Mommy Moment of the Week (or really a few weeks ago)

Have you ever been in a situation where you have no clue what to do? As you have read this past week, situations such as these are not uncommon at all in my life. For all you male readers out there, you can probably skip this blog unless you are really into hearing about all the fun of breastfeeding a baby. I am sure that some of you female readers will choose to leave at this moment as well -- I promise if you stick around you are in for some good laughs.

I started back to work three weeks ago. Going back to work meant that I would have to start pumping at work. Let me tell you - there is absolutely nothing fun about pumping. If any of you out there can name something that thrills you about breastpumping I would love to hear it. There is REALLY nothing fun about pumping at a hospital during your shift when there are no pumping rooms on your unit. We have pumping rooms up in the NICU for the mother's of NICU babies. I think that there is something slightly wrong with stealing a pumping room from a mom whose baby is in the NICU.

This leaves me to resort to one of our empty rooms. I have to go through the process of calling my charge nurse and asking her if I can use the room to pump in. This is to prevent them from sending the hospital tour into that room. I can see it now "And in this room....I guess we have our lactation department". So you finally get a few minutes to go pump and you are working as fast as you can to get it all together. On my second night back at work I have finally escaped to pump and I get all my stuff in order only to realize that I have brought no bottles to pump into. Um yeah, can we all say sticky situation. I hate to tell you but my brain was really working to figure out how I could maybe pump into a styrofoam cup. That way I could at least get it out even if I had to throw it away - the good ol' pump-n-dump.

After I had worked up a serious sweat, I called the postpartum floor and had them tube me down some empty bottles. Thank goodness for buying a pump that is the same manufacturer the hospital uses. Please take a moment to put yourselves in my shoes and sit in a ginormous labor room all ready to pump with no bottles.

Ten Things Tuesday: Food Edition

This Tuesday, I am going to share with you all some of my favorite foods. Some of them are post-partum weight loss friendly and others are simply splurges.


1. Minute Maid Soft Frozen Cherry Limeades. What could possibly be a better way to welcome the warm weather that is coming? These are tart, tangy and only 1 Weight Watchers Point. I highly recommend people to go searching for them in their grocery store's freezer section.

2. Kashi Strawberry Fields Organic Promise Cereal. This cereal is a perfect blend of strawberries, raspberries, and wheat flakes. I cannot stand super sweet cereal and this is the perfect combination. I have managed to get my whole family addicted to this, and they are scavanging grocery stores across Georgia to find it. It is also the only cereal that stays crunchy to the end -- a very important factor.
3. Milk. This appropriately follows the cereal above. Ever since I have been pregnant I have craved all things dairy. This did not go away after I had Belle. I was never a big milk drinker before, but now I will have a glass here and there throughout the day. Skim milk and fat-free need only apply. That 2% stuff is scary.

4. The Laughing Cow Babybel Light Cheese. I guess this is part of my obsession with dairy. These little cheeses are perfect for me to take to work. I can eat it quickly when things are nutty at work and I haven't been able to get a dinner break. To be honest I love all things Laughing Cow. The wedges and light cheese bites are fabulous as well.

5. Granola Bars Simple Harvest Granola Bars. So far I have only tried the Cinnamon Brown Sugar with Cranberries and Apples, but I am hooked! They are very tasty and in unique flavors. Accompany the cheese above with one of these and you have got a great, fueling snack!

6. Naked Juice Mighty Mango . Mark introduced me to this after he discovered it at Starbucks. It is so yummy and 100% fruit. There is actually one pound of fruit in each bottle. While not too low on the calorie count, there are no added sugars. It is completely worth the splurge and doesn't leave a funny aftertaste like most fruit drinks do. Every now and then when things are busy in the morning I can grab this and get my breakfast in for the day.

7. Hormel Natural Choice Deli Meats. These meats are wonderful because they are preservative free and all natural (hence the name) without artificial ingredients. The sliced chicken breast is wonderful for salads or even make at home pizzas.
8. Propel Fitness Water Flavor Packets. When I was pregnant and I had low amniotic fluid I was encouraged to drink more and more water. I was never a big water drinker and these packets gave the little boost of flavor I need to get my water down. Since then I have become addicted to water... can't get enough. I like it with flavor or even plain with ice.


9. Romaine Crunch Salad - This is an incredible salad that is great for the spring and summer. I got it from my church cookbook and tweaked it to make it my own recipe.
Ingredients:
1 package of hearts of romaine lettuce (yeah, go ahead and buy the prepackaged kind unless you are fancy, schmancy)
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
1 green apple (I also substitute strawberries, fresh peaches, or even raspberries - sometimes I do a combination)
1 package of Ramen noodles, seasoning packet removed
1 small package of chopped walnuts - about 1/2 cup
Dressing:
1 cup vegetable oil -- I prefer canola
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1. Mix romaine lettuce and chopped green onion. Cover and chill in refrigerator while prepping other ingredients.
2. Break apart Ramen noodles into small pieces and combine with walnuts. Toast until light brown. I do this in the oven at whatever temperature everything else is cooking on and just keep an eye on it. You can also do this in a small pan on the stove.
3. Combine ingredients for dressing in blender and blend until smooth.
4. Chop up fruit into bite-size pieces and add to lettuce mix along with Ramen noodles and walnut.
5. Add dressing and toss to coat -- Do not add all the dressing at once. Add a little and toss and repeat until coated to your desired preference. I usually have about half the dressing leftover. Serve salad immediately.

10. Klondike Oreo Sandwiches. F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S. Mark got me addicted to this major splurge. We have both decided that this may be the best ice cream treats that exist. We also have decided that Klondike knows what they are doing by only putting four in the package. This is my BIG splurge. They are a little hard to find, but I can usually find them at Publix or WalMart. All I can say is .... ENJOY!

Sometimes You Just Do What Works

Belle has never been a great napper. It is a daily match up of Belle vs. The Nap. In one corner we have Belle. A precious 3-month old who is in much need of sleep, but who is worried she might miss some of the goings on. In the other corner we have The Nap. This bad boy allows moms to get the much needed chores done around the house and allows children to awake happy and ready to go. Some days Belle wins and some days The Nap wins. Lately, The Nap has started to overcome...within certain circumstances.



Belle does not nap in her crib, no matter how hard you try to make her. We have attempted the return to the crib for naps and it never, ever goes over really well. Belle will always nap in her car seat when we are out and about, but a nap spot around the house is a different story. The swing used to be a go-to item for naps. She loved the constant rocking motion. This has started to phase out, and while she still loves to lay in the swing, she doesn't view it as much of a nap spot. The nap spot that has always been steady is.... our bathroom.

As you can see there is only one ringside seat

Sorry, no flash photography allowed at Belle vs. The Nap

I mean look how soundly she is sleeping. Our bathroom guarantees a one to two hour nap for Belle a couple of times a day. I can still get my shower, dry my hair and everything, so it really does not interfere with my day to day functions. This experience has been a life lesson in that sometimes you just succumb to the quirks.

Does your child have any interesting quirks?

Mommy Moment of the Week

I guess I should preface this and say that this is not really a mommy moment but a Rachel moment. As my close family and friends can attest I am a very klutzy person. I somehow manage to end up in "interesting" situations from time to time. As I was growing up I didn't have a big problem with falling down the stairs.... no, my big problem was falling UP the stairs. I have been known to be walking down the street and talking to friends and walk straight into a street sign pole. Yeah, that leaves a pretty good mark. I am sure that my family could enlighten you as to many more of these "experiences". Most people would be embarrassed, but I have learned to laugh.

Last night though may top all of my situations I have gotten myself into. After a long, hectic night at work I was extremely glad when 11:23 rolled around and I got to clock out and come home. I was so happy walking out to my car thinking about getting to come home and see Mark and my precious sleeping baby. The happiness lasted only so long. I came upon my car and discovered that the Altima next to me had parked in such a way that I could not get in my driver's side door. I know that the hospital I work at has small parking spaces, but come on folks! When you park crooked in an already small parking space it can cause problems for other cars. I was SO angry! I walked around to the passenger side door to unlock it and crawl through, only to realize that there is no key hole on that side. I shimmied between my car and the other car and unlocked my door and all the other doors. I then walked back to the other side to crawl through. In the process of crawling through to the driver's side I managed to get stuck.

Yeah, you heard me right I got stuck in my car. When you are short you have to sit a little closer to the steering wheel and I had no space to get my legs under the steering wheel. I was on the phone with Mark and was in full panic mode. All the doors were closed and it was getting hot inside the car and I could not reach the seat lever to scoot the seat back. I finally managed to get my legs unstuck and swing them over the top of the steering wheel. I am sure it was quite a sight for anyone that was in the parking garage last night.

Dear Mr. Altima Driver,
Please notice your proximity to other cars when you park next time. I am sure your wife was in labor and you were in a hurry (at least that is what I am going to pretend was happening). I am still sore this morning due to your inability to park in between to straight lines.

P.S. This is not the first time that someone has parked next to me where I could not get in. The first time was when I was 30 weeks pregnant.

What is a post without a cute picture?

And the Little One Said... Roll Over, Roll Over

Belle started rolling over tummy to back at about 3 weeks. This early development was primarily due to how teeny, tiny she was at the time. As Belle began to put on more weight, she has a hard time getting herself over. You can tell she knows what to do to get there but just can't get the right push off.

Monday night while I was at work, she rolled over back to tummy while she was playing with Mark. I was sad to miss this new event. I thought maybe it was a coincidence that she had rolled over because she is still a little young for this skill. I have been watching her all week to see if she would do it again. She tried so hard by lifting those legs up and rocking back and forth on her tiny tush. Finally tonight she did it again for me - twice. She is also trying very hard to crawl. I hope we still have a few months before this, but she can pull herself across her blanket about a foot. She also pushes off of her boppy during tummy time and onto the floor.

I know what you all really want to see is pictures...

Sweet baby playing with her grandparents while I was at work

I got 4 inches cut off of my hair today. That is how I spell relief. It had gotten to a seriously ugly place. Of course how fun is a hair cut when your child is fussy and ends up sitting in your lap for the whole thing (she eventually fell asleep to the sound of the hairdryer).

She already has daddy wrapped around that little finger.

Supposedly Playtime is 10pm at the Reiboldt House

Belle is a pretty good sleeper... knock on wood. She is very good at sleeping long stretches - anywhere from 6-10 hour stretches at night. The bit we have yet to master is the getting to sleep bit. After night after night of rocking her, feeding her, walking the floors, etc. nothing was working. Mark and I began to dread the time of night when we had to put her to sleep.

After much advice from friends and family, we have resorted to the book Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems. It is basically a cry-it-out version where you reassure your baby at different intervals. We started this last week and so far we are taking teeny, tiny baby steps. I usually end up having to feed her before she will finally go down.

Tonight, after crying and crying, Belle started smacking her little fists so I knew she was hungry. I went in and got her to feed her. She refused to eat and instead, she laid on my lap looking up at me with these eyes "saying come on mom lets play". I know she can't understand me, but I looked at her and sweetly said "Belle you need to either eat or go back to sleep." She started smiling and cooing at me as if to say I'll show you mom. Mark and I were dying laughing. There is not a doubt in my mind after tonight that she has her father's personality -- ornery to the bone. These are the times in motherhood where you just throw up your hands and live in the moment. I will only have those sweet smiles and coos for so long and they make every bit of the tough parts of motherhood worth it.

*NOTE: For those of you who are against the cry-it-out method. It is unnecessary for you to share your opinion with me. When you become a mother you do what is best for your child and your family.

I figured since she is just liker her dad, a picture of the two of them was needed.

Mommy Moment of the Week

After sharing with you all my hair bow story last week, I have decided that I will try to share a "Mommy Moment" each week. Sometimes I feel like new parents should be given an instruction manual or at least this kid should be returnable. You feel like you will royally mess everything up and that your child will need years of therapy. There are moments all day long where you just laugh out loud because you have no clue what you are doing. This week was probably one of the funniest moments I have had since becoming a parent.


Belle has loved to play under her Baby Einstein Activity Gym since she was even a newborn. She will play for a long time and just have such a blast. Lately, I have noticed that she has become somewhat bored with this. She still enjoys it, but she gets upset sooner into playtime than usual. I decided it was time to bring out a bigger toy since she is 3 months old now. I did my research to decide if she was ready for her jumperoo or her exersaucer. I decided that she was ready for the jumperoo because the requirement was to be able to hold her head up. She can do that very, very well. The exersaucer required her to sit without support - we are not ready for that yet.



Yesterday, I lugged the jumperoo box downstairs and during her nap time I worked to put it together. I was so proud that I had assembled it by myself. I could just tell that Belle was going to have so much fun with all the colors and toys. When she woke up from her nap and was fed and happy I went ahead and put her into the jumperoo. I have never laughed so hard in my life. Please scroll slowly to get the full idea of why I was laughing.

This is what she should look like:

This is what Belle looked like:

The picture does not even do justice to how funny it was. It was this huge toy with just a head bobbing about. I had it on the lowest setting and her legs were a good 6 inches from the floor. She couldn't even reach her arms out of the seat to touch the toys. Needless to say it will be awhile before we are playing in the jumperoo.