No more excuses

If there is anything I have learned over the past two years, it is that a woman's body is remarkable and capable of many things.  Get your heads outta the gutter, fool, cause what I'm talking about specifically refers to pregnancy and then the post-pregnancy body.

When G was born, all I could do when I first laid eyes on him was think, "Wow, that came out of me!  I made that!"  A ridiculously amazing feeling, to tell you the truth.

However, my body after pregnancy?  Did not feel so ridiculously amazing.  Don't get me wrong - I know it takes time for your uterus to shrink, it is incredible that our bodies are designed not only to bear a child but also to feed it (even if it's not the easiest and most natural thing), etc. etc.


But.  But?  It doesn't feel ridiculously amazing leaving the hospital with your newborn in tote only to look like you are still six months pregnant.  It took me about three months before I had lost all of my pregnancy weight.  Giving birth takes away a huge chunk of that weight immediately but there are definitely some "bits and pieces" still laying around that take time.

While I do consider myself a patient person, I am extremely impatient when it comes to my body.  But?  I also don't have extremely good will power to do anything about it.  Once upon a time I was a work-out fiend and was SO good about going to the gym (even if it meant going at midnight), running in the neighborhood, etc.  Now?  I consider it a success if I don't eat that extra cookie that's tempting me from the pantry or if I take a leisurely walk with G in the jogging stroller.

The prego weight is off but I do NOT like the condition my body is in.  Everything shifted to different areas, my clothes don't fit the same way, and I was left with some lovely stretch marks.  Bleh.  Some lucky b*tches slim down practically overnight after popping their babies out.  Not me.  I know I am going to have to work hard if I want the body I so desperately crave.

So ... no more excuses.  G will turn one in a little less than two weeks and it is time to turn in my yoga pants and slip into some skinny jeans.  Time to get that MILF body.  Haha, I can't believe I'm even saying that!

I just started playing soccer again, but while that feels good to get back out on the field, I don't think it can count as my only work out for that day.  I'm about to start a boot camp three mornings a week.  It is early.  Really ridiculously early and I am not a morning person.  At all.  But it is too blazing hot at any other time and I know that I won't have any scheduling conflicts before 7 a.m.  We are also about to start a three month fitness program with a personal trainer here at the house.  It is going to be intense but they promise (and produce) fantastic results.

So?  Here goes nothing.

I'll be posting my progress each week to hold myself accountable and may post pictures as well (ewww... I have to send them in to my trainer, but I'm not sure I want them floating around the web so no hard feelings if I don't, okay?).

No more excuses!

Friday Randoms

• With just a little over two weeks until the big party, I am up to my ears in party planning.  Luckily, I am not always a huge procastinator and have been saving my ideas and slowly buying things off of etsy for the past several months.  I decided on a baseball/red, white, and blue themed party what seems like many moons ago.  Here is a picture of my birthday inspiration board:

• I have decided I am slowly losing brain matter.  Either that, or I have succumbed to the stupidity that comes and goes (you never quite know when it will strike) after having a child.  You other mamas know what I'm talking about because you all swear that it will happen ... and guess what, it does!  Earlier this week I realized that I had left an entire bag of frozen groceries at the store.  The night before.  Yes, I didn't realize it until the next day when I looked for said groceries in the freezer, then in the fridge, then in the garage fridge, then in my car ... you get the idea.  Grrrrr, so frustrating!  Even more so because I promise that I never used to do things like this.  Oh sure, an occasional lack of finding something that was right in front of my face, but nothing quite like this.  One of my sweet friends suggested that I run back up to the store, show them my receipt, and reclaim my (hopefully back in the freezer) goods.  It wasn't worth the $20 to further injure my already wounded pride.  A girl has to have some standards, right?  ;)

• All of my mole biopsies came back normal!  Yay!  Not that I was worried since I was the one that elected to have them removed, but still ... it's nice to know that all is well.  R was gone all last week so I had to change my bandaids by myself (bleh).  Most people don't even flinch at things of this nature but I am easily grossed out.  No nursing or doctor career changes in my future!  I managed to do it all just fine though.  Pathetic much?  Hehe.

• I purchased a birthday present for myself a little early.  I love her jewelry and once I saw it on her website, I knew I had to have a "g" necklace.  I love how light and delicate it is - perfect for everyday wear.  Isn't it pretty?

• And finally, this poor blog has been sorely lacking with pictures of my main squeeze.  Last night we went to a lovely birthday dinner at a friend's house and his sister's sweet kiddos made birthday hats for everyone to wear.  I loved the idea and thought G looked exceptionally dashing in his crown.  All hail King G!

Favorite "Deal" Sites

I still remember when ebay was all the rage.  The exhilaration of "winning" whatever consumer crap jewel you had coveted and stalked until you entered your winning bid at the very. last. second.

I no longer peruse the ebay interwebs, but since having a baby, I have found some "deal" sites that I deem worthy to share for all of you other moms out there who enjoy some online shopping from time to time.

Important note: Remember, if you have to defend your occasional shopping to either your hubby, BF, or yourself, at least you can say that (a) you really needed it (hehe), (b) you didn't waste gas to get it, and (c) you scored a deal!

1. Amazon.com - I love me some amazon.  Seriously.  Even if I don't find the best price there (which 99% of the time I do), I rely on it for their product reviews if nothing else.  I also discovered that you can sign up for Amazon Mom (free to do!) and earn FREE TWO DAY SHIPPING via Amazon Prime.  That alone is worth it to me!  For very purchase, you accrue free 2 day shipping benefits.  I signed up for Amazon Mom mainly for subscribe & save - you save more $ this way if you order your diapers to ship once a month, etc.  It saves us money and the hassle of running out to the store, and I don't have to worry about them selling out like most other "deal" sites.
2. http://www.babyearth.com/baby-sale - Baby Earth was a site introduced to me by a mommy friend.  They post new deals upon the hour from 9:00-5:00, Monday-Friday.  Each deal is lowered in price until it sells out, so essentially, you decide what price you are willing to buy at.  Just don't get too greedy or it might sell out!  I personally don't have the time or desire to sit at my computer and check this site all day long, but I have seen some great stuff offered.  Shipping is a flat rate, so the only downside is buying a less expensive item to begin with usually is not much cheaper than getting it on amazon with my free two day shipping.  This is a great site for more expensive items though.
3. http://www.zulily.com/ - Oh my gosh, this site is very dangerous.  Just warning you ... and your pocketbooks!  You have to register for this one, but it is very easy to do.  Once you do, they send you an email every day with their deals of the day.  They have various vendors each day that offer a slew of products.  Clothing, shoes, bibs, blankets, toys, books, house goods, etc. Zulily has it all.  They have a flat shipping rate too.  On the plus side, you will only get charged for shipping once a day for all of your purchases, even if you make additional purchases later on.  They usually have much cuter things for little girls, but I shouldn't complain because I have found plenty of cute stuff for G and I know I would be that much more tempted if I had a baby girl.
4. http://www.mamabargains.com/ - A site for mamas, by mamas.  They offer various deals throughout the day until the product has mostly sold out.  I have purchased several things and have been very pleased with their customer service.  
5. Other sites that I check out from time to time:

• http://babysteals.stealnetwork.com/
• http://kidsteals.stealnetwork.com/
• http://www.totsy.com/

What about you?  What sites do you like to go to for great deals?  Of course I will also still check out the old tried and true craigslist if I'm looking for something specific and groupon and living social for local deals at restaurants, etc. cause mama and dada deserve some good treats too.  

Yesterday I saw a great deal mentioned on another blog for some fabulous Erin Condren goodies.  I had never heard of her product line before but was immediately impressed.

She has awesome planners with plenty of cute cover options that you can personalize to your heart's content (I added a picture of G to the back cover of mine) ...

Teacher goodies!!!

Address labels, stationary, and so much more!

If you are interested in getting an awesome discount, read the following carefully as it is slightly confusing at first glance.

Click on the link here: http://www.plumdistrict.com/moms/discount/tulsa/home-and-garden-deals/erin-condren-25-for-vibrant-notepads-life-planners-calendars-and-more-from-erinco-GLXWfX

Plum District is another daily deal site that I didn't know about until yesterday.  You have to create an account before you can begin, but it's quick and painless.  I realize that this deal is for Tulsa - good news is, you don't have to live in Tulsa to get the deal.  I purchased mine yesterday and the deal was posted on the Dallas site... apparently it's skipping around each day.

Via Plum District, you can get a $50 credit to Erin Condren goodies for $25.  But that's not all!

 

When you check out on Plum District, enter the coupon code "INWITHNEW" to save 20% on your order.  Now instead of costing you $25, you will pay only $20 for your $50 credit to Erin Condren.

Next step: Once you have your voucher from Plum District emailed to you, go to http://www.erincondren.com/store/ and select your purchases.  When you check-out, enter the coupon code "WELCOME10" to save $10 (!!!) off your entire order.  

Between my Plum District voucher and my $10 off, I only spent $24 total for my life planner (the picture I added to the back cover was an extra $5) instead of spending closer to $60.  I always loved the first day of school and the feeling of a brand new organizer to write it, so I'm just a little excited about getting mine in the mail!

P.S. I was not endorsed in any way by sharing this deal or any of my favorite "deal" sites with you - just wanted to pass it along from one mama to the next.  I found the Erin Condren deal from another blog and love how most moms are always willing to share good deals and finds with each other, so I wanted to do the same.  :)

Thoughts on BFeeding in Public

First off, I am NOT anti BFeeding in public.  As modest as I may be, there obviously came times when I had to nurse G in public.  Personally, I never felt comfortable in public places such as restaurants or the mall (even with my hooter hider), so I usually left the house with a bottle of pumped milk in tow.

The entire reason I am even writing about this subject is because two similar, yet unique, incidents happened recently that caught my attention.

I am fortunate enough to go to a weekly play gym class with G.  It's not cheap, but he LOVES going - climbing on everything, watching the other babies play, singing the songs, etc.  He gets to experience new things, socialize with babies his own age, and it gets us out of the house but still in an air conditioned environment (triple bonus!).

A few weeks ago, one of the cute little guys in his guy toddled over to his mom, pulled open her shirt and started nursing.  Right there.  In the middle of class.  With moms and dads all around.  I shouldn't be surprised considering we live in a very laid back, hippy friendly city, but things like this still catch me off guard.  I realized I was briefly staring as I watched this all unfold and was slightly embarrassed that it would even be a blip on my radar.  I wasn't bothered in the least -- just ... surprised.  As we walked to the front to gather our belongings, this particular mom carried her son out with him still attached to her boob.  So my question is, should I be shocked at this?  Maybe it's because I would definitely never have the courage (or whatever you want to call it) to nurse in public and not care who saw my goods.  I was always so discreet about it and paranoid that the blanket would slip, that G was getting hot and stuffy under the blanket, etc., so maybe this mom has the right idea.  Either way, it made for an interesting class.  :)  Btw, she seems very nice and not a "weirdo" or anything.

Second story.  I joined a group of moms online that organizes different meet ups and play groups as a way to meet other moms with babies around G's age.  On the website, everyone has a profile where you can post a picture, tell about yourself and your baby, etc.  New moms that join pop up on the home screen.  One of the new moms chose a profile pic showing her nursing her baby.  Full on nursing bra.  One side opened (duh).  Nursing.  Again - I wasn't bothered in the least -- just ... shocked.

So, basically I want to know - am I "normal" for being surprised or do I need to loosen up a bit?  Haha.

*Disclaimer: I think that BFeeding is a beautiful thing.  I'm just not comfortable putting all my goods out there for the world to see.

Thoughts on BFeeding

I know this is a touchy subject.  I'm not even going to delve into the whole "BFeeding v.s bottle feeding" debate.  My thoughts on that?  Do what is best for you, your child, and your family.

We obviously went the boob route but quickly had to supplement with formula because the pain (OMG the pain!!!) was agony and when G was less than 2 weeks old, I cried (literally) and gave up.  I told R to go buy some formula so this mama could give her "girls" a break until we could meet with the LC and find a solution.... which we did, eventually.

With G, we did a TON of intervention.  We were intervening out the wazoo and tried everything from different holding positions to the MMS.  We had a latching issue, but it still made me feel like a big, fat newbie mom failure.  I think anyone who hasn't tried it (including first time moms) thinks that BFeeding will be a breeze.  "This is what your body is meant to do," "The baby should latch on easily," etc.

Wrong.  At least in our experience with G.  Looking back, I would have paid an LC to meet us at the hospital right after our delivery.  Why?  It is SO important to establish GOOD BFeeding early on.  My delivery nurse showed me how and I thought I had it down.  Then we got back to our post-partum room and my nurse there showed me how.  The whole time during my hospital stay I thought I had it "figured" out, but by the time we checked out I was already in pain.  We kept asking for the LC at the hospital to come by and she FINALLY made it right before we left.  There is usually only one LC working and between all of the new moms, NICU moms, etc., she is spread pretty thin and her priority is given to moms with special needs babies.

I had no idea how bad the pain would get.  I remember cringing at the photos in our BFeeding class thinking, "How can a baby do that to someone?"  Well, when something is fiercely sucking on you for so long (especially in the beginning) the wrong way, things can go very badly.  Very badly.  I had to repeat that one because just thinking about those early days makes me shudder... hehe.

During those first few weeks, we met with our LC at her private office many times.  She was wonderful, patient, and extremely understanding.  She showed us many different options and helped us to find a solution (hallelujah!) to our BFeeding woes.  More importantly, she also helped to manage my pain and was supportive of our decision to supplement with formula.

I laugh now because before having G, I had gone to her office to be fitted for nursing bras.  She gave me the option of changing in her office or changing in the bathroom.  I'm a modest person (that's probably an understatement) when it comes to changing in front of people, so of course I changed in the bathroom.  After having G, I would just whip the girls out in front of her without blinking an eye whenever we went in for our appointments.  Haha, I had no idea that SO many things would change after having a baby ... including myself!

Anyways, we made it 8 months before we stopped BFeeding and looking back, I am so glad we made it and consider it one of my biggest accomplishments as a mom.  That being said, I couldn't have done it without R's support (he helped out tremendously) and with the help of our LC.  Side note: Also something I never knew ... a willing and participatory partner can be incredibly helpful to a nursing mom.  I definitely do not miss those marathon BFeeding/pumping sessions but would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

You may be wondering why I'm even writing a post on this subject.  Check back later this week for my reason.  :)

"Dear 16-year old me"

I'm sure by now most of you have seen this viral video going around.  If not, it is definitely worth a look:

http://youtu.be/_4jgUcxMezM

I grew up playing soccer year-round in the Texas heat.  Even with sunscreen, I've had my share of sunburns and decided a month ago it was time to make an appointment with a dermatologist to get a skin check.

If you have never gone, please do yourself a favor and go.  According to the doctor I saw yesterday afternoon, skin cancer is the second leading cause of death for women between the ages of 28 and 35.  He was curious why I had scheduled the appointment and applauded me for doing so.

Let me just tell you now if you have never been, these skin checks are very thorough.  But in a good way.  He went over every inch (almost) of my body, scalp included, and documented via his nurse every single freckle, mole, etc. on my skin.  It was weird and cool all at the same time.

Luckily, he didn't see anything that concerned him.  I still asked him to slice and dice three moles for me that I disliked, and it's common procedure to send anything cut off to the lab for analysis just in case.

Better to be safe, than sorry.  And you can bet that I will be going once a year from now on.  Once you have a child, everything is put into a different perspective and I want to know that I'll be around for a long, long time.

Any other advice I would give to my former 16-year old self?

• You have SO much to learn.
• Heartache is temporary.
• The best is still to come.

Happy Tuesday!

Show me your toofers

One night last week, my normal 7-7:30 to bed baby stayed up until 10:30.  Not even joking.  I felt like we had our newborn back, except this time around he weighed much more and liked to crawl all over the place instead of sleep.  10:30 is still relatively early in terms of my bedtime, but grandma mama was not overly enthused about her new budding night owl.  Thankfully he finally went down, but then decided he wasn't completely done with the show and graced us with his presence several times in the middle of the night.

The reason behind the shenanigans?

The culprits ... these pearly whites ...

Ugh, teething.  Definitely near the bottom of the "Reasons Why I Love This Age" list.  G didn't pop his first tooth until right at 8 months.  He now has two on the bottom and one on the top.  I think he has two more on the top trying to come down simultaneously (yes, that is pure joy).  Since then, he has been drooling buckets and chewing on anything... including his crib.  It looks like a beaver took up residence, and while I know it's non-toxic, I still had to hit up A*mazon.com for some crib rail protectors.  I also looked up teething online to get an idea of what we had to look forward to.

Fortunately, we don't remember the pain as babies because it sure seems miserable.  Unfortunately, we pay the price for it as parents and definitely will always remember teething from now on.

And just like anything else, every mama swears by some different remedy to cure those teething blues.  And, of course, everyone wants to get in on the game and make some benjamins by targeting the poor, crazed mamas who are sleep deprived and on the verge of losing their marbles.

For mamas who want the medical, no fuss route, you've got your standard OTC orajel, motrin, etc.

For mamas who want the more organic route, you've got your all natural teething tablets and drops.

And let's not forget the water filled teething rings you can freeze, the specially made pacifiers JUST for teething, the toys that have all kinds of nubs, ridges, etc. for those sprouting little teeth...

It can be kind of overwhelming with so many choices out there.

My advice?  Stick to your guns.  Trust your instincts.  Try different things - if it doesn't work, try something else.

And?  Give lots of extra hugs and kisses.  That's my #1 go-to cure all.

Oh, and I'm also crossing my fingers that these sweet little teeth don't require braces down the line.