Thursday, August 29, 2013

Smile.

I've been waiting and waiting for validation that I'm doing something right in this world of mommyhood. In my mind, that validation was going to come in the form of a smile from my offspring. Not a fart smile or a poop smile...but a real, genuine smile.

Tonight, out of the blue, I got one. Adly was a major sleepyhead after not getting in a good nap all day. So we let her sleep. As she finally started waking up, her daddy and I were hovering right over her talking to her and kissing her to attempt to wake her up.

And that's when this happened:




They're blurry because I was freaking out as it was happening, but I got them nonetheless. And now I have it. Validation.

Even more validating? That big hole in her cheek that is a glaring stamp straight from her mommy. 

Gotta love those dimples.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

10,000!

Wow. We've hit a milestone here at Bottles and Blunders. Over 10,000 page views!!

That means I spent a hell of a lot of time clicking on my blog while I was pregnant. Thankfully I did it then because I just don't have the time these days to keep up such work.

In all seriousness, what a cool feeling! I started this as a way to document my pregnancy. A journal if you will....albeit a very public journal. Not like the secret one with a lock, that you hide in the back of your underwear drawer, that your mom read when she put away your underthings, but a wide open journal.

As I wrote more and more, I began to realize how much I missed writing for fun. Funny, I teach my little students year after year how writing is FUN! Yet as an adult, I seemed to have just stopped writing for myself, for fun. This blog has been an excellent outlet for those creative juices to flow and at times, even theraputic. Writing is something that I was definitely missing, even though I didn't realize it right away. Throughout this blogging adventure, I've also used it as a way to offer advice to other preggos and new mommies. My hope is that it's advice that can be taken with a grain of salt...only if you want it or need it. Nothing worse than having someone shove information down your throat, telling you you must do something. I can't tell you how many times a day I google, text, call, or pick up a book to find out the answer to something. I know nothing when it comes to babies and to me there is no better way to find out answers than by asking. So if I've made that information easier to find for one or two people, then that's just fabulous.

I'll step off my soapbox now, but I really just wanted to say a big thank you. Thank you for taking the time to read my words and ramblings. I hope a post or two I've written has made you laugh or even helped you in some way in your own life adventure....or at the very least made you say, "I'm glad I'm not her today."

Let's be honest...I just wanted an excuse to put a picture of this muffin up.

Monday, August 26, 2013

Maternity Leave.

Monday was the first day back to school for thousands of kiddos, including my new crop of sweet little ones. Only this year, I wasn't welcoming them into the classroom and experiencing the marathon that is the first day of school with them. This year, I'm lucky enough to be staying home a little longer and spending more precious time with my own little one.

However, the transition of staying home is bittersweet. This year was a change of classrooms for me. And for the students, a change of teacher twice over due to my maternity leave sub being there first. Because of the changes, which happened a mere two weeks before school started, I wanted to be there to greet the students and help to smooth the transition for them.

My lovely brother in law Mike and his girlfriend Jess graciously agreed to watch our pumpkin while I went to school for an hour. On the way there, I saw moms dropping their babies off at a bus for the first day of school. I cried. Thankfully I have 5 years to prepare for that emotional meltdown.

At school, I walked into a classroom that is "mine, but not mine right now". I saw my coworkers running around in the mad dash to finish all last second preparations. And then I headed outside and saw so many of my old students and parents as well as my new students. The amount of love those people pour out to their teachers new and old is amazing. 

I had so many hugs and well wishes from parents excited to find out how I'm doing and hugs from kiddos of the past who last saw me with a giant basketball in my belly. And then there were my first graders from this year. I got to hug each of them and say hello and then walk them into their new classroom. 

Then it was time to go. As quickly as I whisked in, I knew I needed to whisk away to give the sub the ability to establish her own classroom and rapport with them. It was hard. 

A lot of what I'm trying to overcome with this pregnancy and new mommyhood is loss of control. That's a post for another time, but through this new life adjustment, I've also had to give up the control of my classroom. My space. My students' space. My routines. My traditions. And it's hard. 

In the hour that I was there I did my best to be a help and not a hindrance by saying "what I would do" and not stepping in to do things "my way". And then I left. Closing the door to the classroom was symbolic to me as a closure to that life....for the next few months.

Now it's time for me to focus on my own baby. To watch her milestones and enjoy every last one while I can. To savor every second I get with her and to soak in the delicacies of her infancy that will disappear in the blink of an eye. And for that I am so grateful.




Friday, August 23, 2013

Guess what!?!

Hey everybody....guess what. Being six weeks old is the PITS!

I had heard from multiple people and sources that around 6 weeks, wee ones tend to hit some sort of a growth spurt, complete with regression, devil reincarnated episodes, etc. My sweet pea is so far nailing this stage on the head.

Fussy wussy is her new nickname. Hey why you fussing!?! 

Of course she can't tell me. She just glares at me, punches me in the face, sticks her tongue out at me, and continues with her wails. So I try everything. Change the diaper, bop around the house, paci, snuggles, silly faces. She responds to all if the above by sucking the life out of my arm, my shirt, my neck (ever had an infant hickie??), all ways of not so subtly telling me, "I WANT THE BOOBIE!!!!"

Prior to six weeks, I had gotten our little hungry monster in a pattern of eating every two hours or so during the day, thanks to the paci. It was at least long enough to recover and make more milk. But now, at six weeks, we're back to being hungry every minute of every day. Cluster feeding or snacking is what the experts like to call it.

The second she comes off, she's making hungry gestures at me, trying to crawl her way back down to the boobie. I put her down, she cries. I hold her, she cries. Her sleep patterns are all a mess and together we are both a couple of cranky pants.

Thankfully, I have veteran moms around the world (well, just around here) cheering me on, promising me, IT GETS BETTER! Let's hope so, because this momma has had enough of being a personalized all day buffet! 

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

What's in your bag....Follow Up

Packing for the hospital was quite stressful for me. I remember being overwhelmed by the amount of information out there on what to take, what not to take, and then all the recommendations given to me by fellow mommies. In the end, I packed what I thought was what would work best for me, although I was still unsure.

First thing to note- your hospital is likely not too far from your house. Someone can ALWAYS go back for something. This never occurred to me until I was in the hospital. So here is what I would change, bring, not bring the next time I find myself in the delivery room.

-Rolling Suitcase. A girlfriend of mine recommended this. It was genius. Did it seem a little odd? Sure. But who the hell cares at that point. I know my husband loved it as he was following Adly and I to the Mommy and Me unit at 2 something a.m. with all of our crap. Additionally, you will steal EVERYTHING from your room. You want to have a little extra space to pilfer those precious items into. In fact, my nurse came in and told us to take everything from the baby cart. Diapers, wipes, panties, ice packs, pads. All a must have. 

-Robe/slippers. The slippers are an absolute must have. I used those the entire time I was in recovery at the hospital. The robe I put on after I showered the day I was being discharged. It served its purpose and I'll bring one next time because by then I wanted nothing to do with those awful hospital gowns.

-Toiletries. Great call. The hospital didn't offer any in my room, so I used everything I brought. This included shampoo, conditioner, soap, face wash, toothpaste and toothbrush.

-Makeup. Thinking back, I want to laugh at myself for putting a little rouge on after my shower the day of discharge. But honestly, I'd do it again. It helped me to feel like a human being again.

-Towel. Going off of the shower items, next time, I will bring my own towel. I know it's a hospital and it should be a germ free zone, but honestly you don't know where that towel has been. So I hated washing off all the grime and ick from delivery only to wrap myself in an itty bitty scratchy hospital towel. I think I honestly thought I wouldn't shower there. But I can't begin to tell you how nice it felt.

-Boppy. Bring whatever type of breastfeeding pillow you plan to use. I didn't bring this, but my MIL and SIL were kind enough to bring it by on the day after I delivered. It can also serve a dual purpose of keeping your torn undercarriage off of the rock hard bed you're sitting in. I wish I had thought of that while I was there. That idea came to me once I got home and could barely sit without wincing in pain.

-Pillows. I love to sleep on a few pillows. Our pillows in the room were flat as pancakes. This only adds to your inability to sleep. Next time, I will take every precaution to ensure I get a good nights' sleep by bringing one or two of my own. Because that's going to be the last time I get some shut eye in for a loooooong time.

-Granny Panties. You may remember that I went out and bought some super sexy, reliable cotton briefs in a larger size prior to delivery. Best purchase ever! However, not for the hospital. You will wear nothing but the stretchy, meshy hospital boy shorts. Believe me, those are all you'll want to wear. There's blood everywhere and those do a bang up job of holding in the massive diaper pad you wear. I never touched my own undies while in the hospital. But have no fear, they are all I wore for the entire 6 weeks after. Why ruin your good panties?

-Clothes for Baby. I would still bring a variety of sizes for the newbie as you learn in our case, when the doctor yells out "that's a biiiig baby!" as she pulls her out, you don't know how big they're going to be. Even though our little darling was much bigger than expected, she still only wore the newborn size. I would bring a onsie and a long sleeved onsie with footies. I'd also bring a hat for baby. It gets chilly in the hospital and they are so itty bitty.

-Snacks. I brought a few granola bars. I'd definitely bring those again. They helped to tide us over throughout our stay and also saved Adam from a near fainting episode right before delivery. *Additionally, if you deliver late at night or are expected to, get someone to go to a local restaurant and get you some food. You will be famished after delivery and will want something. I was shoving food in my mouth the second Adly came out.

-Magazines. Never even looked at them. Wouldn't bring again. The waiting game is anything but boring. You're exhausted, visitors are in and out, nurses are in and out poking and prodding you in some way.

-Delivery Music. This ended up being awesome. I wasn't sure I'd ever listen to it. But when it came time to push, it was essential to giving me something to focus on other than the fact I was about to pass out from exhaustion. Ask me what songs I heard and when....I have no idea.

-Pacifier. No way. If you're breastfeeding, they strongly recommend against using a paci until breastfeeding is well established. Those sat untouched.

-Blankets. These are great and we did use them throughout the stay. I'd bring two again. Gotta keep baby looking fresh in something other than the ugly hospital blanket!

-Baby Book. Somehow, in all the commotion, we got her footprints into the baby book. I'm so glad we did. This is a must bring, I think.

There you have it, my condensed list. There are probably other things that people would say to bring or not bring, but this is what I will go off of for baby number two...way down the road when that happens.  Either way, I think the most important thing to remember is what I said at the beginning of this post. Someone can always go get something for you if you need it. Happy packing!

Monday, August 19, 2013

It's a Snap!

When I was pregnant, I was totally that girl who "was not going to need nursing bras. What a waste of money!"

Three days after Adly made her way into the world, there I was, on the verge of passing out at the local Target, frantically trying to pick out two or three nursing bras to at least get me through the first few weeks of recovery. Why? Because I learned the hard way that if you are breastfeeding, in my opinion, you NEED nursing bras. They will make your nursing life so much easier!

Nursing bras and tank tops are different than your average bras and tops because they come with handy dandy clips that allow you to quickly unsnap that side of the bra so your little one can have a snack. This is incredibly helpful when you're in a rush or especially in public. Who wants to deal with having to pull your bra strap down enough to allow your boob to pop out?? Then you also have to deal with the cup smushing under your boob, catching milk drops. I've done it, and to me, its uncomfortable and awkward.

My favorites have actually been the plain white and plain black tank tops. These tanks have a shelf bra built into them so they double as a tank and a bra. When it comes to nursing, it's literally a snap to get your boob out. 



For night time, I'm loving these tanks by Gillian O'Malley from Target. They are so comfortable and feeding in the dark when you're exhausted takes only a quick swipe to pull the tank over. I wear these every night. They also make sleep bras that have the same idea, but you'd likely be wearing a T-shirt over it and well, that's just another thing that gets in the way while you're fumbling around half asleep in the dark. 


I also have just nursing bras. These have been handy for when I want to wear tops that are not as nursing friendly. Once I figure out whether the top has to be pulled up or a side can be pulled down my shoulder, I again only need to unsnap the bra in the front and she can eat. 

In addition to nursing tanks and bras, another "I learned the hard way so maybe you won't have to" tip is to purchase nursing pads. This is because, like it or not, your boobs will leak. And most likely, they'll leak when you least expect it. Yay! In the first few weeks of nursing, I can't tell you how many times I awoke to a bed soaked with milk and a tank top dripping wet. Gross. I personally have been using the disposable kind, but they also make washable pads. I find myself doing enough laundry already these days, so disposables are just easier for me. 

I've found nursing pads have a dual purpose, which, who doesn't love when that happens?! Nursing bras are quite thin and don't have any padding- at least mine don't. These nursing pads provide padding/coverage for when you may end up in the freezer section for too long trying to remember what it was you were supposed to buy for dinner.

They also help prevent things like, oh I don't know, public leakage from happening. This past week I went for a stroll with Adly and my friend Katie. As I was pushing sweet, beautiful Adly along the sidewalk I noticed a lot of people looking down at her and then up at me. The narrative in my head went something like "yep, she's mine...and she's gorgeous...I know, I'm so lucky!"

Then I happened to glance down at myself and that's when I noticed a huge wet circle right smack in the middle of my nip area. Dammit! I had forgotten to throw in a pad before I left on that boob. So all those lovely onlookers weren't actually looking at how beautiful my daughter is, but giving me longing looks of, "oh poor girl...her nipple is totally leaking and she has no idea!" While I'm sure that won't be the last time I forget a pad and have to bravely stroll through public making it known I'm a human cow that has the need to feed, this is why these pads are a must have. 

Here's wishing you quick snapping, dry adventures in breastfeeding! 

Thursday, August 15, 2013

The Value of a Brand

I'm not into name brands when it comes to most things. I'm cheap and have no problem going for the store brand version to save a dollar or two. Clearly, I'm also not ashamed of that trait.

Enter the world of diapers. Suddenly I find myself struggling with the fact that all diapers are not created the same. I did some research before Adly was born on what kinds of diapers were the best at containing the mess. Mom's have very strong opinions when it comes to brands of diapers and I found myself a bit overwhelmed when it came to which brand was best. Thanks to some lovely friends of ours, we were given quite a few packages of diapers in varying brands when Adly was born.

From what I've read, Pampers Swaddlers seem to have a cult following that I have yet to understand. Are they good diapers? Sure. But they're expensive. I still have a hard time splurging for them. For newborn diapers, I came to love the Target Up & Up brand. They fit Adly well and we had no blowouts. The Swaddlers were definitely nice, but they have a sort of mesh covering on the inside. Perhaps those are there to help contain the mess, but it annoys me that they leave marks on her little bum. Call me picky.

In the last week or so, Adly has grown her way out of the newborn size diapers. For those of you that don't know, after this we move to size 1. Contrary to my husbands belief, diapers do not come in load sizes. We have one pack of diapers that are the off brand from CVS given to us by some friends. When I was in Michigan, I had to stock up so I went to Wal-Mart and of course, bought the off brand kind. How different can they really be?

I'm here to personally attest that when it comes to diapers, apparently name brand does matter. Or at least, certain diapers are definitely better than others. In the last three days we've had numerous blowouts. No, my sweet pea hasn't begun producing more massive amounts of poo....its the diaper. At first I found it funny.

She's going to kill me for this one day. But until then....

After numerous outfit changes in one day due to either a blowout or leakage, I had had enough. I know the picture is proof...but these were up the back, up the front, out the sides blowouts. Any which way the poo could go outside of the diaper, it went! Ick. Brand name or not, I must find a diaper that can properly contain the mess. So now I'm on the great diaper hunt for the best diaper at hopefully not the highest price. I'm starting off my search with Target's Up & Up and Pampers Swaddlers. Stay tuned for what we discover. Hopefully I can also help you new mommies avoid this trial and error process. 

Mommies, whats your favorite brand?

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Month One

I apologize for lacking in posting. Adjusting to motherhood has been much different than I expected. Sometimes overwhelming, sometimes emotional, and many times...I'm just not sure where the time goes!

After a whirlwind week of travel, Adly and I rejoined daddy last night in Chicago. It's good to be home. While we were be-bopping all over the midwest, Adly's one month birthday passed us. I can't believe it. One month. It scares me how fast time is flying. She already looks so much bigger than she was. She's already changing in so many ways.


At one month, Adly is recognizing faces and voices, especially mine and Adams. She can follow me across a room or pick me out of a few faces. I just love that feeling.

Slowly but surely, her smiles are starting to emerge. They have yet to be social smiles, but are still adorable nonetheless. I cannot WAIT until I have the satisfaction of my infant smiling at how funny I am. She also loves to make faces. She is so expressive!

Adly loooooves music. Raffi is an artist who sings for kids. I've used him in my classroom before, but she seems really taken by his songs. I have to admit, I don't mind a little "Day-O" myself.

While we were home, grandpa Dan bought Adly a Dr. Suess book aptly named "One fish, two fish". I'm sure you all read it as a child. My dad loves to fish and is already bequeathing his love for it onto his granddaughter. Anyways, I picked it up and read it to her while we were doing her bedtime routine feeding when we were home in MI. Her eyes widened and she stared at me intently, listening to the sounds of my voice as I read the book. Her reaction gave me goosebumps and of course made me cry.

Our little girl is growing like a weed. She's outgrown all newborn clothes and diapers and has now moved on to 0-3 months/3 months. Her little leg rolls are an indication of her healthy eating. And of course are the cutest thing ever.

I introduced a paci successfully in week 4, after several unsuccessful attempts over her first month. She came out of my belly sucking her thumb. The doctors and nurses were in awe and so happy she already had the self soothing instinct. I'll admit, I was not a fan. Being a teacher, I've seen students who are in school and still unable to kick the thumb habit. Our pediatrician reassured us that thumb sucking is great because the child always has their thumb--and most kids stop by their toddler years. Well our sweet pea just couldn't manage to get her thumb into her mouth when she was most upset. You see, she likes to make these aggressive fists at that time, thereby burying her thumb. And when that thumb can't come out, she can't self soothe.

Bound and determined as I was to give my nipples a break from all that sucking, I just had to find a pacifier that worked. It's a detriment of my controlling personality. For Miss Adly, the Soothie pacifier was finally the ticket. It has been a great helper for getting more sleep at night as well as calming her down during the day when she thinks she's hungry every hour on the hour. Sometimes a girl just needs her paci to suck.

The world's smartest 1 month old also holds in her paci. 

Speaking of sleep, it's a work in progress for us so far. Some nights, I get a solid 5-6 hour chunk. Other nights it's more like 2 hour increments. I'm not going to lie...it's been the hardest thing for me. I don't function well without sleep and on those rough nights, very rough days have followed. But we're working on it.

Overall, life is starting to slowly normalize at the end of month one. It was wonderful spending time with both sides of our family, getting advice, and a break for a bit this month. Now we head into month two where the little miss will begin cooing with vowel sounds, smiling socially, and attempting to imitate faces we make to her. I just love watching her grow!
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