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:)