have my epidural turned down because he wanted me to feel some sensation so I could really help them with the pushing process. I was terrified to feel anything at this point. I loved the epidural! I didn't want them to take that from me. With my first push I saw the nurses face turn white. The baby's heart rate had dropped so low that she immediately turned me on my side and told me to not push anymore. She called the doctor to alert him and said we would just let the contractions push the baby down a bit naturally because she didn't want to cause the baby any additional stress. She became so concerned with the baby's low heart rate that she began to panic and wanted to prepare us for a potential c-section. She said that if the baby couldn't recover each time the heart rate dropped then I would have to be rushed into the OR for surgery. She put an oxygen mask over my face so I wouldn't freak out. As she proceeded to tell Michael where he could find scrubs I began to panic!

When Dr. Green finally arrived he was as cool as a cucumber. He was confident he could get this baby out with my help and there would be no need for surgery. It was time to push again. With my first push I had no idea what I was doing. I let out a whaling scream. Dr. Green looked up and said, "are you feeling pain when you do that?" I said I wasn't and he looked confused. He said, "try to push more from your butt then your face. You are going to exhaust yourself if you push like that every time." I've never felt exhaustion like this before. I proceeded to push for the next hour and a half. The nurse said she could see the baby's head and there was lots of hair. Tears welled up in my eyes. I couldn't wait to meet this little person.

With each push the baby's heart rate would drop and then the baby would recover nicely. Michael was by my side cheering me on. He got so excited at one point, "come on push, harder, come on!" I turned to him and said, "I know you're trying to be a good cheerleader, but you need to take it down a notch." I kept pushing and pushing. It was the hardest thing I have ever done. Finally, Dr. Green said, "if you give me a few more great pushes I can get this baby out in 10 minutes." It was the greatest motivation in the world. I dug somewhere deep inside of myself and found some energy to get those last few pushes out. All of the sudden I saw Michael face light up. He saw that I was crowning and all he could say was "oh my god, oh my god!" With a couple more strong pushes the baby slid right out. The baby was face down with the cord wrapped around it's neck. It was 2:45AM and Dr. Green turned the baby over and said "IT"S A GIRL!" Dr. Green set the baby on my belly and she just looked up straight at me (very alert already). Exhausted and elated, I cried and yelled out "IT'S SADIE!" Dr. Green instructed Michael to quickly cut the cord. They brought her over to the neonatal nurse for observation since she could have ingested the meconium. She weight 6lbs 7oz and was 20 inches. She spent the next 2 days in the NICU for observation. She was a strong woman from the start and recovered beautifully. We were so blessed on that early May 25th morning because Sadie Sugar Scheiner came into our lives and we haven't been the same since. (Rosie definitely hasn't. She's still not sure about her little sister:)

i am officially a mid-western housewife

Yup, it's true.  I am now officially a mid-western housewife. I actually prefer the job title full-time mom.  After working at Abercrombie & Fitch for the last three years, I resigned from my job yesterday.  I was offered a deal I just couldn't refuse.  The job requirements are a bit different and I took a salary decrease, but I think it's going to be the perfect career.  My boss is one tough cookie.  She screams and even cries when she wants something from me and to top it all off she sleeps on the job (sometimes:)

I can't believe after five fast years working in an office I am starting my new career as mommy.  If you don't know me you're probably thinking, 'wow, only five years...she must be so young!' Don't forget, I live in the mid-west.  It's how we do it out here.  I moved to Columbus at 24 and by 27 I was married and poof, I had a baby.  Could it be the water?  People say that New York has the best bagels and pizza because their water is so great.  Maybe the water in Ohio makes you want to start a family young. Whatever it is, I clearly drink from the tap. 

I think I always knew I wanted to be a young mom, but if there's one thing I've learned over the last 11 weeks it's that nothing can prepare you for this job.  There really is never an easy time to have a baby. It's not like a regular job where there's training and you can ask your boss questions.  My boss can't even talk so it's not like she can tell me what to do.  There's no instruction manual.  You get home from the hospital and you're officially on the clock.   
Speaking of clocks...the hours are a bit different.  At my previous job I worked from about 8:30 to 6 and now I work 24/7.  I used to shower before I went to work and now I go to work in my pj's. Taking naps on the job is encouraged for all employees, but doesn't always happen.  Lately, I've even been sleeping with my boss.  You gotta do what you gotta do to get a raise around here.  

So, clearly my life has changed.  I didn't take the job for the money because I don't get paid.  I'm never going to climb the corporate ladder or be the CEO of a major corporation. Now, all it takes is a good burp and a big poop from Sadie at the end of the day to make me the happiest employee in middle America!

the baby manicure

For most women manicures are a normal ritual.  If you live in Manhattan you can pretty much walk into any little Asian manicure place and come out spending about $10 and have pretty decent looking nails. You entrust these non-English speaking people, who claim to have beauty degrees, with your little paws and don't think twice.  So when it comes to your baby's nails why is trusting yourself to cut them the scariest task possible?

If you're a newmie you have probably already experienced cutting your baby's nails. I'm not sure how your experience went, but mine was less than enjoyable. When babies are first born their nails are often long and paper thin. In the first few weeks I was able to just gently peel Sadie's nails off to keep them from growing too long. As she gets older her nails have been growing as if she's on a prenatal vitamin (amazing for mommy's nails by the way).

My first experience with the nail clipper was pretty harmless. I think it went so well that it made me a little cocky with the clippers. When it came time for her second manicure I had no fear. I went in for the cut and thought I did a great job again. It wasn't until I notice blood all over her face that I realized something was terribly wrong. Without even knowing I clipped a piece of skin at the tip of her thumb. It clearly didn't even bother her because she didn't make a peep. I figured if this was the worst thing I would do as a newmie I shouldn't beat myself up over it.

Fast forward a couple of weeks. I am getting us ready for vacation and I toss in the nail clipper because I notice her nails are becoming lethal little weapons. After my husband telling me how long and razor-like Sadie's nails had become (I challenge him to cut them)I decided to go for it. I got through the first hand without a hitch. I moved on to hand number two and with the first cut a whaling scream came from her mouth. I looked down and almost fainted...I took a chunk of skin from my poor baby's pinky. It was something out of a slasher movie. The blood wouldn't stop and neither would the high-pitched screams. As her tears were flowing my eyes began to well up. As I'm panicking that I've probably destroyed my little girl, all I can think is 'I'm such a bad mommy...I'm such a bad mommy!' Everyone is racing around the house trying to figure out how to get the bleeding to stop. I'm doing everything to comfort her...pacifier (wouldn't take it), boob (not a chance) and to top it off the bleeding just wouldn't stop!

When we finally got the bleeding to stop we all needed a valium (too bad they don't make it for babies). The experienced scared me straight.  I vowed to never cut her nails again.  My husband claims he would try it next time.  I would love to see that happen:)  Maybe those little Asian nail salons are better than I give credit for.  Do you think they take appointments for newborns?

***Since starting this post I took the plunge and cut Sadie's nails again.  I think it was the two gashes on her face that pushed me over the edge.  Good news is I did it without any blood, sweat or tears.  Ok, maybe a little sweat.  

baby won't let me blog

I guess the first week I started blogging was a good week for Sadie.  Looking back I have no idea how I was able to write so much.  Even though life is progressively getting easier I'm finding it much more difficult to blog. I think it might have to become a weekend job when daddy's around.  

Sadie is not a napper (although she is sleeping at the moment - very rare event) and blogging has moved down on the priorities list.  In fact, as I am typing this I'm wondering why I'm not napping myself. 

This upcoming post took a few days to complete because of my lack of time.  Hopefully, as life continues to become more routine I'll have more time to write.  God knows I have plenty to say.  There's never a dull moment as a newmie:)

no thank you notes

When you get married you feel like you will be writing thank you notes for the rest of your marriage.  I was one of the rare people who actually enjoyed writing them.  I took the time to personalize each note to make sure every friend knew how much we appreciated their gifts.  I even thought about starting a 'thank you note' business.  The concept: I would write other people's thank you's for them so they wouldn't have to stress.  Like many of my "amazing" business ideas...i never did it.  

Now, after having a baby, I realize how STUPID that business idea was because there's nothing I would rather do less than write a thank you note.  Here's the thing...I'm so grateful, don't get me wrong, of all of the wonderful gifts that people sent.  I really am so overwhelmed with how many people reached out to us after Sadie was born.  So, in advance, if you are reading this and you sent us a gift, I thank you so much.  The problem is, you have a baby and the gifts come come in and your free time goes out.  So how and when are you expected to thank everyone? 

It's really a mystery.  

To add to the challenge of the whole thank you note process you get calls from your parents and your in-laws that their friends are asking  if you received their gift.  The intention is good.  They just want to know if you got the gift, but guilt kicks in that you haven't sent (or really even  written) their thank you note yet.  I don't think anyone really expects you to be speedy with thank you notes once you've had a baby.  I mean let's be honest, taking a shower everyday is a huge accomplishment.  Even if people say you don't need to write them a note, you do, and you have to kick yourself into super newmie mode to get them done.  Just another one of the many amazing things that we newmies tackle.  

Once I managed to find the time to write my thank you notes (no, I'm not finished with all of them yet so if you are thinking 'she never sent me one,' it's on it's way) the challenge was trying to figure out how I wanted to write them.  For so long my mom and I used to think it was so bizarre when people would write baby thank you notes from the baby.  Who are these people kidding, like anyone really thinks a newborn LOVES the clothes you got them? Wouldn't it be amazing though if babies came out of the womb and they could really help you write your thank you notes.  That's my mission with baby #2 (which probably won't be for a very very long time:)

Before I had Sadie I completely agreed with my mom, but then something changed and before I knew it I was writing my thank you notes and signing them 'love, Sadie.'  I don't know what has happened to me.   You become a newmie and it's like you speak this new, totally cheesy language.  I couldn't help myself...'I love my new towel so much! Bath time is my favorite!' or 'I love when mommy dresses me in my new outfit!' What can I say? I have officially become one of those people.  I'm not ashamed.  

So, when you get my thank you note don't judge.  I'm a new mom who just happens to have a baby that REALLY loves the gift you got them.  

who was i kidding?

This post is going to be brief.  I guess I got ahead of myself when I thought I could blog everyday.  Reality check to mommy...sleep is more important than blogging.  I promise I will be back tomorrow (or at least here's hoping). After a two hour fight to get Sadie sleeping, this newmie either needs a cocktail or her pillow.  I'm voting pillow.  Good night!

fleas, really?

Today's post was going to be about the traumatic experience of Sadie's first shots yesterday, but lucky for me something much more eventful, or should I say itchy, occurred today.  Just when you think every thing's going great and you're starting to get the hang of things, life throws something tiny, black and itchy in the picture.  Thank god I'm not referring to anything involving Sadie.  No, this is all about my first baby, Rosie our adorable and sadly neglected doggy.  

My day started great.  After a full night of sleep (yes, I'm bragging) I decided to get a workout in while Sadie was having a morning snooze.  I gotta get back in those skinny jeans, remember? The workout came to a screeching halt when I got a call that still makes me itch when I think about it.  Rosie's groomer informed me that she might have been exposed to a flea-infested dog when she was there two days ago.  My initial, and ignorant thought was, "my perfect puppy couldn't possibly have fleas."  Then, my mind started racing.  Rosie basically sleeps on top of me every night.  As I felt the fleas crawling all over me I decided to give her a quick check.  To my absolute horror I saw one of those tiny terrors crawling on my poor pup's skin. 

Here's where I kicked in to crazy OCD mommy mode (I'm really not one of those people, but when it comes to bugs I don't mess around).  I frantically rushed Rosie to the car and grabbed Sadie.  I have now learned that when you seem terrified your child becomes terrified.  Sadie became hysterical (and so did mommy) as we rushed the flea bag back to the groomer for a flea bath.   

This is the tricky part and why mom's should really get paid for what they do.  I was on a mission to get the house spotless while the dog was away.  For an ordinary woman this is no big deal, but for a mom of a newborn it's the ultimate in multitasking.  Picture this: hysterical baby, vacuuming, laundry and the desperate need for a shower because you're convinced that you now have fleas.  I had to act fast so my first move was to put Sadie in her sling (best invention ever!  Newmies if you don't have a sling go buy one now).  I had free hands and a baby that was finally calming down.  I ran upstairs and stripped the beds, gathered up everything on the floor downstairs and loaded up the laundry.  Next move, grab the vacuum and kill kill kill.  With the other free hand... call husband to freak out (he was also feeling itchy, but managed to calm me down), then terminix, then the vet to make sure you're doing everything to free yourself from the itch.  Keep in mind that Sadie slept through all of this (again, the sling is amazing!), but woke up shortly after because it was time to eat.  Stop, breastfeed, change laundry, repeat.  Wow, I'm exhausted just typing all of this. 

People tell you that it's going to be tough.  They tell you that you'll be sleep deprived, but no one ever mentioned that there might be fleas involved.  I guess being a mom means dealing with anything that can be thrown your way.  All in a day's work. I think I need to ask for a raise:)  Now you're probably itching after reading this, right?

am i rotting her brain already?

I don't think I'll ever be the mommy that watches soap operas, but lucky for me the soap network has an all day line up of my favorite cheesy dramas (90210, The OC and One Tree Hill).  I guess they are today's soaps, so maybe I am the kind of woman that watches soaps.  Don't judge!  While I've been on maternity leave and clearly don't get out much, I keep the soap network on pretty much all day.  It's my guilty breast-feeding pleasure.  

So here's my question:  could my favorite pastimes be rotting my developing baby's brain?  Over the last couple of weeks Sadie has been much more alert and I have noticed her taking a great interest in Donna Martin graduating.  My newmie nuttiness thought, "oh my god I can't start corrupting her already."  So instead of being a totally type A mommy, I decided to put on a different channel, Noggin (pre-school tv).  I figured if she likes tv I'm not going to take the chance of upsetting her, but at least if I'm rotting her brain I'll rot it with something educational.  Now, instead of her first word being mama or dada it will probably be hello in Spanish or Japanese.  That would be impressive, wouldn't it?  Lucky for Sadie I'm easily entertained and a little Dora the Explorer never hurt anyone.  Maybe I should get more.  

The whole television thing got me thinking though...people get so crazy about everything with their children and have all of these ideas of how they plan to raise their kids.  I'm realizing more and more I have no idea what I'm doing and it's totally working.  I'm learning that the key to being a good mommy is being confident and faking it.  My husband is already buying it! He totally thinks I know what I'm doing. Shh don't tell:)

The bottom line is... when they are this little as long as their tiny brains are being stimulated in someway it shouldn't matter.  I'm sure studies would disagree, but what can I say, my daughter can't resist a little Dylan McKay (and neither can her mommy:) 

his life never changed

I'm going to preface this post with the statement that I love my husband very very much.  Had I written this a couple of weeks ago there would have been a lot of angry words and maybe some things I would have regretted.  Sleep deprivation doesn't help the situation, but I'm not here to air my dirty laundry, (god knows we have plenty of it) I'm just writing this entry to let all you new parents know that the honeymoon is officially over!  

I think my husband finally understands how hard my job is, but let's face it newmies husband's just don't understand.  Before Sadie was born I think Michael thought being a parent would be all happiness and snuggling with an adorable baby.  While that is definitely part of it, the other parts are much more challenging.  When our lives got into more of a rhythm, when the family was gone and it was just us, I noticed that my husband's life went back to exactly the way it was pre-baby.  How is that possible?  My life felt like it flipped completely upside down and there was Michael booking tee times for his next golf game.  Reality check, Daddy! Family time is the new tee time.  

Here's where I dug my own sand trap...Tiger Woods Golf 2010 for Wii came out around Father's Day and the amazing wife I am I bought it for him!  Big mistake newmies.  Don't do what I did.  Tee time is now in our living room all weekend long! Michael thinks he has made a compromise by traveling to the world's finest golf courses without even leaving the house.  Men reading this are probably thinking...he's the man.  Newmies out there are thinking...you fool why did you buy it for him!?!?

After a good, healthy couple's talk and some big changes on both our parts, I think we've both learned our lesson.  Michael's been a huge help around the house.  He comes home from work and finishes cooking dinner (I'm usually dealing with Sadie's meltdown mode), he has taken charge with our poor neglected pup Rosie and he even gets Sadie to sleep on the nights that Mommy is having her meltdown mode.  Although weekend's aren't really days off for me, it helps to have an extra set of hands around for a couple of days.  Even if those hands are strapped around a wii golf club for a few hours:) 

i've heard skinny jeans are bad for your health

I know it's only been 9 weeks since I had Sadie, but I'm a woman and I want my body back! Those women who say that they just miraculously shed all of their pregnancy weight when giving birth and left the hospital in their pre-pregnancy jeans are LYING TO YOU! Not only did I look 6 months pregnant when I left the hospital, I was also so swollen from retaining water that I had the cankles of a 300 pound woman.   It requires hard work to get back into those jeans and you can't even exercise for 6 weeks! Luckily breast-feeding helps speed the process up a bit (one point for breast-feeding:)

Everyday I come downstairs to my family room and I am taunted by a digital frame (cheesy, but awesome) of our honeymoon pictures.  I look at what my body used to be 2 years ago and I think if I saw that girl on the street now I would say, "skinny bitch!"  I have never had a greater appreciation for my body - before and after pregnancy.  I know it takes time, but here's the thing...what the hell are you suppose to wear when you are waiting to look like that skinny bitch again?  I don't want to shop for the body I have now so I'm stuck in sweat pants and maxi dress (which thank god are all the rage right now). Lucky for me I don't get out much and sweat pants are totally acceptable in the confines of my own home.  

As I was just about to begin beating myself up for not yet fitting into my skinny jeans, I stumbled upon the 4th hour of The Today Show last week.  Tori Spelling (one of those freak skinny bitches) was hosting with Kathy Lee and they were doing a segment on why skinny jeans could be bad for your health.  It was like a sign from the gods...they were saying, "Katie, skinny jeans are bad stick with your loose-fitting, non-flattering sweats!"  So, I'm taking there advice and not even attempting to try on my skinny jeans yet.  I think it's officially time to invest in a good pair of relaxed fit boyfriend jeans, which too are so hot right now:)

the more they eat the more you sleep

I think I should write a book.  I would call it I Have No Idea What I'm Doing Guide To Being A Mom.  This chapter of the book would be Sleep Untraining.  

I have been blessed at a very early stage of Sadie's short little life with some full nights of sleep.  From what I hear it's rare and only comes to few.  Sadie's been a fairly good sleeper since we brought her home from the hospital.  For her birth weight (6lbs 7oz) and for being a breast-fed baby she's always known her days from her nights.  Since I got a taste of the good life early I became spoiled and when she reverted back to her 3AM feed I just wouldn't have it.  I was on a mission.  A mission to keep this baby quiet till at least 6AM.  I have heard advice from some other newmies out there that worked for them, but what I've decided on my own is you have to do what works for you and your baby.  So here's my trick - FEED FEED FEED.  

All day I have Sadie on a pretty good schedule of feeding every 3 hours.  I am not an anal person by any means so if she doesn't eat exactly every 3 hours I try to relax and let her call the shots a little.  Here's the catch...at around 7PM it's like someone takes over my child and she becomes possessed.  She has her own little move that I call "crazy arms."  I'm sure you newmies know what I'm talking about.  It's the movement of the arms one at a time in a robotic motion.  When you see this occurring prepare yourself for meltdown mode. Here's my unprofessional solution to meltdown mode: feed your baby till he or she passes out.  What I have realized is that babies are just so exhausted at this time therefore the reason they fuss is because they just want to be sleeping.  Like us, it seems they just need a little night cap.  For me it's a bowl of ice cream (not helping the post pregnancy body) and for babies it's that warm bottle or boob.  It's given me success so far.  So what if my baby becomes a sumo wrestler, right? At least double chins are cute on babies.

So, there you have it.  You can read all of the "professional" advice you want, but I'm sticking to what would probably be considered force feeding for a little shut eye.  And if that doesn't work I would recommend investing in a good under-eye concealer (something I never needed before becoming a mom:).

add multitasker to my resume

If there's one thing I've mastered in the last 9 weeks it's multitasking.  If you've had a career before your baby you equate multitasking with answering a phone while writing an email and finishing a project.  I laugh in the face of office multitasking.  There's nothing like mommy-tasking.  I've mastered breast-feeding, letting the dog out, eating dinner and paying full attention to my husband's conversation all at once.  

If you think that's impressive then you'll totally appreciate my trip to the gynecologist last week. After packing Sadie into the car, carrying her in her car-seat, and a diaper bag that feels like someone shoved rocks in it (I am going to have chiseled arms - that's a whole other post for another time), I finally arrive at the doctor.  As I'm checking in they inform me that he's had to leave for an emergency c-section.  I must add that in my 9 months of pregnancy my doctor never missed an appointment, but that's beside the point.  Feeling my new mommy pain he sent me to his partner rather than sending me all the way home.  

Everything goes accordingly and Sadie is sleeping soundly until I am put in the exam room.  A minor meltdown occurs, but I keep my cool.  Keep in mind when you go into the exam room you are told to strip from the waist down and put the sheet over you.  So picture this or don't cause picturing me naked might not be for you.  Anyway, I did as they told me and was naked from the waist down with the sheet over me.  With each cry I hop off the table and put Sadie's pacifier in her mouth all the while praying that the damn doctor would just come in the room so I could get out of there fast.  Sadie won't calm down, in fact her cry seems to be getting louder, and yes, I'm still naked!  I decide to take her out of the car seat and sit on the table with her to calm her down and wait for the doctor.  

The doctor finally arrives and we introduce ourselves.  While I'm saying hello I'm thinking ok let's make it snappy I'm naked, I have a crying baby in my arms and now that I've been waiting here this long she's probably going to be hungry any minute and then I'll really be naked!  As we are going through the usual doctor patient questions I'm trying to figure out how he's even going to examine me with a screaming baby in my arms. Well, let me tell you the doc must have been accustomed to screaming newborns in the office because he simply said lay back for me please...you can keep the baby on your belly.  

So, if you are reading this and you're not a mommy just think of me the next time your stressed when you're multitasking at the office.  I've calmed a baby down in a doctor's office half-naked, had a full gynecological exam and held a baby on my chest kicking and screaming.  Take that full-time office job!

to breast or not to breast?

I don't know about you newmies out there, but this is a question I ask myself everyday.  What's the deal with the breast feeding game?  It really is a game.  A game I play with myself.  If it frustrates me so much why don't I just quit?  Am I worried what other people will think?  Am I doing it for the health of my daughter?  Truthfully, I have no idea.  Before I had Sadie everyone described this bond that you have with your child when you are breast feeding.  I get it I get it, but I've also given her a bottle and felt the same bond.  

Over the last week or so I've noticed my milk seems to be slowing down a lot.  Not sure how this happened because when it first came in I felt like a cow.  Now, it seems every time Sadie is eating she gets frustrated after her usual 10 minutes on each side so then I'm forced to supplement with pumped milk or formula.  Lucky for me she eats it all!  I'm thinking this is my body's way of saying you've done your time, now GIVE UP ALREADY! 

Why is it so hard to quit?  Am I addicted to the game? I guess there are things I would miss like not having to heat up bottles or deal with bottles at all.  Oh, and the biggest thing I would miss would be my newly beloved boobs (no pun intended).  I am already beginning to see what they will look like when there's no milk in them and let me tell you it's not pretty.  Do flat, pancakes sound exciting to anyone...NOT ME!  

So I guess the question remains...do I continue my career as a milk maid or do I embrace my potentially sagging boobs and call it quits for good?  Thoughts?

new mom, new life

The last 8 and a half weeks has made me realize life will never be the same.  As my eyes lids are struggling to stay open all I want to do is pass out and then I look right next to me at my little cutie, Sadie, and I remember why I must stay awake.  Everyone tells you it's going to be hard and you'll never sleep again, but NOTHING can prepare you for this job.  It's the most amazing thing and by far the hardest work I have ever done in my life.  Everyday gets better.  As Sadie starts to coo and smile, I am so grateful for my new life.  

This blog is an outlet for me to express my feelings as a new mommy and to reach out to other new mommies (let's call us NEWMIES) who are going through all of the same triumphs and struggles that I'm experiencing everyday.  I will post (when I can) random "nestings" (thoughts and updates) for all you newmies out there to read and comment on.  We can learn from each other and give tips on tricks that have worked for us.  Let's grow this site together and hopefully help each other stay sane through these amazing, yet crazy times:)