Just about a year...

Talk about time flying...

I just logged on and couldn't even remember my username and password. After thinking long and hard, I got it! I had no idea it had been nearly a year since my last post. What kind of blogger am I? Oh, right, a mommy blogger!!! Apparently, this mommy-job thing doesn't leave much time for writing. Well, there's time here and there, but who wants to listen to themselves vent in their hour/hour and a half naptime freedom? Guess I don't! I'm going to see if this blogging thing is like riding a bike. Sorry, if this is a bumpy ride. Might take me some time to find my brain again. Remember, I spend my days talking to an 18 month old. Forgive me in advance:)

So, let's see, a lot has changed in a year. I'm not a newmie anymore. I'm a promie (a pro mommy:). Crazy, right? There's a whole slew of newmies in my life now so I figured I would update this little side job to give those fresh newmies something to read while their little one sleeps (hopefully that's what the babies are doing and you kinda should be too so read quickly!).

A year ago I had a little 6 and a half month old baby who took two naps a day and was working on sitting up on her own. We were just trying to survive the beginning of winter in Columbus. Leaving the house once was a big adventure and I was finally starting to make some mommy friends. So much has changed for both Sadie and me in the last 12 months. Quick synopsis for Sadie would be...ate real food, learned to army crawl, got some teeth, moved to Philly without skipping a beat, got some more teeth, mastered real crawling, started talking (yes, she did this at around 9 months by saying "Hi" to everyone), turned one, got some crazy big teeth, learned to walk, simultaneously rejected the bottle and her second nap, and ultimately somewhere around there turned into a toddler.

I pretty much define my last year by all of those things too, but my adult version would be...started to enjoy having my body back, lost some sleep from teeth coming in, moved to Philly twice (Yes, two apartments in one week. Not quite as seamless for Mommy and Daddy), lost a little more sleep here and there from those big ass teeth in the back, chased after my new crawler, used Sadie as my agent to meet tons of Philly mommies, shed some more pounds from now chasing a walker, adjusted to life with one not- long- enough-nap during the day, explained to many people that yes, my 11 month old baby just said "Hi" and "Bye Bye" and yes, she is a little young to be talking and finally gained a friend out of a little girl who is no longer my little baby. Where does the time go?

As I am reliving those early stages from the newmies in my life, I really can't even believe what we have accomplished in a quick 18 months. The days of breastfeeding and swaddling seem so far behind me. I feel empowered now that I have come this far as a mom and graduated into promie-hood. As you move into this phase of parenting you really start to forget what it was like in the beginning.

Recently, a newmie friend of mine asked me a question that got me thinking. She said, "Katie, will my life ever be easy again?" I had to think for a second. Hmmm...easy? I made sure to answer in a way that wouldn't completely freak her out. I said, "Your life will definitely get easier, but it will NEVER be easy again." Who wants to live an easy life anyway? Although I'm really only in the second phase of childhood (having a toddler), I can say that nothing has been easy. In the beginning it's definitely the most challenging because you're sleep deprived and you have no idea what you're doing. As they grow into toddlerhood, you know what you're doing so that's easier, but it is physically so much more challenging or should I say exhausting. People don't say this is the hardest job in the world for no reason.

I think the whole motherhood experience has felt a lot like the labor part. It's probably the hardest thing I have ever done, but looking back you only remember the good parts. Whether we are sleep deprived, have stretch marks in places we never thought was possible or smell a little from skipping a daily shower, the bottom line is we love our kids and most of us probably want more. Why? No idea. Maybe we want that not-so-easy life or maybe it's because those little people are just so damn cute we want to be surrounded by a few of them for the rest of our lives.

So, I know all of those Jewish grandmothers sneaking a read on this are probably thinking now is the time for me to get working on baby #2. I know I've gotten personal on this blog by talking about my post-breastfeeding pancake boobies, but I'm not gonna go there on my 10 year baby plan. All I can say is no matter what kind of promie I have become doing it all over again sounds daunting. But don't worry Mom and Mom-in-law you will have more grandchildren in your future. For now, naptime is over. Back on the clock!

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!