What…what Disney?!?!

 

This past weekend two of the happiest me’s came together. The kid me, that loves all things Disney and the college me that loved all things social. I went to a convention, held at Disney World. Let me just stop right there and point out how happy this made me!



 

That was me during the planning of our day at the park. The next day was also spent at a different theme park Sea World, where I appreciated the marine life and shows. We stayed away from the rides on account of them being rained out and the whole of Orlando dealing with major thunder and lightning displays. Which I also love but that is a topic for another time.

Now this time we were determined to see all four parks in one day. And going to Animal Kingdom I realized I had my adult perspective on, I saw that we were not in Africa but rather in a park that had elaborately constructed sets, and roadways. At which point I immediately got miffed with myself and reminded myself “self you are in the most Magical place on Earth! You will lose yourself in it and become a big kid!” Happy to report this transformation took less than five minutes. For then we saw Pluto and Goofy and Donald and I perhaps gave the biggest inhale, saucer-like wide eyed, open mouth expression those characters ever saw and immediately proceeded to follow them to the picture area. I could not wait so I tried to take a picture while still in line… at which point this happened!

 

Yup photo bombed by Pluto! How awesome is that?

It totally reminded me of what it is like to be a kid. And what a great experience this is at any age. Especially as a mom walking around a theme park with pure liberation of not having to tote a tot. Of not having him run off. No temper tantrums was in itself liberating. It was two best friends who have known and loved each other for a decade enjoying a couple of days in the happiest place on earth.

It was the first time I went to Epcot and it was like a mini world trip to all different destinations. And let me tell you the best stop we made was to a French restaurant. Oh la la! There was a lobster bisque, salmon and lentils and crème Brule. I got to eat in peace. Oh the wonder of that. A glutinous peaceful feast.

So in conclusion this was my first vacation post baby without the little munchkin (he was not forgotten as attested by the Shamu Bubble gun, and 20 inch Tyrannosaurus Rex dinosaur). A friendship was celebrated, new connections made. Ideas learned through the Disney Institute and an overall great time was had.

I want to reflect on that a little  "But First... Let me take a Selfie!"

 

To Party???


It is my son's 2nd birthday in a few weeks and I am wondering should I throw him a party?
see for the first birthday we had a party, and it was family only (mostly because we moved and friends that he made were three hours away). Now for his second birthday we are again in a new city and the question is: Do we party?

Here is what we can do in our own town:
have a picnic
rent a party room / restaurant space
have a brunch in our new place

I would invite mostly my friends who have kids of varying ages and maybe a couple of kiddos from his daycare, although to be honest I don't know who their parents are. And I know he has a couple of buddies and one is a biter.

two we can drive back to our home town and have a family party again.

OR... Here is the crazy one. NOT HAVE A PARTY!

hear me out, I am thinking he is two and he is not quite aware of what birthdays are and that his is coming up. he will know for sure when he is three and will likely choose a theme... please no Thomas, please no Thomas the Train!

But in a few weeks he will not know that he has aged another year, nor will he treat it as anything else but another day.

So perhaps for that day, we can have a small birthday. He can get a cupcake, he can get some plastic dinosaurs (right now he is really into dinosaurs) and a call from either Dora or The Paw Patrol. Thinking that is the way to go.

here is where one can sign up for the birthday call.
http://www.nickjr.com/birthday-club/

It has been two years since I started this blog, and embarrassingly only managed to post 6 times. So I have decided to pick this up. I figure I can manage at least six more this year but hopefully more.

Little Riley is approaching two, and he is talking, smiling and engaging those around him. Here is what we got up to this weekend.

We went to his uncle Mike's WSU graduation, and he was surprisingly good, he paid attention as much as his little two year old brain would allow. Then he ate some popcorn. Played on the vacant chair next to him. Got his foot stuck in the aforementioned chair. And he pooped. A doozy of a twosie that required an immediate change. So we walked past a long line of people (I justified it as I was only going to use a counter and not the actual facilities) only to find that there was no counter. Just sinks, freestanding with no counter space what so ever. So there I was slightly stuck with a squirming two year old during diaper change time. So I stood him up on the porcelain sink, got him ready to reveal a squished down stinky poopy! *squirm squirm squirm* while I scramble for wipes and a diaper. Enter heaven sent lady who asks: do you need some help? Thank you I say, yes and thanks for not being one of those people who sees a struggling mom (whether trying to open a door with two full hands, or trying to purchase something at a grocery store and being cut off... perhaps a special shout out goes to the guy who cut in front of us at Subway on the road trip to the graduation only to state he needed five sandwiches from the ridiculously slow Sandwich Artist and after 10 minutes of waiting and their still not being done I went to the McDonalds next door and got my us burgers and fries in less than a minute and was that mom who let her toddler have fries... judge away). But back to the friendly stranger who held my toddler while he was standing while I proceeded to give his bum a good wipe-down. He got a fresh new diaper, he pulled up his pants. We both washed our hands and gave a high five for a job well done. And we got ready to leave the busy bathroom and I looked down at my dress... and Oh Poop! Yup I had poop on my dress, and that is what it is like to have a two year old.

Loving your workout!!!

 

This week in the quest for fitness I tried a thirty minute circuit of boxing and kickboxing. It is an all women gym and spoiler alert… I loved it.

I convinced my partner in crime Julia to try it, and she was very reluctant. She was intimidated by how physical it was and felt she would not be good at it. But she was willing to go. This morning when we had our free trial, she did the whole circuit. At the end when we were both out of breath and soaking wet she said “I haven’t had that good of a workout in a long time!!!” and to my surprise she wanted to sign up for the gym.  Moral of this story try something that you might find intimidating, you may end up loving it after all.

So my new passion is this boxing thing. I also love Zumba so I will try to find a class in my community offering drop ins. If I can squeeze in Sunday morning pilates I will be golden! Mom offered to watch the kiddo so I can do the class if I can get motivated to get toned on Sunday, the day of rest.

Will keep blogging about my fitness journey throughout my time doing it.

But next week. I will talk about my kid’s first brush with fame, and his very first acting gig.

Nine Months to Put it on… Nine Months to Take it Off?

 

Most publications I have read state that post partum mom’s should expect to take off the weight in nine months. Other moms I have spoken to say that is quite realistic. So I am giving myself that leeway. However if I could be an exception to the rule that would be great. So my friend Julia and I have decided to become exceptions. We have both put on substantial pounds during our pregnancy. I put on about 45lbs. Three months after delivering our son I have shed about 35. So far the loss of water retention, and breastfeeding helped in taking off the weight pretty quickly. The other factor, Julia and I take a walk every morning. At first I took my little guy in a carrier, and that was a workout, now he sleeps in his stroller while we walk. It is great exercise, and a great social activity. We chat about our babies, our husbands, share tips and vent on mommy problems.

This week we have decided to step it up and find an exercise and diet program in an effort to shed the last ten pounds.

Here is how our journey is going so far.

On Monday:

We decided to do a thirty minute circuit program at our local women’s only boxing gym. There are 15 stations with 2 minutes each. The gym was high energy, with a great trainer and they are child friendly. I fell in love with it. Julia is on the fence. I think I will enroll starting next week.

On Tuesday:

We checked out our local Weight Watchers Meeting. It was interesting to hear about some tips that the meeting leaders shared. Including substituting bad habits for good ones. Waiting twenty minutes after a meal to see if one is still hungry before having more food. And not using food as a reward, instead doing something else, like taking a walk, calling a friend or reading a book when needing to reward self or take a break.

The program requires discipline on food and does not put a lot of emphasis on exercise. Right now that is what I want to be doing. So I have decided not to join just yet. I plan on exercising first, and then if I still need a boost in losing weight I will consider joining the program.

So today is Wednesday and I have to find a new thing to try or at least look into.

Baby Photos

“Kids grow up so fast” and nowhere is that more true than in the first few weeks of their life. Each day their expression changes, they grow longer and chubbier. So if you want photos of that adorable baby in the nook of your arm, or in a basket then having the baby photo in the first week of the baby’s life is ideal. Not saying that you cannot have it later than that but it does get a little harder. They are really sleepy in the first week so it is easy to position them in those cute poses where they are propped on their arms, curled up in a ball or covering your arm. If a shoot is done after the first week, as I learned firsthand, babies are more awake and less cooperative for the shoot. And my little guy outgrew some of the props too. I had a very wide awake baby and he was just not interested in being cute and cuddly in the photos. Also he was cranky so I had to breastfeed him, and even though we had a session booked for three hours, we ended up skipping out after two and a half, because he was just so cranky. Indeed the lighting (which gets a little hot) did not help matters.

Our photographer was very understanding and she made it clear from the get go if we needed to take more time than the three hours that were allotted that was fine by her, and she would not charge us extra. A flexible photographer is a good photographer. I had a bad experience for my maternity shoot with a so called good photographer who actually gave our date away to a higher paying corporate client. She also was requesting I bring the full payment in person prior to my shoot to a town 1 ½ hours away, this while I was in the final weeks of my third trimester! She also said that a maternity and newborn photo shoot package that was advertised on her website was no longer available. That was highly unprofessional and should have been honored as it was still on her website, instead she said “oh thanks for reminding me to take that down, as it is no longer available”. Thus she wanted to charge me $150 for the photo shoot fee for each shoot (maternity and baby) in addition to the cost of prints.  It was really a bad experience and very stressful since my husband and I were left scrambling to get our pictures with another photographer. Luckily we found a family friend who was able to do it and gave us a cd of all our images for a fraction of the cost.

So what to avoid:

A photographer who is inflexible with times for your shoot. This can mean the date (they say “I am available on this date only and in the morning”) well your baby may not arrive by that date, or if they are born and healthy they may not be happy that day and maybe will cause you to run late to your shoot. Then that photographer may get agitated and state that you took up their valuable time, even though it is your photo shoot. So a photographer who gives you only one available date, or states that she is really strict about times that she can do the shoot is not a good photographer. Babies do not run on a schedule and the photo shoot may take longer than expected.

What to ask the photographer about:

·         Does the photographer have a fee just to do the shoot that does not include any images or prints?

·         If you need extra time is there an additional charge?

·         Does the photographer allow use of all the images from the shoot, and can they be shared or are they the exclusive property of the photographer?

·         Does the photographer offer a gallery (either on a website, or CD) of all images of the shoot,  or if she just prints a few images as part of a package and does not give the remainder of the images to the parents?

·         If the photographer has her/his own studio is it a professional space or is it a home studio? In the latter case note that it may be small, very hot and have pets. This last one is important in case of allergies or if you do not want to expose your children to animals. Therefore it is important to ask if the photographer does the photos at their home if they have pets.

·         Can the photographer come to a location chosen by you? This is key if the parents want to do a at home shoot (the easiest and least preparation required for the parents). Some photographers will do this for no extra charge, while others will charge you extra. Still others may not be flexible at all on location and insist you come to their studio.

What you want to ask your friends about

·         Who they used and if they were happy with the photographer?

Note that baby photographers are a dime a dozen. They vary in their styles and in prices. Baby photographers are part of an industry and as such know each other, as such they can recommend colleagues if they are unavailable on a certain day, or if you are looking for a different style or price point.  Thus each photographer has their own angle and unique style, but there is the opportunity for a new parent to shop around. Ask friends, and know that there are a variety of options in both price point and styles. Each photographer has a different mix they offer. Some offer discounted rates for CD’s of images of the photo shoot and they do not actually do prints, thus keeping the costs down. Others will have their own studios and do package shoots with selected images (usually up to 20) print them, retain the rest of the photos as proprietary and not give them to the parents, and charge up to $900.) So it is best to shop around.

This week I am discussing Breastfeeding

One of the things I decided at the outset of my pregnancy is that I was going to breastfeed. To me it seemed like the most convenient and healthy option for my baby. One thing I had heard though is that the so called “most natural thing in the world” is not so natural. And in fact 95% of women who attempt breastfeeding have some level of difficulty doing it. I my fellow readers fell into the 95%.

My first feed, where the baby gets its colostrum (the yellow highly nutritious substance that comes in before your milk) was fed to my baby with no problems whatsoever. I had been leaking since my 28^th week of pregnancy so when he fed shortly after birth it was an easy feed. In the first 24 hours the baby is tired and adjusting to life outside the womb, so if they feed once during the first 24 hours most child care professionals are content. I thought I had done my job within the first hour. However the medical nurses at my hospital insisted I feed my baby every three hours. This was so that they could check my latch and ensure we would form a habit right off the get go. However this constant feeding only created a problem for me because my little guy is a very strong sucker and it left me bruised and chapped and grimacing in pain. Remember I gave birth au nautral and as such have a high pain threshold so when I was crying during feedings on the second day of feeding my child my husband was the  one who voiced concern. He knew I was in pain and that we were having a problem... Our temporary solution was to go buy a breast pump and bottle feed our little one while I took a 24 hour booby break. At first I felt really guilty and cried, but my hubby and mom reminded me I was still feeding our little one breast milk it was just coming out of a bottle and that I needed to take care of myself in order to take care of him. That helped and so did the rest period. During this time we set up an appointment with a nurse who specialized in breastfeeding and from her got some tips. Today I am feeding normally, there is the initial discomfort when the little guy latches on but it gets easier as soon as he starts to feed. As for the pump I do use it to relieve engorgement or when I start to leak but the little one does not want to feed. Also it is convenient to store some breastmilk for when daddy or grandma wants to feed the little guy.

Tips for breastfeeding:

·         Don’t expect that the first latch will be perfect and that the whole process is trouble free. There will be hiccups and discomfort and low moments, but you can get through it, and eventually come to enjoy it.

·         Two great resources are the video “Follow me Mum” by Rebecca Glover it is a video that breaks down breastfeeding into chapters, it shows great clips and easy tips. Secondly the book “Guide to Breastfeeding” by Dr. Jack Newman has chapters for all the hiccups you can encounter and offers solutions to all kinds of breastfeeding problems.

·         Make sure that your baby has a wide yawn prior to latching.

o   Next hold your breast like you are going to squeeze toothpaste above the areola this forces it to be squeezed and fits better into the baby’s mouth. If your baby starts dozing off during the feeding you can squeeze your breast and it will get more milk into them and make them more alert.

o   Support your breast and your little one’s head during the whole feeding.

o   Put the nipple way back into his mouth ensure that the latch is good. It should reach the area between the soft and hard palate on the top of his mouth. If your latch is not comfortable or if he is just sucking on your nipple use your CLEAN pinky finger put it in the corner of his mouth (like a fish-hook) and release your breast.

o   When there is a successful latch the baby’s mouth should be on your ariola not just your nipple for sucking and should be fairly comfortable. His face looks buried in your breast. Don’t worry he can breathe J

o   If you can keep him on for a feeding on one breast he gets the hind milk which is highly nutritious and high in calories. Think of it as the equivalent of cream.  If you switch breasts after only a few minutes it is like the baby getting two servings of skim milk.

·         Milk comes in around the third day of breastfeeding prior to that it is colostrum.

·         Engorgement happens a few days after your milk comes in, it is your body’s way of boosting supply of milk. It is a supply and demand cycle, so the more you feed the more milk comes in. Engorgement makes your breasts very full and can be uncomfortable, feed your little one and if you feel comfortable with it use a pump. Engorgement goes away after a couple of days. If you are really uncomfortable use a leaf of cabbage for a MAXIMUM of 20 minutes, it has properties that combat swelling. Using cabbage for any more than 20 minutes can compromise your milk supply.

·          Seek help from a nurse, lactation consultant or La Leche league if you continue to find it difficult. http://www.llli.org/

CAREER ADVICE

 Saving up:

When going on maternity leave your income is reduced. There is an optimal ratio for your income and it is outlined below. If you have the opportunity to plan your pregnancy and maternity leave, save up to live comfortably and still keep to the percentages below. Make sure to pay down debts prior to going on maternity leave and boost your savings as you will likely dip into them for baby expenses. There are the expenses of diapers, clothing that everyone thinks of. However there are additional expenses people forget about like birth certificates, passport applications, baby photographs, for some families with boys circumcisions. These expenses really add up too.

Housing 35%

Transportation 15%

Life 25%

Debt Repayment 15%

Savings 10%

Housing: When it comes to rent or mortgage payment you can only afford 35% of your take home income. Any more than that will stretch you out and is not sustainable in the long run. This is what one calls house poor because it will cause you to skimp out on other life's necessities.

Transportation: This includes your car payments, gas and insurance and thus should not eat up more than 15% of your income.

Life: This includes your groceries, pet food, clothing and entertainment as well as other expenses in life. This should make up no more than 25%.

Debt Repayment: Whether consumer debt to your credit cards, consolidation loans, or student loans 15% of your income should go to debt repayment.

Savings: your parents told you about this one but most of us ignore it. It is important to save up part of your pay check for emergencies, retirement or investments. So save up that 10%

 Here is how it breaks down for your take home income

Income	$1000	$2000	$3000	$4000
Housing	$350	$600	$1,050	$1,400
Transportation	$150	$300	$450	$600
Life	$250	$500	$750	$1000
Debt Repayment	$150	$300	$450	$1,400
Savings	$100	$200	$300	$400