Feeding The Wee Ones - Weelicious

My little guy Grayson is just about 18 months now and has become quite the little eater. It happened so quickly for me. I feel like we went from basic purees to him wanting to eat everything my husband and I eat (I'm not complaining, he's not a picky eater - yaaay Gray!). I just didn't feel prepared to come up with age appropriate (aka: fun) and healthy foods for my toddler.


I just stumbled upon the website Weelicious (maybe I've been living under a rock, I don't know?) and it's been such a great resource to help me come up with new and interesting foods to give Grayson. They post healthy recipes, there is a message board for parents to compare notes, and they have great photos to give us parents a little inspiration to make meals a little more enticing to the wee ones.

Just thought I'd share this handy website! Have a great weekend!

I Dream Of Jeannie Moment

Do you ever have those moments when you are so overwhelmed by your to-do-list that you just wish you could cross your arms, do a quick nod, and POOF your house would magically be clean, your bags would be packed and all other non-glamorous chores would be completed?

Yep, this is exactly where I'm at right now. Grayson and I both have head colds, which has just left me wiped out. The house is a disaster.

We're supposed to leave for the Hamptons at the crack of dawn and I just don't think I can do it. Where the heck are my "Jeannie" powers? Thank goodness I have this little munchkin to make me laugh out loud with his silliness. Moments like today when he decided my (a-hem, designer) sunglasses were way cooler without the lenses. I agreed, waaaaay cooler.

I also want to thank you for leaving such great feedback regarding this little old blog. I read each and every comment and e-mail and got so many great suggestions, so thank you for taking the time out of your lives to do that!

To the Hamptons or Bust! Have a great weekend Everyone!

Yesterday's Walk and My New Ride

Here she is! I found her here. Isn't she pretty?

My inner child is beyond excited about my brand new wheels!

We are lucky to live just steps from the water, so whenever the weather is nice, Grayson and I (along with our lovely neighbor Maria) go for a stroll by the water. We sit and watch the boats pass by and Grayson loves to wave at the boats returning from a day on the water. Sometimes he even gets a wave back!

{Trying to catch a "smiling" photo from a 1 year old is practically impossible for me}

Life is good.

Sweet Distractions

This is one of the many things we've been up to lately. Grayson just started getting his groove on one day and it's been one of his favorite activities ever since!

Moms, Go Get The Kleenex

{Amazing photo by: Jessica Claire}

I usually don't like to take too many posts from other people's blogs, but I just had to share these lovely ones from one of my favorite mothers in all of Blogland, Design Mom.

lindsey johnsons thoughts on pregnancy

karen walronds childbirth memory

stephanie brubakers pregnancy memory

amy turn sharps pregnancy advice

Many congrats to her and her family (they are expecting a new addition)!

6 Months

{Gray with his Nana Labor Day Weekend, Block Island RI}

Six months ago today my life changed forever. Words can't express how much I adore this munchkin.

The poor little guy is sick with the first cold of his little life and we've both been laying low. I'm slowly getting used to the idea of wiping boogers from his nose as well as off my shoulders, my hands and from pretty much every surface he comes into contact with right now. Who knew that babies don't know how to blow their noses? That's just one of the many things I never thought about before I had a little one.

Dinner And Some Mommy Talk

{lace cap hydrangea found everywhere in our neighborhood - they always remind me of fireworks}

I'm always amazed when I get an email from someone who follows this blog. Someone really reads this thing? When I started blogging, I never expected anyone to give a darn about what I had to say, not to mention putting up with my horrible grammar and spelling (sorry!).

{where our little family hung out on Sunday}

I'm so thankful for the sweet comments and advice that I receive from many of you. You have no idea how nice it is to know that I'm not alone in this adventure of motherhood.

Recently, since I've been sharing my thoughts and feelings on being a first time mom, I've been receiving many emails asking for advice, or rather just a virtual shoulder to cry on.

{Dad and Gray (great-grandmother in the background) enjoying the nice weather on Sunday}

So, I thought it might be nice to share some new mom topics here and open it up to all of you to share your experiences and advice.

{great-grandmother's garden}

So, my first topic is regarding the "baby blues". A very sweet new baby momma of a two week old wrote in asking

"...how long did your "baby blues" last?"

{great-grandparent's view}

My response:

"...mine lasted for about 3-4 weeks. It was more of random bouts of emotion rather than a full fledged depression, in my case. Must've been those darn hormones! I would be giggly and happy one minute and crying the next. In fact, I still catch myself tearing up from time to time even after four months. I say, if you feel like crying then girl, cry. I thought it felt good to get the emotions out. I think women are just so sensitive, emotionally and physically, after child birth. Just try to take care of yourself. Don't be afraid to ask people for help when you need it. No one will think less of you as a mother if you need some assistance...we all do at one point or another! My only other advice would be to keep the lines of communication open with your husband. He should know what you are feeling and that it's completely normal for women to feel this way after child birth..."

I'm obviously no psychologist, not even close, just someone sharing MY experience. So, I'd love to open this up to your comments, suggestions and experiences with the "baby blues". If you feel more comfortable sharing anonymously, please do so. In this case, it's completely appropriate. Please chime in!

And now...DINNER

Halibut with Swiss Chard and Garbanzo Beans

(courtesy of Epicurious)

My beautiful and oh-so-healthy sister-in-law, Kristin introduced me to this recipe while staying with her in NYC. She made it strickly vegetarian, but being a meat lover I decided to add some fish to the dish and served it over brown rice. It's damn good and very healthy!

Garbanzo Beans:
2 15.5-ounce cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained (about 3 cups)
10 garlic cloves, peeled
2 large shallots
3 small bay leaves, preferably fresh
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 1/4 cups extra-virgin olive oil (note: I used 3/4 cup)

(note: I added crumbled feta to the finished dish)

Chard:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed
3 small bay leaves, preferably fresh
2 shallots, sliced
2 bunches Swiss chard, center stems cut out, leaves coarsely torn
2 cups low-salt chicken broth

Garbanzo beans:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine first 5 ingredients in 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour oil over; cover dish with foil. Roast until garlic is tender, about 45 minutes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly, cover, and chill.

Chard:

Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic, bay leaves, and shallots. Cover; cook until shallots are tender, about 2 minutes. Uncover; add half of chard. Toss until chard wilts and volume is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add remaining chard. Toss until chard wilts, about 2 minutes. Add broth. Cover and cook until chard is tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Season chard with salt and pepper. Transfer chard mixture to large sieve set over bowl and drain. DO AHEAD: Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Drain garbanzos and reserve oil; discard bay leaves. Combine garbanzos and chard in large skillet. Add 2 tablespoons oil reserved from garbanzos. Toss over medium heat until warmed through, moistening with more oil by tablespoonfuls if needed, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

For the halibut (I didn't use a recipe):

Season with a generous amount of freshly chopped thyme, chives, lemon zest and salt and pepper. Dip the fish in flour and dust off excess. In an oven proof skillet, heat up some olive oil and pan sear the fish on both sides. Place in a 400 degree oven until fish is flaky. Easy peasy. Enjoy!

Reality

{C'mon, you just have to chuckle, right?}

I LOVE being a mom. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't thank my lucky stars for this little chunky monkey. Even after he spits up on an outfit warm from the dryer.

{zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz}

Or after an hour of trying to get him to nap in his crib, he decides that his activity mat is MUCH more comfortable. Ah, the joys of being a mom to a four month old. And you know what? I look forward to it everyday!

Have a fantastic weekend!

The Nursery - Finished

So here it is, the nursery is completed...FINALLY! It's not easy working on a room between baby naps!

I contemplated painting the ever-so-popular tree mural on this wall, but decided I wanted something a little different.

Since we live steps from the water and Gray comes from a long line of sailors (on his dad's side...haha, definitely not mine...I get seasick, ugh.)

I decided a simple nautical feel would be perfect for the room.

I painted the upper portion of the room BM Blue Bonnet while keeping the lower portion BM China Blue. I used poster board to create a template for the "waves" using a large bowl as the "half moon" shape.

I found a sailboat silhouette on the internet

and freehanded the image in a large scale on the wall with a pencil. I then painted it with a custom color that I mixed up myself.

Spanx and Diaper Genies - My Baby-Momma "Must Haves"

{Rather than a photo of a diaper pail or industrial strength undergarments, how about some nursery eye candy courtesy of Serena and Lily?}

I made it through my first week completely on my own with my little boy while his dad was on a trip. It was so great to spend all of that one-on-one time with Gray, but man was it exhausting. Throughout my time alone with him I kept thinking to myselft "gosh, am I thankful to the person who designed this....and the creator of that was a genius" etc. So, I've decided to share with anyone who cares my ultimate guide to new baby-momma "must-haves". Here we go...

Spanx: (For YOU not baby) These puppies are great for sucking in all of that lovely skin and baby fat from your tummy area and thighs. I'm still wearing mine after almost three months. I left the hospital still looking 7 months pregnant and I now just look like I have a major muffin top, but NOT when I wear my Spanx. Woooooo, SPANX!!!

Diaper Genie: I had no idea what one was until I was pregnant (I mean, why would I?) and I thank my lucky stars everytime I toss a stinky diaper away that we have one. It's basically a fancy garbage container that keeps all odors inside. Why don't they make these for the kitchen??

Miracle Blanket: This is an IRREPLACABLE item in our nursery. I remember breaking down into tears one night when our little one wouldn't settle down and our miracle blanket was still in the dryer (I never let that happen again!). This is the BEST swaddle blanket out there. It keeps the baby's arms tucked nicely to the side and they end up sleeping soundly for hours. Gray didn't like his at first, but after a few tries, he started sleeping much longer than without it.

Boppy: Another thing I was clueless about. This "U" shaped pillow is the best for positioning baby for feeding and taking the load off of your arm. It's also great for when baby gets older and is trying to sit up and also for "tummy time". It's so washable and soft as well.

Oeuf Baby Lounger: These are great because not only are they practical but they are also attractive. We don't have a large house and I didn't want to have too many baby swings, chairs, etc. around. This is the only one we have and our little guy LOVES it! It's super lightweight and portable too. Love this!

Comfortable Glider: Don't skimp on this one. Our nursery is tiny and our glider takes up almost half of the room, but I'm so happy we got the one we did (from Serena and Lily). It's seriously the most comfortable seat on our entire house. It's slipcovered in machine washable fabric and comes out of the dryer softer than it went in. You're going to spend endless hours in your glider so you better love it!

A Rockin' Stroller: The task of purchasing a stroller is mind-blowing, isn't it? I remember being brought to tears in the middle of Babies R Us because I was SO overwhelmed with the options. The stroller you chose really depends on your lifestyle (are you a suburbanite with a SUV, a subway-riding city dweller, etc.). One function of the stroller that I can't imagine living without during the first couple months is the carseat adapter option. To be able to snap that carseat onto the stroller base is great. We got a stroller with a bassinet option and NEVER used it (used the carseat instead). I had all of these romanticized visions of walking my little newborn in his bassinet, but he hated it - cried his eyes out everytime. I was warned by a few of my friends that this may happen, but did I listen to them? Nope. Huge waste of money for us.

Nursing Bras and Tops: Nursing can be a daunting task so make it as easy as you can by getting the proper "gear". Nursing bras and tops allow for easy access and can make life just a little bit easier for you. I thought I could get away with pulling straps down and just lifting my shirt up, but that proved to be an annoyance after a while. Trust me, they design these garments for a reason. You'll want them.

Good Bottles: This is also one of those very personalized items. We tried Avent, Adiri, and Dr. Browns, all either were leaky (Adiri) or gave our little guy bad gas because they didn't "vent" well enough (Dr. Browns). I LOVE Born Free bottles because they seem to produce less gas. We still use Avent on occasion and can definitely tell the difference (huge burps after feeding, etc.).

Baby Gap Sleepers: Their sleepers are so soft and light and they wash great. They also have sleeves with hand covers on them (great for protecting your baby from scratching himself which happens a lot! - cutting baby fingernails is nerve-wracking). The sleeper "sack" is also fantastic for nighttime diaper changes (no snaps to worry about in the dark).

Cloth Diapers as Burp Cloths: I use these all the time instead of my "pretty" burp cloths because they are WAY more absorbant and I don't mind throwing them in the wash (with Oxyclean) over and over again. After a few projectile vomiting sessions with Gray, these babies were champs! They're so not cute, but they work!

A&D and other booty ointments: We were told at the hospital to use A&D on baby's tushy to create a "barrier" between him and his wet diaper. We ran out of it once, he got a little rash a couple days later (after using a different ointment) and more A&D cleared it right up. It doesn't smell nice (kind of medicine-y), but oh well. I'd rather my baby's tushy be rash free than smell like Johnson & Johnson baby powder. I also really like Lasinoh Diaper Rash Cream. I used both at once when he got a rash and it cleared up in a day. I didn't like Destin at all. It just didn't seem to work for some reason and Gray cried harder (like it was painful) when I put it on him. Lasinoh cream seems to have less zinc oxide and more soothing ingredients like Lanoline.

Of course there are a million other items that are needed to stock your nursery with, but these are just a few of my most favorite things. Hope it can help at least one mommy-to-be out there!

Drive-By-Blog-Post

Husband out of town since Saturday. No babysitter. On my own with baby for first time. Holy Mole. So tired. Husband not coming home until Sunday. Ugh. I'm eating cereal for dinner. Baby started smiling. A lot. Swoon.

Nursery Inspiration: Me and Wee

One of the cutest "real life" nurseries I've come across has to be the nursery from Me and Wee blogger Megan.

Isn't it just lovely? Good work Megan! I'm sure you and your little one love this room - it's beautiful.




For more details about this awesome room, check out Megan's nursery post here.

Thank You Mom

Thank you for spending the first 6 weeks of your grandson's life with us. Thank you for being my Mother and teaching me how to become one myself. We are so fortunate to have you in our lives.

The Little Things

I found this lovely article via Pinot After Playdates and I just had to share with everyone here who has, or someday will have, little ones (and then big ones). Enjoy.

Raising Children by Anna Quindlen, Newsweek Columnist and Author

All my babies are gone now. I say this not in sorrow but in disbelief.I take great satisfaction in what I have today: three almost-adults, two taller than I am, one closing in fast.Three people who read the same books I do and have learned not to be afraid of disagreeing with me in their opinion of them, who sometimes tell vulgar jokes that make me laugh until I choke and cry, who need razor blades and shower gel and privacy, who want to keep their doors closed more than I like.Who, miraculously, go to the bathroom, zip up their jackets and move food from plate to mouth all by themselves. Like the trick soap I bought for the bathroom with a rubber ducky at its center, the baby is buried deep within each, barely discernible except through the unreliable haze of the past.Everything in all the books I once poured over is finished for me now. Penelope Leach., T. Berry Brazelton., Dr. Spock. The ones on sibling rivalry and sleeping through the night and early-childhood education, all grown obsolete. Along with Goodnight Moon, and Where the Wild Things Are, they are battered, spotted, well used. But I suspect that if you flipped the pages, dust would rise like memories. What those books taught me, and finally what the women on the playground, and the well-meaning relations -- well what they taught me was that they couldn't really teach me very much at all.Raising children is presented at first as a true-false test, then becomes multiple choice, until finally, far along, you realize that it is an endless essay. No one knows anything.One child responds well to positive reinforcement, another can be managed only with a stern voice and a timeout. One child is toilet trained at 3, his sibling at 2.When my first child was born, parents were told to put baby to bed on his belly so that he would not choke on his own spit-up. By the time my last arrived, babies were put down on their backs because of research on sudden infant death syndrome.To a new parent this ever-shifting certainty is terrifying, and then soothing. Eventually you must learn to trust yourself. Eventually the research will follow.I remember 15 years ago pouring over one of Dr. Brazelton's wonderful books on child development, in which he describes three different sorts of infants: average, quiet, and active. I was looking for a sub-quiet codicil for an 18-month old who did not walk. Was there something wrong with his fat little legs? Was there something wrong with his tiny little mind? Was he developmentally delayed, physically challenged? Was I insane? Last year he went to China. Next year he goes to college. He can talk just fine. He can walk, too.Every part of raising children is humbling, too. Believe me, mistakes were made.They have all been enshrined in the "Remember-When-Mom-Did " Hall of Fame.The outbursts, the temper tantrums, the bad language, mine, not theirs.The times the baby fell off the bed.The times I arrived late for preschool pickup.The nightmare sleepover. The horrible summer camp.The day when the youngest came barreling out of the classroom with a 98 on her geography test, and I responded, "What did you get wrong?" (She insisted I include that.) The time I ordered food at the McDonald's drive-through speaker and then drove away without picking it up from the window. (They all insisted I include that.) I did not allow them to watch the Simpsons for the first two seasons. What was I thinking?But the biggest mistake I made is the one that most of us make while doing this. I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of the three of them, sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages 6, 4 and 1.And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night.I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.Even today I'm not sure what worked and what didn't, what was me and what was simply life. When they were very small, I suppose I thought someday they would become who they were because of what I'd done. Now I suspect they simply grew into their true selves because they demanded in a thousand ways that I back off and let them be. The books said to be relaxed and I was often tense, matter-of-fact and I was sometimes over the top.And look how it all turned out. I wound up with the three people I like best in the world who have done more than anyone to excavate my essential humanity.That's what the books never told me. I was bound and determined to learn from the experts. It just took me awhile to figure out who the experts were.

Better

Here's proof that our little one doesn't cry all day long. Gotta love the dark circles under my eyes - I guess they're a rite of passage - welcome to motherhood, right?

Babysitter?

Any offers?

(disclaimer: No babies were harmed in creating this post. I picked the little sweetie up immediately after this photo was taken. Did the crying stop? No.)

Push, Push, Push, Push, Breeeeeeaaaaaaath

WARNING:

The following post is a going to be a real doozie regarding childbirth.

(oh, and I don't use spell check and my writing and grammar sucks, sorry)

So, as I mentioned in my previous post, my labor experience was a very positive one...I might go as far as saying even spiritual. Now, I'm not some crunchy hippy or anything, but it really was great (and this isn't just "childbirth amnesia" talking - I remember everything).

Here is my recap...

I woke up on a Sunday morning with what I thought were Braxton Hicks contractions...just mild, menstrual-like cramping. I didn't really think too much of it, but decided to time them just in case. At 8:30 a.m. they were about 15 minutes apart. Since they were pretty regular I thought that this could be "the day" considering true Braxton Hicks contractions are erratic in nature. I monitored them all day long as I carried on with my day...cleaning, packing my hospital bag, etc.

Fast forward to 5:00 in the evening. My contractions, now 9 minutes apart, had gotten much stronger and I knew for certain that this was indeed the real thing. They weren't anything I couldn't deal with at this point and I could still walk around and do things just fine...in fact, I was still vacuuming and organizing the house.

{My goodness, I was HUGE!}

I wasn't really that hungry for dinner, so my husband and I decided to watch a movie and just try to relax as much as possible until my contractions got to 5 minutes apart. We were told to do just that by our childbirth class instructor..."don't come to the hospital unless your water has broken or your contractions are 5 minutes apart". So, that's just what I tried to do. I also really hate hospitals and didn't want to go in until it was absolutely necessary (we live 7 minutes away from the hospital I gave birth at). At about 8:00 in the evening my contractions started getting pretty intense (we would pause the movie we were watching so I could breath through them) and I decided to just call my doctor to check in. After getting a call back, she told me to go to the hospital to be monitored just to make sure everything was okay.

At about 9:00 in the evening we checked into the hospital and they put me/baby on a heart monitor. At this point I remember thinking to myself "wow, these contractions are totally bearable...what's the big deal?". I could totally talk through them and just had to do some relaxation breathing a few times, but they really weren't as intense as I thought they would be. I've always been cursed with really bad menstrual cramps (I'm talking having to use a heating pad and prescription painkillers bad), so maybe that's why the contractions didn't seem to kick my butt..........yet. After getting a pelvic exam, I was told that I was 4 centimeters dilated and that the baby was indeed on his way! Until then, I was still in denial.

I was immediately hooked up to an IV (which I had never had before and totally freaked me out...it wasn't that bad either...the fear was completely unwarrented) and was given fluid to keep me hydrated. You can't eat or drink anything once you go into labor (at least that was the rule at my hospital) so they pump you full of fluid to keep you hydrated and your sugar level stable. So, now it was just a matter of waiting for me to dilate and for my water to break. This is when it starts getting a bit fuzzy for me because I was getting really tired at this point.

After getting checked for a second time they determined that I was 6 centimeters dilated and decided to break my water. The idea of them using a long chopstick-looking thing in my vajayjay totally freaking the bajeezus out of me, but that was also no big deal. I barely felt a thing! But WOW, the contractions got really STRONG after that. That was the moment I thought to myself "there is NO WAY I am doing this without drugs. NO WAY!". So, at 8 centimeters dilation (the last moment I could wait) I got an epidural.

The epidural was the most painful part of my entire childbirth experience...I never want to go through that again. I think it was because I waited way too long and was already in "transition" (when the contractions are at their peak). Trying to sit still while the anesthesiologist did his thing was pure agony. I think I cried. It really sucked. But then, within minutes I was numb from the waist down...BLISS! I could watch the monitor to see when I was actually having a contraction, but couldn't feel a thing!

So, now I just had to wait, try to get some rest, until I was fully dilated. I rested for about an hour and a half, but couldn't sleep because I had the WORST heartburn ever and I was just too excited and nervous about pushing. My mom and husband, who were with me the whole time, were fast asleep in the room (snoring) and I laid there awake until the nurse came in, checked me one last time and said I was ready to start pushing. Oh Gawd! I was freaking out. I don't know why I was so calm until this point? It just became so real all of a sudden.

My nurse got my doctor and got the bed ready to start pushing. Just so you know, the beds totally transform into a delivery bed which is basically a more comfortable version of the bed you may be used to when you go to the OBGYN. So, I started to push which was interesting considering I was totally numb "down there". I really had to concentrate. This is gross, but the nurse told me to push like I was "pushing a BM". I know, gross right, but it worked.

This is the only scary part...

After about a half an hour of pushing, the baby's head was crowning (yaaay!). However, his heartrate was starting to drop with every contraction and my doctor began to prepare me for the possiblity of using the vacuum to get him out faster. At one point, the baby's heartrate dropped so low that they called the OR to prep it for a c-section (I found this out from my husband after the fact...they didn't want to scare me at the time). This was the moment I realized that my doctor, without telling me, gave me an episiotomy. I saw the snips in her hand and asked "did you just CUT me?!". My husband's face was white. lol. They repositioned me on my left side, gave me oxygen and magically the baby's heartrate regulated. I went back to pushing normally for about 15 more minutes. In the meantime, I noticed that there were many, many more people in the room with us. I think they called the pediatrician (because of the heartrate problem) an intern, a resident and an extra nurse. Get used to the idea of many different people seeing your Ho-Ha. At that point I totally didn't even care who was in the room.

So, then he came out. Let me remind you that I was completely numb down there so this part was completely pain free. I had no idea what was going on, that he was coming out, until my nurse and doctor told me. This part was fast...maybe 30 seconds to get him completely out. I heard him cry and was ecstatic. They put him on my chest and it felt like a dream to be looking down at him after imagining what he would look like for the past 38 weeks. He was a slimy, gooey looking baby. After what felt like a few seconds, the nurses took him away to clean him up.

While they were examining the baby, my nurse gave me Pitocin (which I hadn't needed until this point) in order to prevent bleading by contracting the uterus (I was asking a lot of questions...I'm sure I was annoying the crap out of my nurse). I was still numb, so again, I felt nothing and thank GAWD for that, because I could see the doctor stitching, stitching, and stitching....ouchie and gross.

After we were both cleaned up, my baby was in my arms and I was in LaLaLand. I honestly don't really know what happened from here on...I was exhausted. I had a healthy baby boy, I was healthy and my husband managed to not faint during the experience so it was time for me to sleep and sleep I did.

The days in the hospital during recovery were surreal and gross. I wished someone had warned me about how nasty and uncomfortable recovery would be. That I would need help going to the bathroom and taking a shower...seriously, it was humiliating and painful. I know everyone is different, but I just want to put this out there so that my girlfriends (you know who you are ;) ) who are going to have their first baby might be more prepared for recovery than I was.

All in all, the entire experience wasn't bad and I hope to be fortunate enough to be able to experience it again in the future. We are so happy to be parents and love our little one more than words can express!!


The End (the beginning).

5 Weeks

{Grayson's first trip to Central Park - slept the whole time}

So, it's been 5 weeks since I gave birth to Grayson and I feel the need to get some things off my chest. In trying to "keep it real" here on my blog I want to share some thoughts, things that were surprising to me about child birth and after, with those who may be interested...particularly new moms-to-be.

I wasn't aware that...

...child birth wouldn't be THAT bad. Really, it wasn't THAT BAD at all. Now, don't get me wrong, it's not something I want to do very often, but I'm actually looking forward to (hopefully) going through it again (and again after that). If anyone is interested, I'll share more details about labor in another post. I know that when I was pregnant, I loved reading and hearing POSITIVE birth stories from other new moms. I had had enough of the stories of three day long labors and emergency c-sections to give me nightmares for days.

...recovering from child birth would be so gross. I won't elaborate...it was just icky, really icky.

...breastfeeding wouldn't come easy for me. It hurt and my little one had some major power!

...I would feel like such a failure when after 4 weeks of trying (and practically starving my baby due to underproduction), I gave up on breastfeeding. I still cry about it. I keep thinking that I could've done more...I was lazy...I'm a horrible mom.

...what people say about the emotional rollercoaster following child birth is completely TRUE! I bawled my eyes out a handful of times (mainly in the shower where no one could see) just because. I'm not a "crier" by nature, but man let me tell you, I am now!

...I would be SO tired during the first week home from the hospital. I even had my mother here to help, but trying to nurse every two hours can really take a lot out of you. I was beyond exhausted.

...a little baby boy can shoot pee straight across the room! Our Aura (washable) paint has paid off in the nursery big time!

...they can also shoot poop (not as far as the pee, but still) and spit-up too. How does one get poo out of cashmere? Note to self: don't wear cashmere while changing baby.

...my stomach, after 5 weeks, would still look like a deflated water balloon and stretch marks can appear AFTER child birth. Just when I thought I was in the clear, BAM there they are.

...boobs can leak even after you've stopped breastfeeding completely. Lovely.

...the maternal bond that everyone talks about may not kick in right away (and you may feel guilty for not feeling it).

...I could love another human being as much as I love my little boy.

Warm Fuzzies and Nursery Decor

{current state of the nursery - not quite perfect, but good enough}

I want to thank you all for your sweet comments regarding my blog/personal identity crisis post. You all really know how to make this new mom feel great!

{inexpensive wall decor - Etsy seller: Art and Philanthropy }

So, the wall mural that I was going to paint myself on the large wall in the nursery didn't exactly happen simply because I got a little too lazy towards the end of my pregnancy and Grayson also decided to come early.

{I punched holes in the prints, hung them with knitting yarn and tacked some craft dragonflies at each end}

I'm still in search of some large scale art work for this wall or I may tackle the mural project, but until that happens, these little prints will do the trick.

{painted dresser from Goodwill with changing table top from Bellini Furniture}

{Painted chair is from the Well Appointed House}

{glider from Serena and Lily}

Having spent numerous hours in this chair (many of them napping), I can honestly say it's the most comfortable chair EVER!

{Two small paintings I found during a trip to Chiang Mai Thailand a few years ago}

{Grayson chillin' after getting his bum cleaned}