November Product Favorites - Mama, Baby, and Toddler

Mama

Since the weather is cold and I am shriveled up from nursing, I have been bathing in lotion. A friend gave me some of The Body Shop 24 HR Body Butter in Coconut and I really like how thick and hydrating it is.   

Rosemary and Mint Scented Products - Ever since the lady that cut my hair used Pureology Hydrate shampoo and conditioner on my hair, I have been obsessing over the smell.  I didn't want to shell out the $40 for Pureology.  I found a Burts Bees Bodywash and I am considering buying this Suave Rosemary and Mint Shampoo.

Chobani Key Lime Yogurt is my favorite right now.  Maybe I can get back into making my own yogurt when life gets a bit more normal?  Maybe I will wait until Kate is ready for some yogurt?

MaskCara's post on facial shape highlighting and contouring.  Now if I could just confirm...am I heart?

Baby

Baby Gowns - Not sure how I missed out on this for Wyatt (do boys not wear gowns) but if your baby sleeps in a gown, you don't have to unbutton or unzip anything. You just pull the gown up and change the diaper.  I think Kate looks really cute in some of them too.

Marpac Dohm White Noise Machine - I put this right by Kate's bed in our nursery nook and I think it helps to block out toddler screams and just helps her to sleep better.  It sounds like a fan running, but doesn't blow cold air on your little baby.  I might like the sound more than her so we will fight for who keeps it when she gets her own room.

Toddler

DelMonte FruitBurst Squeezers - I bought these for Wyatt when he was too sick to eat anything and he has been asking for them ever since.  Blueberry is his fave (of course).

Art Stuff - Preschool has really helped to get Wyatt excited about painting and coloring. If he had his way, he would paint everyday.  A friend gifted this to us....Crayola Color Wonder Fingerpaints. You don't have to worry about getting colored paint everywhere. You just have to wipe goopy clear gel off of your kiddo's hands when they are all done playing.

Kate - 1 Month

Stats
1 Month Old
9 lbs 3 oz
Size 1 diapers
Clothes size 3 month. Newborn onesies still fit but she has outgrown the newborn jammies

Eating
Nursing 8ish times a day
Mediocre burper
Not very much spitting up for now

Sleep
Wakes up twice at night for a meal but goes back to sleep like a champ
Major power struggle to go down for a nap but once she is down, I usually have to wake her up to keep her on a 3ish hour eating cycle during the day.

Skillz
Making a poopy diaper immediately after I change her
Rolling over on her side
Purty good head control

Dislikes
Falling asleep for a nap
When I have to set her down on the floor after Wyatt says "potty" or busts his head on something and is screaming
Being awake for more than 45 minutes
Sponge baths but her umb cord is FINALLY off so we can start real baths

Likes
Milk
Car rides
Baby swings but she doesn't really sleep in them...she just zones out (is that healthy?)

This Post Brought To You By....

...the Christmas tree window clings I bought at Target.  The $1.50 we spent is well worth it.  I am sure that our neighbors enjoy watching Wyatt play in front of the window in his undies too.

What's New:

Food - I plan to make Nantucket Cranberry Pie and Rosemary Dinner rolls for my Thanksgiving contribution. Then we are going to drive to San Antonio so I can celebrate my friend's mawwiage.  Love, sweet love.  I am excited BUT dreading putting on a bridesmaid dress with my baby pooch and not looking forward to balancing toddler, newborn, travel, and social obligations.

Fitness - I fell off the 30 Day Shred-Wagon when the whole family got sick, but we are well again so time to get back to it.  I guess I have about 6 more days at Level 1.  C'mon Jillian...let's do this.  Before the weather got too cold, I was getting in a good walk almost every day.  I want to fit in some yoga too.  Not enough hours in the day but halleluiah for being able to touch my toes again and move around without pain.

Toddler - Speaking of undies, potty training regression in the hizzy.  Surprise, surprise.  Right now I am the one who is potty trained since I force him to go every few hours.  He will not tell me he needs to go (except for poopies). I made up a new strategy today.  He can wear undies until his first accident...then he has to put on a pull up.  After he successfully goes on the potty again, he can put undies back on.  Each day he gets a fresh start. Anyone have a better idea?  I feel like I am driving him crazy by asking him if he needs to go....so I will stop.

Baby - Way back in the days, when I sat in a rocking chair for hours with Wyatt praying that he would nap, I came across this YouTube video called Baby Got Colic.  The video sounds like some combination of a train with a heart beat swimming in the ocean.  The video is 10 minutes longish, but seriously it stops baby crying and puts them to sleep in less than 5 minutes almost anytime I use it.  So strange.  Don't actually watch the video because it is creepy.  Just blast it on your phone at max volume and watch your babies eyes close....zzzzzzzz. 

A Few Words....

Stomach bug

Babies that don't fall asleep on their own yet

Cabin fever

Rings that still don't fit on fingers

BUT Kate isn't sick, Wyatt goes to school for a few hours today, and the sun is out!

Rockstar Homemade Deodorant

Hola! Do you remember my trials with finding a deodorant that works?  I came across something new to try. Holly on My Year of Fabulous tried a month of eco mama fashion and beauty.  She pointed me to a homemade deodorant recipe that I happened to have all of the ingredients for (coconut oil, corn starch, baking soda, and essential oil).  What the hayyyyy...I should try it.  I chose lavender scented!

I have only been using this for a few days but these days consist of me having to deal with a sick clingy toddler and a newborn (sweaty sweaty mess of a mama).  Yes, we are no longer in the sit around and cuddle your newborn phase. We are going through boxes of kleenex, bottles of tylenol, and rolls of toilet paper.  Kate and I are spending quite a bit of time in the bathroom with Wyatt.  Poor sweet Kate is even having to do a bit of cry it out as poopies wins out over trying to rock a tired baby to sleep.  Hunter came home for lunch each day to add some sanity to the insanity and Wyatt took a 5 hour nap yesterday.  Whew!  We will beat this thing.  At the end of the day, these pits still smell a - ok.  Please please don't get sick Kate.

This homemade deo has also made it through a few sessions of Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred - Level 1.  Not a bad workout for beginners or outta shapers like me. And everybody has 20 minutes to spare (unless you are my neighbor with triplet newborns). 

Soooo....try this deodorant.  You may love it.  Sincerely, sweaty but no longer as stinky stay at home mama.

P.S. This is the bestest easiest dip for apples ever.  I will make it every week until I get tired of it!

To Cook (When I Have Time)

This week has been purty durn good although each day is getting a little worse. Monday both kids were angels.  By Thursday, Kate was not napping as well and Wyatt peed on the couch, poked Kate in her crib and woke her up, tracked mud from outside all over floors inside, and drove me a little crazy in general.  I think he is starting to notice something is different.

Kate is getting her routine down.  We are working on the eat, play, sleep routine since it was muy successful for Wyatt and she is already picking it up.  For me, this really helps me to know if she is crying because she is hungry or crying because she is tired.  She is eating and going right back to sleep at night...whew.  This makes a few wake ups very tolerable.

Meals this week have been ok.  I pull some part of the meal out of the freezer (leftover ribs, pasta, etc) and fix up a side.  Our freezer is seriously stocked right now so this should last a while.

This weekend I am hoping to cook up some goodies...

Butternut Squash Risotto - I have never made Risotto before would ya believe it?
 
Publix Copycat Turkey Cranberry Holiday Sub - Thanks Jacque for reminding me of what I am missing

Black Olive Sandwich Rolls - Semolina flour was hard to find

Maybe some whole chickens for easy leftovers?  Maybe I will just nap instead?

One Week Update

This week has been so enjoyable (aside from a few really long nights).  With a second kiddo you don't worry as much about silly little things like "are they eating enough" or "is this right".  You know sometimes they cry and you can't fix it immediately. You just enjoy watching them and cuddling them.  You also know that they will figure out their nights and days soon enough and you can endure.  You know it gets better. For the first kiddo I thought it might not change???  It might be the end of the world?? Why won't you nap!??!?  :)

I am down 16 lbs after 1 week (sounds impressive but I have a loooong way to go).  She is up half a pound after 1 week.  I can bend over to shave my legs and paint my toes.  She can stay awake for a little while after eating and make googly eyes at us.  Life is going on.

I dream about running again.  I have missed it like crazy, but I know I will have a long way to go before I can run again.  I probably shouldn't even be pushing our double stroller around yet but the weather is so nice. My recovery for this old school delivery has been so much better than my c section.  People avoid it at all costs if you can!  Or maybe I was just lucky to have an easy labor and delivery this time with working epidural?  I just feel almost human right now and I know I didn't with my C section. 

Wyatt seems pretty fascinated with Baby Kate. He wants her to play. He wants her to open her eyes. He likes to watch diaper changes. He pats her when she is sleeping in an almost gentle way. He is so confused by nursing. He is even more confused by a pump.  He saw the pump next to Hunter and said "you're not pumping?".

So we are all rosy and happy here and I wanted to document this because Hunter goes back to work next week. Me and the 2 kids might cry buckets those first few days as we figure out how to do everything together. 

We had a photo shoot attempt on Saturday.  Pics coming soon.