mama confessions: {twenty-four hours}

For the past six weeks I've been a 

stay-at-home-mama.

For those of you that think it is all bon-bons and watching soap operas...

 I have learned this is actually a myth.

As a SAHM I barely have time to eat a meal and the one daytime show I do DVR {love me some Ellen} I usually only get to watch in 15 minute spurts throughout the day.
Which is okay with me, because...

Every day is different.  Every day there is something new to learn about motherhood and Baby Mac.  Every day in every way I am molding this little person I have been entrusted with.
  Overwhelming...yet so amazing!
{and tiring!}

Here is a glimpse of a recent day spend with Baby...

12am-6:15am -- Cormac is very noisy in the bassinet next to me. I am a light sleeper and even more so now.   I must have slept, but don't remember anything but reaching my hand over, putting my hand on his tiny chest, and shhhh, shhhh shhhing him back to sleep every time he got too noisy.  Several times I get up, carry him like a zombie over to the nursery and breastfeed him.  I am excited, yet nervous, about the inevitable transition to the crib!

6:15am -- Mac wakes up!  I change him and rock him a little while, and miraculously he appears still sleepy.  I put him down in his crib when he is officially sleeping and tiptoe away.

6:45am -- With monitor near, I shower, get dressed and put on a little makeup...just enough to feel presentable enough to run errands later and not frighten people!  My wardrobe these days, when at home, is sweatpants and a t-shirt.  Not glamorous but very comfy! :)  Here is me today:

7:10am -- I make a pot of coffee, have a cup and a banana, and flip through my Food and Wine magazine, all the while distracted by the monitor that is strangely silent.

7:20am -- I sit shocked that Baby is still sleeping!  I creep into the nursery to check on him, and though the creaky door gives him a little start, he remains asleep.  I tiptoe away. I do a lot of tiptoeing these days.

7:30am -- Check monitor for defects. "Is this thing on?" Seems to be functioning properly.  Definitely not typical for Baby to sleep this late, which I hope means he likes the crib.  Flip through new West Elm catalog for home decor ideas {for when I have free time to do house projects. *har,har*}

7:40am -- Loud grunting and heavy breathing come through the monitor.  I give him a chance to quiet.  He does.

7:50am -- Major breathing and rustling noises ensue on the other side of the monitor as Cormac tries to break free of his swaddle.  I give up trying to relax and head up to the nursery.  He's wide awake...but my swaddle has foiled his attempts!

7:55am -- Wakey time!  I change his diaper and sing him several songs while he smiles, coos and stares at me.  Babies make you feel like you should be on Broadway.

8:15am -- We go say "good morning" to Daddy and then I feed, snuggle, play with and sing to Baby in our bed for a while.

8:45am -- I take Baby outside for our daily "nature walk" -- which is where I walk him around and point out every flower and tree in our backyard and talk to him about the outdoor adventures we will have someday!  Mostly he just stares at the sky a lot...

8:55am -- Daddy comes outside to kiss us goodbye!

9:00am -- I fold some of the neverending pile of laundry while Cormac watches quietly and sucks on his pacifier.  {p.s. don't let anyone scare you away from pacifiers!!!  They will not cause nipple confusion in full-term babies.  They are awesome to have when you need them!!!}

9:20am - Cormac looks tired.  Falls asleep.  Pacifier falls out of mouth. 

I put him down for a nap in the swing.  While he naps I reheat the cup of coffee I meant to drink hours ago and toast a bagel.  I get to eat half the bagel and then...

9:40am - Mac wakes up! I change him, put on his first onesie of the day, feed him and then it is tummy time!  He scoots around and turns his head a few times.  My strong boy!

9:50am - Spits up all over his onesie I had just changed him into.  This happens at least ten times per day.  I decide this is a perfect time for "Baby Massage"!  It is not as traumatic as he makes it look here:

I mean, who doesn't love a massage?

10:00am - Dress Baby in a clean onesie and put him in the stroller for a walk around the neighborhood.  I don't usually take the camera on our walks, so I snag a few pretty flower shots while we get "our" exercise.

Mac takes in the beautiful summer morning!

10:40am -- We arrive home to a surprise visit from Nana!  She and I chat, I feed Mac who afterward takes another short nap, and then I am able to leave for a little "Mama Time" away from baby while Nana watches him.  So nice!  Definitely not part of my normal day, so I take advantage!

12pm-1:30pm -- I head to the nearby coffee shop for a latte and some lunch.  I bring my book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child with me and read a few chapters.  {New parents - Get this book!} I chat with one of my girlfriends on the phone.  I actually eat a full and uninterrupted meal!

2:30pm -- I feed Baby and work on soothing him to sleep.  Have some problems but finally he drifts off to dreamland.

3:00pm -- Put him in swing for a his long afternoon nap.  He starts making noises after ten minutes and I decide to let him go back to sleep on his own.  He fusses for about 10 minutes but it works!  While he sleeps I blog and fold some more laundry.

4:45pm -- I hear him let out a yowl, check him, but he has already fallen back asleep.  Phew!  Time for Mama to take a nap, too!  So I sleep on the couch for a while as he continues his nap.

6:00pm -- He wakes up.  We snuggle on the couch a little, then I feed him again.  For the next couple hours he is really alert and so fun to interact with...thank God for good naps!

6:30pm -- Daddy comes home!  We hang out, talk, and play with Cormac for a while.

7:00pm -- I start making dinner while Hubby takes care of Baby. Some nights I am so tired that I tell Hubby he needs to make a sandwich...or we have Hamburger Helper!!!  Tonight is another simple dinner: I grill some chicken breasts and make some rice.  Oh, and Mama has a glass of wine!

7:30pm-- Daddy feeds Baby Mac the "relief bottle," which is a small bottle of formula.  This gives me a break from my job as Milk Factory and also allows me to pump.  p.s. I highly recommend the relief bottle to breastfeeding mamas once you feel confident

7:45pm -- Dinner time!  Usually we take turns eating while the other holds Baby.  Tonight, however, Mac gives us a special treat -- he hangs out quietly in the swing while we eat.  Thank you Sweet Boy!

8:15pm -- Baby is asleep after a little soothing.   I finally can breathe a long sigh of exhaustion and relief.  I also feel a sense of pride...like I've accomplished a mission or something!  :D Mama and Dada get some time together to watch TV.  I pump, blog, get ready for bed and then read for a while.

10:00pm -- Bedtime for Mama!

11:00pm -- Cormac wakes up...thankfully Hubby takes the first shift and feeds him the rest of the "relief bottle, if necessary!  Mama sleeps on...

12:00am -- It starts all over again!!!

It took six weeks but I am finally feeling like I have some idea what I am doing - and I love it!   It truly does get easier and more and more fun to spend time with the little one.

Still waiting for the free time and bonbons to magically appear...

;)
g

wine wednesday: sassy chard!

I can drink wine again!

The fact excites and delights me, as I l.o.v.e wine.

Before I got pregnant I had purchased several bottles of wine that I wanted to taste and blog about...

so now I am finally getting around to that.

The first is...

 Winnefred (Cali, 2009)

A sassy Chardonnay with a kick!  {my description}

"Buttery approach with a bitter aftertaste." {Hubby's description}

I, of course, was attracted to the label - a pinup-like drawing of "Winnefred," wearing a polkadot skirt & sporting retro specs. Apparently she is the champion of a pizza-eating contest, for "wolfing down unprecedented amounts of pizza."
My kinda gal!

The label and description get an A+ in my book.

The taste?  Probably a B.  Good, solid chard.  I personally prefer drier wines - but if you like sweet and fruity, choose Winnefred!  

We drank this wine with a pear and gorgonzola salad and pasta.

However, the label, of course, highly recommended drinking Winnefred with pizza.  Any pizza.

So perhaps that was key.

So I drank it the next night as well.

With pizza.

Source: tenjuneblog.com via Lindsay on Pinterest

Much better! 

The spice of the pizza evened out the citrusy kick of the wine.

Added bonus:  It had cork!

I always feel a slight tinge of disappointment 

when my bottle of wine has a twist-off cap. 

 Call me a snob traditionalist.

Am I alone?

love and vino,

g

pear and gorgonzola salad

Being that I am no longer preggo

 I am returning to my former

 fishetarian ways.

 {a real term...um, even if Blogger doesn't think so!}

So...I'll be sharing more {red}meat-free recipes

on occasion.

This is a 

great. summer. salad.

Pear and Gorgonzola!

(Pretty sure I got this recipe from Self.com...except they used apples, not pears.)

You will need:
baby spring mix
can of sliced pears
crumbled gorgonzola cheese
1/4 cup crushed walnuts
1/2 cup sugar {this is to make the walnuts "candied" - heat sugar and walnuts in saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until coated. Transfer to a sheet of tinfoil to cool.}


Dressing *whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl.
2 tb olive oil
2 tb white vinegar
2 tb raspberry vinaigrette

Toss salad ingredients with dressing and serve!

Tastes lovely with a glass of white wine on an evening in late summer. :)

Well, the babe is sleeping and Bachelor Pad is about to come on...

life is good.  

 It's the little things these days!

:)


For more lovely summer posts visit Sarah's lovely blog by clicking below:

g

{good morning beautiful}

despite the lack of sleep, 

despite the lack of personal time,

despite the frequent spit-up down my shirt,

despite the eardrum-piercing screams,

despite the endless diaper changing,

moments like these 
make me forget it all
and only remember 

I love you.

g

{note:  baby does not sleep in the bed with us...but every morning for an hour he and mama snuggle.  best hour of the day}

month one: {survival mode}

We survived a month as new parents!

Phew!

I'd like to say it has been a breeze...but no, it's been tough.  Here are a few of the many, many things that helped me through the first month:

swaddling blankets - A lot of double-swaddling goes on to get Baby Cormac to fall sleep!
comfy nursing chair - I spend a LOT of my time here either feeding, reading to baby, pumping...um, and blogging!
lots of healthy food that can be consumed/prepared quickly and with one hand - if I didn't have this I would never get a chance to eat!  
baby swing - complete lifesaver.  We have the Snuggabunny which was a gift from Hubby's parents.  I highly recommend!  Let me just say that nothing gives a new parent more satisfaction than when they lay their infant in that swing after spending what seems like hours rocking them to sleep and having them continue to sleep blissfully.  Hubby and I have done plenty of silent celebrations and high fives after these successes!  :)
Milacon {gas relief} drops - Cormac developed acid reflux after 2 weeks...causing him a lot of pain and plenty of screaming at mama and daddy! These drops, as well as doc-prescribed Zantac, are helping our little family get through this bump-in-the-road
Hubby - without him I would have surely gone insane.  Thank you for working all day for us and still coming home every night! :o)

Here are Mac's 1-month-old photos. 
 Because I am cheap...and LOVE taking pics... I took them myself. :o)  
Just don't grow up too fast, Mac!

One month stats:

Weight: 10.3 lbs {50th percentile}

Height: 22.5 cm {75th percentile}

Head: 15.5 cm (50th percentile}

Here he was:

and here he is:

L O V E, 

g

mama confessions: tummy time

No, not baby's tummy time...

I am talking about the "new mama tummy" 

that is left over on my abdomen now that I have birthed my darling baby boy.

CONFESSION: It does not matter how skinny you were, or how many ab muscles were visible before you got pregnant.  You will have a "baby belly" for a while after you give birth.  How long it sticks around might differ for each woman...but we all have it initially.  {Or if you somehow escaped this, just don't tell me!}

I knew about the "new mama tummy" up front, yet it still shocked me post-delivery how pronounced my postpartum gut was.  Literally, I looked like I was still 20 weeks along. Yes, I burst into tears various times looking down at my new tummy during the first week after Baby Cormac was born.  Even though hubby swears he loves me more now than ever, the vain part of me misses the abs I did millions of crunches to achieve.  

This is NOT my tummy...but I liked mine!

Source: 24.media.tumblr.com via Jeanett on Pinterest

Though the belly has slowly been shrinking during the past three weeks, it is still there.  I am somewhat at peace with it now.  It is a gentle reminder of my wonderful pregnancy journey...the making of Mac.  It housed him and kept him safe.  It grew and grew as he did. But being honest...I'm not at peace with it enough to want it to stick around any longer than necessary.

I am SO excited to run again! 

Source: google.com via Michelle on Pinterest

I am counting down the days until I hopefully get the doc's okay to resume running.  It was so much a part of me, and then about 3 months into my pregnancy I knew I had to stop, as just did not feel right.  


I love to run not just for the physical benefits but for the spiritual and mental perks as well!  So, in less than 3 weeks I will run again {and do many crunches!} and hopefully my "tummy's" time will soon be up...so to speak.

Until the next pregnancy.  

Years from now.
 :o)
g

{london broil and apple salad}

Since giving birth I haven't been much of a cook.  

{pizza, again?  yes, please!}

Side note: HUGE thank you to those who brought us meals to eat in the first couple weeks with after Baby arrived.  You are angels, and it was all delicious!

But now that I am used to only getting 5 hours of sporadic sleep each night, I figure it is time to slowly resume my passions.  One passion is preparing dinner for our family.  But since every moment of my day I am ruled by the Cormac Clock, it still has to be simple!   

{I love simple}

Hubby has been begging for a salad, so here is one I kind of made up:  

spring mix of lettuces

apple chunks

candied walnuts

goat cheese {of course!}

white wine vinegarette 

{I whisk together equal parts Italian white wine vinegar, EVOO, and add random favorite spices, such as basil and thyme}

Because I am a total cheapskate deal-finder when it comes to buying groceries {I have a strict budget!} when I want to make steak I usually forego the expensive strips or filets, and go with a London broil.  I highly recommend this, as you can get some nice thick cuts, with minimal fatty parts and no bone, for around 10 bucks. {downside: meat is a lil tougher than the more expensive cuts.}   Broil it, or, grill it, as I did.  I was able to get four good sized, thick servings out of this cut for only $9.50!

Okay, didn't really use the blackberries for anything in the meal.  Just have to eat something while cooking!

Mmmm....carbs!

Heated this baguette in oven after basting with apricot butter:

Finally!  I can drink wine again! 

 This was a Layer Cake Malbec, Argentina 2007.  

'Twas a tad too spicy...so I won't recommend.

Dinner is served...

That was fun...and exhausting!

Had to stop twice while preparing to breastfeed!

Tonight will be 75 cent chicken pot pies.

I'm not even kidding.

What are you making for dinner tonight?

g