Mommy Brain

Yesterday afternoon I experienced a case of Mommy Brain... It seems to never fail me in the best of times. I had just arrived to the medical clinic for Little Miss C's 9-month check-up. I was actually on time (for once!)... with 5 minutes to spare. We recently moved the convertible car seat into the middle of the backseat of my car. So after parking, I climbed into the backseat of my car behind the drivers side. Shut the door. That was when my 'Oh Fuck!' moment hit me. It completely slipped my mind that I hadn't turned the child lock off on the back doors when I moved the car seat. I started to have a semi-panic attack. We're starting to run late for our appointment. It was a scorcher of a day, and here I was stuck in the back seat of my car with my daughter. FML. Some how I managed to push the drivers seat forward a bit, and then I had to squeeze between the convertible car seat and the driver side seat, in order to get into the front passenger seat to exit the vehicle. It was quite the challenge... the little miss was quite amused by my bitching! Haha. At least someone found humor in the situation. Without a fail, we eventually got out of my car and to her appointment.

Never again - am I going to pull a brainiac move like that again! It is safe to say the child lock is now turned back to the off position.

Multi-Taskin' Momma

That's me all right. I'm currently at a stage in my life where daily I tackle the tasks of caring for a child, maintaining a household (cleaning, cooking dinner), fitting in time for myself (exercise, showers, etc)... plus on top of all that I'm studying and looking into what I plan to do post-maternity leave. All of this in and of itself is a lot of work. I just wish people could realize how hard of a job being a Mom truly is...

I'm one busy, busy Momma... that's one thing I know for sure. Now if only this hectic lifestyle could help attribute to me shedding off those extra few pounds that I have lingering.... That'd be awesome! One can dream, right?!

Two Things Tuesday

The weekend seemed to fly right on by... But isn't that how it always feels?!? I'll be the first to say that I had a great weekend. Everything that I had wanted to do, didn't turn out... But c'est la vie! Everything else worked out just perfect, and I got to spend it with those I love the most. That's what's important.

1. On the weekend, I had hoped to take C to meet and visit with my Great Grandma for the first time. My Great Grandma turned 89 this week, and every year my Mom, Nana and I usually take a drive to go visit her. This year, that didn't happen. I emailed my Mom to see if we could arrange a trip, and no one ever got back to me. My Great Grandma hasn't been doing all that well recently and it really scares me that  Miss C may never get to meet her. I would really love to get a 5 generation photo of my Nana, Mom, Nannie, C and I. It'd be such a great keepsake. Not many people get to have a photo of 5 generations. I know I shouldn't think in terms that my Nannie may not have much longer, but it's quite hard not to given the circumstances. Le sigh.

2. It feels like C is never ever going to figure out this whole crawling thing. I wouldn't say I'm let down that she isn't crawling yet... Because I most certainly am not. I just thought she would have been by now. A lot of her baby friends got the hang of it between 7 and 9 months... and here we are entering month 10 and I don't see her crawling any time soon. She might just surprise me one day, and just do it. Who knows?! She is quite mobile though, and loves to roll her way around the main floor. It's quite cute.

Reality Check Ahead

So here we are coming to the close of another weekend... A long weekend that is. As I sit here typing this I can hear the sound of fireworks going off in the distance... and I'm praying to god that they don't wake the Little Miss up. So far, so good.

This weekend was phenomenal for many reasons. It was spent in the company of good friends with good food and drinks... plus we had great weather! Awesome!

Yea sure... I woke up in quite the crusty state this morning, but I did eventually snap out of it. I spent this gorgeous afternoon completely overhauling my garden and spending time with those I love the most.

I hope everyone had a great weekend, and I look forward to posting more this week! Now I must go back to watching the remainder of the series finale of Lost. (I PVRed it yesterday).


Cheers!!!


-Nic.

Case of the Monday's

So it's still the weekend, and here I am experiencing a serious case of the Monday blahs. Awesome! I woke up this morning to find my dog has had the "slits" all night... The main floor was covered. Lovely! Following cleaning up that mess, I then had to tackle our disgusting disaster of a kitchen from our BBQ a few nights ago... and then see to starting the laundry... The list goes on. Needless to say I'm feeling like a bit of a grump. Coffee is needed... STAT!

The sun is shining, and it's expected to warm up a lot today. Here's hoping that the fact that it's still the weekend and that we're going to have some beautiful weather today will help cheer me up soon! Because at this rate I wish I'd never gotten out of bed.

"The day will get better and it will be awesome!" - I'm going to repeat that over and over again in my head until it sticks. Haha!

It's The Weekend!

So I've totally been slacking on keeping on top of my blog this week... But I have a perfectly good reason for the blog neglect. For the first time in weeks, the weather has actually been quite warm and decent. I've been trying to make the most of my day by staying off the computer and getting Lil Miss C out of the house. It's been great! Oh, how I love summer!!

Anyhoo, it's Friday... which marks the end to another great week... and the start of the weekend. The long weekend to be exact! Woot! I'm going to be taking a break from the blogging realm for the next few days. My hubby is writing his 6.5 hour Level 1 Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exam in a few weeks, which means he is going to have to crack down and study hard soon... so we're devoting this weekend to us, and spending time as a family before all the craziness takes over.

I hope everyone has a great long weekend! Cheers!

Recipe Review: Mexican Layer Bake

I first heard about the Mexican Layer Bake recipe when flipping through a copy of my What's Cooking magazine years ago. I always thought it looked delicious, but was always so skeptical about making it. Like seriously how good could a Mexican-style tortilla lasagna really be?!

A few months back when I was hanging out with friends and this recipe happened to be brought up... they raved and raved about how delish it was. I was still skeptical to test out the recipe, but was getting more inclined to.

Finally last night, I took the plunge, dug up the recipe and made it for dinner.

This dinner was super easy to make. Anything easy is a bonus in this household right now... considering I have Lil' Miss C to try to entertain as I prep dinner most nights. The prep took upwards of 20 minutes. It would have taken less time... BUT... I sliced my thumb straight down to the nail when I was dicing up the green pepper. Lovely!

Once everything was cut up, I cooked the ground beef, green pepper and onion on the stove until the ground beef was browned. Once browned, you then add in and combine the salsa, corn and chili powder and simmer for 5 minutes. (Note: The recipe called for two 10oz. bags of frozen corn... I used one). After that you begin the process of layering everything in the casserole dish.

Here's a picture of the dish before it went into the oven... (Note: We LOVE cheese in our house, so I added a lot more than the recipe called for!)

Once in the oven. The dish took all of 30 minutes to bake. Towards the end of the 30 minutes, I did add a wee bit more cheese... But again that is only because we're are total cheese lovers!

Here's a picture of the finished product... Yumm-o!

The meal was absolutely delicious. Definitely my new favorite comfort food. It will certainly become a staple in our house!

It was a gorgeous evening last night, so after dinner we took advantage of the weather and sat out on the deck with the torches lit, enjoying a glass of my new favorite wine: The Beach House.... Which... ahem... I happened to polish off!

 All in all it was a great night. With great food, great wine, great company. Nothing could be better!

© 2010, Domesticated Momma, All Rights Reserved. Not to be used, copied, blogged, tagged, or reproduced in any fashion without written consent. 
 

Mexican Layer Bake

This is a recipe that I've been meaning to try out for a very long time. I've heard so many rave reviews about it from friends... and I still have yet to make it. Tonight that's all going to change. It's on the official dinner menu, and I'll be popping into the grocery store this afternoon to pick up all the additional ingredients. Mmm... Dinner can't come fast enough!

INGREDIENTS

1-1/2 lb. extra-lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
4 tsp. chili powder
2-1/2 cups chunky red salsa
2 pkg. (10 oz. each) frozen corn
6 high-fiber whole wheat tortillas (8 inch)
1 cup Light Sour Cream
1-1/2 cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese, divided

DIRECTIONS

HEAT oven to 375ºF.

BROWN meat with onions and peppers in large skillet on medium-high heat. Stir in chili powder; cook 1 min. Add salsa and corn; mix well. Simmer 5 min.

SPREAD 2 cups meat sauce onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish; top with layers of 2 tortillas, 1 cup meat sauce, sour cream and 1/2 cup cheese. Cover with 2 tortillas, 2 cups of remaining meat sauce and half of remaining cheese; top with remaining tortillas and meat sauce. Cover with foil.

BAKE 30 min. or until casserole is heated through. Top with remaining cheese; bake, uncovered, 5 min. or until melted.

Source: Kraft Canada - Recipe - Mexican Layer Baker

Mediterranean Chicken Packets

Boiled new potatoes or buttered orzo are good partners for this savory chicken dish. If you don't have Italian seasoning, substitute dried oregano instead. 

INGREDIENTS

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
4 artichoke hearts (from a 14-ounce can), quartered
12 Kalamata olives, halved and pitted
4 teaspoons capers
1/2 cup crumbled feta (2 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place four 12-inch squares of parchment paper or heavy-duty foil on a work surface. Place a chicken breast on one half of each square, leaving a 2-inch border; season with salt and pepper.
2. Dividing evenly, top chicken with tomatoes, artichokes, olives, capers, and feta. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and oil. Fold parchment over ingredients, and crimp edges to seal.
3. Place packets on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until chicken is opaque throughout, 20 to 22 minutes.

Source: Martha Stewart - Recipe - Mediterranean Chicken Packets

Two Things Tuesday

1. We've finally found a sippy cup that Miss C loves, and is able to use all on her own. Phew!  We initially tried out the Playtex Sipster.

C would not drink from this sippy cup... She wouldn't even try. We'd bring it towards her face and as we'd do that, she'd pierce her lips together and go "Pfffttt" until we'd take it away from her face. We ended up resorting to allowing her to drink water out of our glasses. This was all fine and dandy, until she grew the habit of wanting to drink everything from our glasses. It was getting ridiculous. Eventually I had enough and picked up Nuby No Spill Soft Spout Gripper with Handles cup from Babies'R'Us.

I only ended up purchasing one to start. I was worried about forking out a ton of money on something that would be a lost cause. C loved this cup from the get go. The soft spout made it so easy for her to drink from, and the handles were perfect. I ended up going out and purchasing two more today!!

2. My dog is starting to drive me mental. When C was a newborn, Diesel became a basement dog. He's always been way to hyper for his own good... which as a result makes him very clumsy. It's not like he's a small dog either - he's a black lab/border collie mix. Anyhoo... over the last little while I've been allowing him to hang out with C and I. Usually he's been pretty good. That was until this past weekend. I don't know what came over him on the weekend, but man... I was ready to give him away. On Friday, I was taking Lil Miss C outside to greet Daddy when he pulled in from work. As I headed out the door, Diesel jetted down the street. It took a neighbour stopping to help me coax him back into the house. He didn't respond to his name... He was having a freaking field day. Almost getting hit by 3 cars must be an amazing accomplishment. Ack! Fast forward to Sunday night... JM had picked us up some tenderloins for dinner. He seasoned them and set them far back on the counter to marinate. We'd been hanging out on our deck and didn't think much of it until I went in to get some more water and noticed they were gone. The dog had jumped up and ate them. Ugh, I was soooo pissed! There is really no point to all this... Diesel is just driving me bananas and I need to get it out there. Ugh!!!!

Oh and to boot... We took Diesel to the vet on Saturday for his annual check-up and a woman waiting in the room took it upon herself to comment on what a cute puppy we have. We had to tell her he wasn't a puppy, rather that he's 3 years old... and she was like "Oh wow - I would've sworn he was 8 months by how hyper he is!" Yeesh.

Weekly Accountability

It's working, and I'm finally getting results... Woot! I stepped off the scale this morning to realize that I am down 3 pounds from last week. Holy crap!! Then it hit me... Since the middle of April, I've lost 10 pounds.

I'd been so hard on myself over the last few months about my looks and figure... and now I look at myself and see that my body is toning... and I feel very healthy to boot. It's such an amazing feeling. What's also reassuring is that people are starting to notice too. I posted a picture that was taken of me on the weekend on Facebook, and the amount of comments that came in about how great I look was astounding. It definitely helps keep me motivated.

I'm still keeping up with the normal workout schedule. Typically Monday through Friday using one of my workout DVDs. We've really cut down on our alcohol intake and I'm cooking a lot more than I was before.

Oh, and I should mention I'm finally starting to fit some of my pre-pregnancy clothes. Today is a good day.

Mindless Monday

(Click on photo to enlarge)

© 2010, Domesticated Momma, All Rights Reserved. Not to be used, copied, blogged, tagged, or reproduced in any fashion without written consent. 

50 Reasons for Breastfeeding Anytime, Anywhere

I'll still never forget the day that someone took it upon themselves to haggle me for breastfeeding in a public place. It was a nice, mild September day... JM and I had decided to head down to the lake to enjoy a walk along the waterfront. JM had headed off to the pavilion to get us each a coffee, and while he did that I took the opportunity to sit down on the bench to breastfeed C. I had C breastfeeding in the cradle hold with a blanket tucked nicely over her... in no way was any part of me exposed. Honestly for all someone new, I was trying rock her to sleep. All was well in the world until an elder couple walked past me, and proceeded to attack me for breastfeeding in public. They thought it was the rudest and most inconsiderate thing I could have ever done. I was baffled. I had always had trouble coming to terms with being okay with breastfeeding in public... It was something I was very shy and nervous about. I had finally come to terms with it... and then this had to happen. Nice, huh?! Some people need to learn to get their heads out of their asses.

It continues to boggle my mind to this very day as to why certain people are so bothered with Mothers whom choose to breastfed their child. Honestly, if you have a problem with it... don't look! Frig! How hard is it really?!

Anyhoo, this morning I came across a post on PhD Parenting, and I had to share it:
50 Reasons for Breastfeeding Anywhere, Anytime

Here are a few of my fav points from the post...

9. Because a baby’s right to nurse is more important than your non-existent right to not have to look at things you do not like to look at.

24. New moms have enough to worry about in their sleep deprived state without having to make special arrangements in order to accommodate your opinion about how they choose to feed their baby.

35. Because breastfeeding should be seen as normal, and not something that needs to be hidden in the washroom or under a cover.

44. Because breastfeeding is beautiful and I’m sure there are more people who appreciate seeing babies being breastfed than there are people who oppose it.

45. Because mothers do not deserve to be belittled or humiliated when giving the best thing there is to their baby.

Dear Sweet Child of Mine

My dear sweet child of mine...

As I sit here typing this... I'm listening to your tired cry over the monitor. You've been at it for heading on an hour now. Why, oh why... is it that you won't nap? You know you want to give in to the urge and just sleep... so why the need to keep fighting it?

I understand your Daddy called the house 10 minutes after you initially went down for your nap, and made you stir... But you have to understand the ringing phone did not constitute as an alarm to wake you from what should have been a blissful afternoon sleep.

I've come up to see to you... I gave you a bottle... I shushed you and played with your hair... I gave you your lovey and your soother that you'd thrown across the crib... and you remained silent for all of 5 minutes... maybe with a coo here and there... I honestly thought there was hope. Hope that you'd drift off to sleep.... But you appear to have other plans for me, as I now hear your tired babble and cries persist.

Please, oh please - Just do Mommy this one little favor and go for a nap... That's really not too much to ask... and then once your nap is done we can go out, play on the deck and enjoy this afternoon sun.

Love your ever-so-hopeful, Mommy.

Seeing Dollar Signs ($$$$$)

Lots and lots of $$$$$$$$....

Who ever said babies aren't cheap was absolutely correct!

As I watched Miss C sit on the floor playing with her huge slew of toys yesterday evening. It dawned on me.... she was no where near as excited or enthralled by these toys as she once had been months ago. Notice I said months ago... Yup that's right. I'd say the last time we actually went out and picked her up a new and more age appropriate toy was at Christmas when she was 5 months old... She's now 9 months. Yeesh! I deserve a huge slap on the wrist.

Since Miss C also needed an ample amount of 12 month sleeps, I decided today would be the perfect opportunity to hit up Once Upon A Child to get some sleepers and toys. I totally cleared out all of their 12-month sleepers that were on the rack... all 7 of them... and then I only found ONE lousy toy. The whole point of the trip was to get her toys, and I walked away with ONE. Ack! Maybe I have high standards... Who knows?! All I know is that I simply cannot afford a trip to Toys'R'Us right now to get her some other toys. Le sigh.

There's a Mom-to-Mom sale happening in our area tomorrow morning, so I'm thinking I might try to hit that up depending on Miss C's morning nap schedule. I think I need to... Desperately...

What to say to someone who's had a miscarriage...

I know that in the past when a close friend or family member experienced a baby loss, I was always unsure of what to say or how to handle the situation... That was until I had a miscarriage of my own and it became very clear to me.

I found this on another board but I thought I'd post it here for people who may be wondering how to react to someone they know who is in this position.

What to say to someone who's had a miscarriage.

When women experience the loss of a child, one of the first things they discover they have in common is a list of things they wish no one had ever said to them. The lists tend to be remarkably similar.

The comments are rarely malicious - just misguided attempts to soothe.

This list was compiled as a way of helping other people understand pregnancy loss. While generated by mothers for mothers, it may also apply similarly to the fathers who have endured this loss.

When trying to help a woman who has lost a baby, the best rule of thumb is a matter of manners: don't offer your personal opinion of her life, her choices, her prospects for children. No woman is looking to poll her acquaintances for their opinions on why it happened or how she should cope.

Don't say, "It's God's Will." Even if we are members of the same congregation, unless you are a cleric and I am seeking your spiritual counseling, please don't presume to tell me what God wants for me. Besides, many terrible things are God's Will, that doesn't make them less terrible.

Don't say, "It was for the best - there was probably something wrong with your baby." The fact that something was wrong with the baby is what is making me so sad. My poor baby never had a chance. Please don't try to comfort me by pointing that out.

Don't say, "You can always have another one." This baby was never disposable. If had been given the choice between loosing this child or stabbing my eye out with a fork, I would have said, "Where's the fork?" I would have died for this baby, just as you would die for your children.

Don't say, "Be grateful for the children you have." If your mother died in a terrible wreck and you grieved, would that make you less grateful to have your father?

Don't say, "Thank God you lost the baby before you really loved it." I loved my son or daughter. Whether I lost the baby after two weeks of pregnancy or just after birth, I loved him or her.

Don't say, "Isn't it time you got over this and moved on?" It's not something I enjoy, being grief-stricken. I wish it had never happened. But it did and it's a part of me forever. The grief will ease on its own timeline, not mine - or yours.

Don't say, "Now you have an angel watching over you." I didn't want her to be my angel. I wanted her to bury me in my old age.

Don't say, "I understand how you feel." Unless you've lost a child, you really don't understand how I feel. And even if you have lost a child, everyone experiences grief differently.

Don't tell me horror stories of your neighbor or cousin or mother who had it worse. The last thing I need to hear right now is that it is possible to have this happen six times, or that I could carry until two days before my due-date and labor 20 hours for a dead baby. These stories frighten and horrify me and leave me up at night weeping in despair. Even if they have a happy ending, do not share these stories with me.

Don't pretend it didn't happen and don't change the subject when I bring it up. If I say, "Before the baby died..." or "when I was pregnant..." don't get scared. If I'm talking about it, it means I want to. Let me. Pretending it didn't happen will only make me feel utterly alone.

Don't say, "It's not your fault." It may not have been my fault, but it was my responsibility and I failed. The fact that I never stood a chance of succeeding only makes me feel worse. This tiny little being depended upon me to bring him safely into the world and I couldn't do it. I was supposed to care for him for a lifetime, but I couldn't even give him a childhood. I am so angry at my body you just can't imagine.

Don't say, "Well, you weren't too sure about this baby, anyway." I already feel so guilty about ever having complained about morning sickness, or a child I wasn't prepared for, or another mouth to feed that we couldn't afford. I already fear that this baby died because I didn't take the vitamins, or drank too much coffee, or had alcohol in the first few weeks when I didn't know I was pregnant. I hate myself for any minute that I had reservations about this baby. Being unsure of my pregnancy isn't the same as wanting my child to die - I never would have chosen for this to happen.

Do say, "I am so sorry." That's enough. You don't need to be eloquent. Say it and mean it and it will matter.

Do say, "You're going to be wonderful parents some day," or "You're wonderful parents and that baby was lucky to have you." We both need to hear that.

Do say, "I have lighted a candle for your baby," or "I have said a prayer for your baby." Do send flowers or a kind note - every one I receive makes me feel as though my baby was loved. Don't resent it if I don't respond. Don't call more than once and don't be angry if the machine is on and I don't return your call. If we're close friends and I am not responding to your attempts to help me, please don't resent that, either. Help me by not needing anything from me for a while.

If you're my boss or my co-worker:

Do recognize that I have suffered a death in my family - not a medical condition.

Do recognize that in addition to the physical aftereffects I may experience, I'm going to be grieving for quite some time. Please treat me as you would any person who has endured the tragic death of a loved one - I need time and space.

If your niece is pregnant, or your daughter just had a baby, please don't share that with me right now. It's not that I can't be happy for anyone else, it's that every smiling, cooing baby, every glowing new mother makes me ache so deep in my heart I can barely stand it. I may look okay to you, but there's a good chance that I'm still crying every day. It may be weeks before I can go a whole hour without thinking about it. You'll know when I'm ready - I'll be the one to say, "Did your daughter have her baby?" or, "How is that precious little boy of yours? I haven't seen him around the office in a while."

Above all, please remember that this is the worst thing that ever happened to me. The word "miscarriage" is small and easy. But my baby's death is monolithic and awful. It's going to take me a while to figure out how to live with it. Bear with me. 

It's The Little Things...

I'm not going to lie. Today hasn't been an easy day for me. I've been super emotional the past few days, and today it really shined through. I even went as far as changing my Facebook status to "NK is having an emotional kind of day... where everything seems to be eating at her...". Anyway a lot of my friends commented on my status with everything from "hugs" to "have some ice cream"... even going as far as ice cream flavor suggestions. My hubby saw this, and took it upon himself to surprise me with a DQ Blizzard when he arrived home from work. I know to everyone this might seem like a little thing, but this little thing has turned an upside down day, right side up! He's too sweet!

Anyhoo... that is all... I just had to gush!

My Dear Sweet Angel...

Yesterday marked 2 months since you spread your wings and flew to heaven. It was a very emotional and difficult goodbye. I still have your little image burned into my brain... I perfectly envision your little face, eye buds, arms buds as I looked down at you lying in the bathroom tissue. I was such an emotional wreck. It honestly felt like my world was coming to a close, as I had to say goodbye to you and wallow in my sorrows. Sure I may have only been 10 weeks pregnant with you at the time, but I already felt such a strong attachment and bond with you. Nothing can interfere or hinder a mother's love for her child.

Life has gone on since you've gone, but one thing that hasn't changed is the pain and hurt I feel. I try to wear my biggest smile when I'm in the presence of others, but in all honesty I'm still crying on the inside. The first few weeks after our goodbyes were okay, I thought I was coping all right. But then the pain really started to set in. I started to be taunted with pregnancy commercials, pregnant bellies (it feels like everyone is pregnant these days!) and pregnancy announcements. Honestly there are days I wish I could just burrow myself in a dark corner and never come out, just so I could catch a break from having to deal with this. Now don't get me wrong I don't harvest any ill feelings for those that are pregnant. I'm very happy for them... and hope that they realize what a true blessing their pregnancy truly is! But you also have to understand that, that should have been me right now.  Its hard not to think of all the what ifs and it is also hard not to wonder if that will ever get to be me again.

I know with time things will get better, and the pain will indeed fade... But that won't help diminish the hurt from all the memories. I'll carry the memories with me for the remainder of my life.

Your Daddy and I speak of you often. Although he doesn't show it, Daddy misses you a lot too! Your Daddy has been wonderful over the last 8 weeks putting up with a lot of my tears and moods. He understands, and proceeds to stand by my side. We're trying to work through this grieving process together, which can be a little daunting as I like to grieve alone (that's just how I've always been)... But I'm learning or at least trying to let people in.

I should have been 19 weeks this week, which would've meant that I would've had or been going to have my anatomy ultrasound any day now. Would you've been a boy or another little girl? We should have just found out. I always had a strong intuition telling me you were a little girl... Your Daddy and I both did... But now I guess we'll never get to know. We can't help but wonder who you would've look like, and how you are enjoying the heavens. We know you are looking down on us smiling, and are always by our side.

Although, it's been two months I just wanted to put it out there that we still love you very much, and miss you dearly (always will).

Lots of love,
Momma

Amaze by Sunlight: Cloth Diapers

No, no... I'm not amazed by what sunlight can do for cloth diapers. I'm promoting a great Sunlight Laundry Product I found this past week while perusing my local Wal-Mart.

I started cloth diapering just under 4 weeks ago, and while its been going great... I've been battling with stinky diaper inserts. Originally I had been pre-soaking the diapers in cold water with baking soda prior to washing on a hot cycle with double rinse. The diapers would come out stain free, but alas not odour free.

All week I've been searching to no end for a great stain and odour remover, and that's how I came to finding "Amaze by Sunlight". Amaze is very inexpensive and can be found in most laundry aisles at main department/grocery store chains.

Simply all you have to do is add 1/2 a cup of the powder to your diaper pail, and soak the cloth diapers for 2 to 3 hours prior to starting your laundry cycle. I usually will just soak my cloth diapers overnight, and start the laundry first thing in the morning. Following my first laundry cycle using this product I was amazed by how odour-free and clean smelling the diapers were. They no longer smelt like pee. It was amazing!!

I know it's pretty sad that this is something that actually excites me, but bear with me... I'm still new to this whole cloth diapering thing.... so anything new that I learn or find is a big deal!

Weekly Accountability

Another week has come and gone. Holy crap! It crazy to think about how quickly time flies.

I managed to keep on top of my work out regime this past week. Working out 4 out of the 7 week days. I would've fit  a 5th day in there, however on Friday JM arranged for me to enjoy a day at the salon and spa... and then well, Mother's day fell on the weekend so we had other commitments to attend. But 4 out of 7 days isn't bad, considering your body should have a few days resting period from time to time.

I continued to work out to the same exercise DVDs that I had used last week, but I also threw Billy Blanks Lower Body Bootcamp into the mix. The Billy Blanks Bootcamp is what killed me. I was doing great up until the point that I did his workout.... Holy crap - my thighs, buns and abs were burning the days following that workout.

I know feeling "the burn" is supposed to be a great thing, but in all honestly when I start to feel the burn I also start to feel the need to turn off the DVD and go sit down. For the most part, I do continue to push myself and do not give up... But there are days like yesterday when I woke up feeling under the weather, and tried working out. Things just weren't going well, and I wound up shutting off the DVD after 19 minutes. I felt pathetic for just giving up, but I just wasn't feeling well and wasn't into it... I probably would've done my body more harm than good if I had continued with it.

I think soon my new problem will be that I'll hit a plateau and become bored of all my workout DVDs. I love variety! So if anyone has any suggestions of other DVDs I should try out, please leave me a shout out!!!

Food wise... I did great this past week. I managed to cook a homemade meal each night. The only time I fell off the bandwagon was over the weekend when I was celebrating Mom's Day with my family and indulged in a slice of cheesecake alongside a slice of apple pie... (Desserts are my weakness)... Which is totally understandable.

Anyway, this pretty much sums up last week... Let's see what this coming week has a store...

"Not Me!" Monday

Feel guilty because you just turned the dryer back on for the billionth time, simply because you don't feel like putting the clothes away? Or, feel guilty that you just badgered your hubby over how he cleaned the house - when really you should be grateful?  Don't!  Just join me and all the other moms that are being brutally honest about all our shortcomings.  Head on over to Mckmama's blog to join in the blog carnival fun and link up your "not me" Monday post.

Lil' Miss C has been avidly trying to figure out how to crawl, as of late. She loves to sit on the floor and just rock. One of the more recent times that she has been doing this, she did not fall forward and bump her head on my floor. And if she had, I wouldn't have let Miss C cry it out or tell her she's being silly. Nope, not me!

On our way home from Wal-Mart on Friday, I did not give Little Miss C my cell phone to play with because she was getting fussy. Of course not! I'm not the type of Mom just to hand over my electronic gadgets to my little ones just to keep them temporarily entertained... especially when they have their own educational toys kicking around. Nope, not me!

This past weekend was Mother's Day, and not once did I cry.... Not once! It's not like I cried when my Mother's Day didn't turn out as planned. It's not like I cried when my hubby snapped at me over something silly, and stormed out of the room. It's not like I cried when I sat down at the end of the day and reflected on my angel babies in heaven that I'm missing. Nope, not me!

Happy Mother's Day!

If there is one thing that I know now, better than an I understood before... That'd be a Mother's love. I never truly understood a Mother's unconditional love for her child until I gave birth to Miss C. A Mother's love is powerful and unwavering. It's certainly something that cannot be easily described, especially using just a few words. A Mom loves with her entire heart, body and soul. A Moms love never dies once it's been born.

This Mother's Day I would like to send out a huge thank you and hug to all the Mom's for everything they do, what they do and the love they feel. Being a Mom certainly isn't always easy and does have it's struggles, but in the end you look at your little one and realize how rewarding being a Mom truly is. Our children are such true little blessings! Be sure to give them an extra big squeeze the next time you see them.

I hope all the Momma's and Momma's-to-be out there have a wonderful Mother's Day tomorrow! Huge hugs to all!

Stream of Consciousness

Wow... Today marks 40 weeks and 2 days since I gave birth to Lil Miss C. She's now been out as long as she was in. It's crazy to even fathom that! I still remember when Miss C was first born, I thought for sure it'd feel like an eternity before I'd reach her 9 month birthday... and well now, it has already been here and passed... and it never really felt like that long ago.

I can still vividly remember screaming out the moment Miss C was born "She isn't crying yet... why isn't she crying yet"... I hadn't even given her a chance to start.I can still remember how scared and heartbroken I was as my midwife passed my daughter over to the respiratory nurse as soon as the cord was cut...  All the stress of the final few weeks of my pregnancy and dealing with constant visits to the midwife/hospital as a result of my distressed baby had completely overwhelmed and surrounded me following her birth... I was just dying to hold her in my arms and know that everything was okay. It honestly feels like just yesterday I had the NICU nurse passing Miss C over to me for our first of many snuggles (after being suctioned by the respiratory nurse directly following delivery).

I never understood before holding Miss C for the first time what a Mother's love was or how strong it could be. It's such an amazing feeling... the unconditional love I have for her. Miss C is my pride, my joy, my everything. I love her beyond words can even begin to describe.

The past 9 months have been filled with many ups and downs... However the ups certainly out-weigh the worst of moments. There have been many a time that I've felt like the worst Momma ever, and like I may as well give up... But every Mom has those. It's normal. Miss C has made my life even more worth living now that she's present. She has such a wonderful personality. She's such a funny, personable, fun-loving baby! I've enjoyed watching her reach so many new milestones over the past 9 months, and can't wait to see her grow and reach many milestones in her lifetime to come.

Although my most favorite and cherished moment in the last 9 months has been watching my husband fall in love all over again with another girl... Our daughter! It's so amazing to watch them grow their bond together. She truly is a Daddy's little girl.

Happy OALASWI, baby girl!

Two Things Tuesday (but on Wednesday instead!)

Yesterday wound up being quite busy, and by the time things finally settled down the day was over. So rather than not posting "two things" this week... I figured I'd just do it today instead. So here goes...

1. Ever since I moved into my house way back in the Summer of 2007, I've never been keen on the set-up of my kitchen. It just didn't seem practical, and nothing seemed to be in the "right" spot. I devoted C's afternoon nap yesterday to cleaning up and rearranging the kitchen. The modifications only took about an hour and a half to complete, and I'm completely happy with the way everything has turned out. Not only that... it's hilarious to see how confused my hubby now is about the whereabouts of things. Hehe.
   
   
2. Early last week, Miss C took to the refusal of purees whenever I try to feed them to her. She's okay with JM feeding them to her, just not me. The only problem is that JM works very long hours, and can't be home during the hours where C needs to eat. C has grown quite comfortable and fond of the idea of feeding herself. She's been eating toast with cheese whiz, hummus with pita, cheese, crackers, and mandarin oranges quite often. I guess it's safe to say that she's proceeding with baby led weaning, which is perfectly okay by me. I just need to come up with more food ideas that I could feed her. Any suggestions are welcome!

Weekly Accountability

Last week I had the chance to actually stop and reflect on where I'm currently at in my life, where I'd like to be and what I hope to accomplish. A lot of thought came out of this self reflection, and I came to the realization that I'd really like to focus more on living a healthier lifestyle. Living a healthier lifestyle meant that some changes would need to be made... not many, just some.

Since my miscarriage a little under 2 months ago, I've been quite miserable (I'm not going to deny it...), and not my usual self. I'm usually the type of person whose usually on the go, very active and all about maintaining the household. After the miscarriage, I found all I really ever wanted to do was chill out on the couch during my free time and the housework just got pushed aside. And, it's not like I don't have the time to do things... Because I have ample the opportunity to. I mean Lil Miss C usually has 2 to 3 hour naps twice daily... so I get a fair bit of free time during the day.

Starting last week, I started devoting Miss C's first nap to my workout time. Each morning I'd do a different workout video... either one from the HipHop Abs series, Lindsay Brin's Shed 5 or Lindsay Brin's DanceJam. In one week, I've managed to tone down a fair bit, and I've lost 1 pound. I'm sure I would've seen more results had I not indulged in that whole apple pie sitting on my counter all last week. Ha, ha. Overall, since starting my new workout regime, I've been feeling healthier, happier and less tired. I have so much more energy. It's an amazing feeling!

I've cut back any alcohol consumption to just the weekend, increased my water consumption to 2 to 3 litres daily and taken to trying to cook a homemade meal each night... rather than eating out once or twice a week.

I plan to keep blogging about my weekly accountability each week, as I find it will help keep me motivated and I will also be able to track my results.

"Not Me!" Monday

Feel guilty because you pretended to slave over a gourmet dinner for your hubby when you really ordered in because you just didn't have time to cook? Or, feel bad that you slept through your childs night feeds because you were just that tired?!?  Don't!  Just join me and all the other moms that are being brutally honest about all our shortcomings.  Head on over to Mckmama's blog to join in the blog carnival fun and link up your "not me" Monday post.

Here's how my week went down...

This past week I managed to get back into my work out regime, and began to become very accountable for my food consumption and vitamin intake. It's not like I indulged in that whole apple pie sitting on my counter or those donuts that my husband bought for me to take to a play date that never happened. Nope, not me! At the very least I can take comfort in knowing that I did cut the alcohol consumption right down last week, and only enjoyed many a few on the weekend with the girls! There's always this week to correct my epic fails, right?!

I  did did not continue to overplay Body Bounce by Kardinal Offishall this past week. Like I said last Monday, I love hate that song with a passion! Not me!

When I was with the girls on the weekend... I did did not get misty-eyed when:

• pulling out of the driveway to head to KK's house for a few nights on Friday night;
• I messaged JM to check in and see of Lil Miss C was doing, and he responded mentioning that she was doing great and it was like she didn't even realize Mommy was gone;
• I saw her picture on my cell phones desktop;
• all my girl friends began chatting about how adorable Lil Miss C is;
• JM messaged to tell me how great of a time he was having with her;
• I thought about how much I really missed my little cutie, and realized how hard it really is to leave your little one just for a few days.
• I arrived home and Lil Miss C didn't have the same excited expression and shake that she would have to  greet her Daddy with when he arrives home from work...

Nope, not me!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Another weekend is coming to a close. It's crazy how quickly time flies when you're having fun!

My weekend away with the girls was awesome! We all met up at my best friend, KK's house on late evening on Friday and enjoyed some dinner and drinks together... we didn't do all that much on Friday as we had a fairly late start. Saturday was our day of mayhem and fun antics! We started the morning off with a much needed Timmy's run, had lunch out at Wild Wing and then spent the remainder of the day enjoying the nice, hot weather on KK's patio with many drinks in hand. We chatted... laughed... came up with many new inside jokes... It was fun! We never did get around to doing the facials and our nails, like we had originally planned... But there is always room for next time.

I thought I would have a really hard time leaving C for a few nights, but surprisingly I was okay. I did get a little misty-eyed when my friends would start talking about how cute C is, though. I'm so glad I took up the opportunity to spend a few days with the girls and away from home. It was a welcomed "break".

C had a lot of fun with her Daddy. They went out and bought my Mother's Day gift, had a quick visit with Grandpa PK and had a lot of playtime. I love that they were able to have their own one-on-one bonding time. To me that is very important! JM did mention that C would look around the house often and call out "mamamamama", and she was quite disappointed when I didn't respond. I wish our camcorder had've been charged, so JM could've caught it on tape. There's always next time though!

Hope everyone had an awesome weekend!

Children's Medicine Recall

"A recall has been issued for more than 40 over-the-counter children’s medications, with concerns they may not have been produced properly.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it’s investigating McNeil Consumer Healthcare. The company has issued a recall of some Tylenol, Tylenol Plus, Motrin, Zyrtec and Benadryl products. The products were all made in the U.S. and distributed in Canada.

In Canada, the recall is limited to: Children’s Motrin and Infant’s Motrin liquid suspension products and Children’s Tylenol Cough & Runny Nose liquid suspension product.

McNeil said it was recalling these products, in consultation with the FDA because manufacturing problems could affect the quality, purity or potency of the medicine.

The FDA said some products may contain a higher amount of active ingredient, some may contain inactive ingredients."

Source: CityNews

Visit McNeil Consumer Healthcare for further details.