1. I know this is weird but...I sleep talk every night and sleep walk a few nights a week. I've always had my own room until freshman year of college and my roomie Alyssa (who I've managed to keep as my BFF ever since!) would be absolutely freaked out by my night talking. And I have no idea I am doing it. Jon keeps a note in his phone with "sleepy Ruthie quotes" and they are quite entertaining. It happens early in my sleep cycle so Jon is often awake when I talk. When Ford was a newborn and still in our room, I would freak out almost every night thinking I fell asleep feeding him and that he was under the covers and strip the bed of our comforter. Y'all I can't make this stuff up. Sleep walking happens less and I can usually wake myself out of it (luckily I've never left our bedroom). Thank God Jon married me.
2. When stopped at a stoplight, I...check my phone (tsk, tsk), and pop my head around to say hello to little Ford. He isn't the biggest fan of his carseat and loves throwing his toys around so I keep a handful of toys up front with me that I can hand back to him if he gets cranky. If toys fail, we rock out to REALLY loud music and I make up songs.
3. My guilty pleasure is...to be honest, I do not feel guilty about it but dessert is my probably-should-be-guilty-about-it pleasure. It's all about moderation folks. I could have eaten the biggest steak and baked potato for dinner but without fail, there is always room for something sweet. Currently my sweet treats are Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches or smores in the microwave with peanut butter. Not that food needs to be justified but I loving knowing I burn an extra 500 calories breastfeeding (wahhhh only a few more months of using that as an excuse). I also workout a few times a week not because I want to lose weight but because I love food and want to eat a lot of it. Pssst.... I am making this hot fudge pie this afternoon to take to a dinner tonight. Yum.
4. My favorite way to unwind...is taking a long, hot shower without a baby staring at me. Since becoming a mom, showers are my escape. Before Ford came along you wouldn't ever find me in the shower longer than 2 minutes but now...I have to force myself out. Every night before bed Jon scratches my head and like a baby, I fall right asleep. Jon and I also LOVE watching reruns of Modern Family. Being showered, in pjs, and in bed watching Mod Fam by 8pm is very common around here. My boss sure does tire me out.
Totally unrelated pictures but every post needs a little Ford...
Soups are great in our house. Since Jon works from home and I stay home, I am always looking for easy and filling lunches so soups do the trick. When I came across this lasagna soup, I knew it'd be a hit in our house. And it's a heck of a lot lighter than a traditional lasagna but just as delicious!
Ingredients
Olive oil
1lb Italian sausage links (or meat of your choice- ground Italian sausage, shredded chicken)
1 medium white onion
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
3 cloves minced garlic
4 cups (32oz can) chicken broth
1 15oz can tomato sauce
1 14.5oz can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt
Sprinkle of crushed red pepper
4 whole lasagna noodles broken up into pieces
3 tbsp Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp basil
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.
2. Stir in sausage, onion, peppers, and garlic. Cook 8-10 minutes until sausage is browned
3. Add broth, tomato sauce, tomatoes, salt, and red pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
4. Add broken lasagna noodles and cook until noodles are tender, about 10 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan, basil, and mozzarella cheese.
Geesh can a mom ever get a full night's sleep around here? Ford has been sleeping through the night like a rockstar but all of the sudden Ernie has been waking up to go out and has gotten sick a few times. It's not the easiest for me to fall asleep after being up with him so in the midst of the quiet night, my mind gets going. I was starting to stress last night about what I'd blog about today and the rest of the week and feeling very behind lately. It took all of about 30 seconds of stress before I was reminded of how full my life is currently. To say that we are loving this stage with Ford is an understatement. Watching him actually play with his toys and enjoy our company is just THE BEST. My time is spent singing silly songs, tickling him, rocking out to Baby Einstein on Pandora, swinging him at the park, and soaking up every moment. Funny how looking back I had so much more time for myself when he was a newborn. We would nurse 8 times a day and each nursing session could take up to an hour so I'd get comfy on my laptop and write posts or answer emails. Now we feed half the number of times in mere minutes. Oh and Ford is incredibly distracted so I have to focus all my attention on him. No longer do we spend most of the day at home but Ford has a blast going on walks, sitting in the cart at stores, and just interacting with people in public. He is definitely a conversation starter when we are out and about.
We took him to a sit down restaurant this weekend for the first time in a LONG time and he had a blast. He loved sitting on daddy's lap and banging the menu, shaking his toys, and drinking water from the straw. We had lots of waiters come by and say hello!
I also reminded myself that the reason I started this blog was to chronicle my life...for me and Jon, for our family, for our children, and I never want to forget that. Ruthie it is OKAY if you don't blog every single day of the week. I think readers enjoy "meatier" posts rather than fluff. Yes I know my blog has changed immensely since Ford was born but I'm a lifestyle blogger, my life has changed, I love it. We are in the full on baby season...diapers, breastmilk, and baby food are all top of mind and it may be all I have to blog about these days. I feel extra sentimental, emotional, and nostalgic these days and I think it's because we are on the brink of Ford being mobile which will be a total game changer. Life is good, life is hectic and tiring, but life is full. I want you to come to my blog and feel full too. Thank you all who have continued to walk this journey with me, even if all I blog about is cloth diapering, the latest and greatest baby products, and my ever growing yoga pant wardrobe. I may worry about what people think/want to read on my blog now but I know I will never regret writing down and chronicling these days.
I mean come on!!!!!!! I have watched this video about 10 times a day since taking it, my ticklish boy
I will cherish this video forever and look back on it when Ford is too cool for kissing his mama
Bacon, ranch, cheese. I don't think you could add anything to this dip that would make it any better than it already is. You can throw it together in about 30 seconds and it will be gone just as fast! Served with tortilla chips, potato chips, pretzels, or your favorite salty snack, this dip is a crowd pleaser!
Ingredients
16 oz sour cream
1 packet ranch seasoning
3 oz bag real bacon pieces (found by the salad dressing)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese.
Mix ingredients and let stand 2-4 hours in refrigerator before serving.
1. When I need help with life's mysteries, I turn to... my husband. Duh. I can be quite the indecisive person and appreciate the wise direction from my husband. We are that cheesy married couple who makes almost all our decisions together and I love knowing certain things aren't all on my shoulders alone. I also turn to my mom. I remember those first few days home from the hospital after having Ford she stayed with us and there were times I just begged for her to tell me what to do. When do I feed him? How do I do it? He hasn't napped, what do I do? How do I care for this foreign little creature? I felt so much reassurance when she told me that I am his mother and whatever I choose to do is the right thing. I don't think I'll ever stop seeking wisdom from others.
2. My next challenge is figuring out...life with a mobile baby. We are just on the cusp of our lives being turned upside down and right now I am savoring these last few moments with an immobile baby. I'm also anxious yet excited to see how this summer pans out for us. Crawling, possibly walking, big boy meals, teaching him out to swim, starting to wean from breastfeeding. I know life with a toddler will be chaotic but I am ready for the challenge.
3. My latest victory...(I changed the prompt on this one because I wasn't sure how I shake things up!) is Ford sleeping through the night! On his 7 month birthday I decided we were no longer going to feed in the night and ever since then Ford's been sleeping 12-13 hours straight, no feeds! All it took was a bit of cry it out (so much easier than I thought). I'm proud of him and proud of me and loving getting real sleep these days. I'm not racing the clock to get to bed and have been enjoying later nights watching movies, playing games, and having "home dates" with Jon.
Sleep=happy baby=happy mommy
This was from a few weeks ago, Jon texted "he's onto us"
4. My high heels are... collecting dust in my closet. I remember the last time I wore heels, 9 months pregnant, summer in Texas, attempting to dance my baby out at a wedding. I am barely 5 feet tall so could definitely use the height but I am most comfortable in flats, Toms, flip flops, or just barefoot. Nowadays you can find me in the stay-at-home-mom spring uniform: Nike shorts, a cute Old Navy athletic top, tennis shoes, and a monogrammed baseball hat.
Ford had his first big boy haircut yesterday! His hair is stick straight like mine and hair was growing over his ears and getting incredibly long and nappy up top and in the front. I had been talking about it for weeks and finally set something up. Mrs. Brenda, who has cut and colored everyone in my family's hair, was ecstatic to cut his hair. She works out of her home which made things more relaxed because let's face it...cutting a baby's hair takes lots of involvement. My mom and sister showed up to the memorable occasion and it was quite the production. I came armed and ready with baby food, Mum mums, yogurt melts, toys, and silly songs. Ford did great until she sprayed water on his freshly cut hair... then the lip and alligator tears started. Gosh he is so stinkin' cute! I snapped over 150 pictures and combed through to find my favorites.
This morning when I got Ford out of his crib, he looked like a little boy. Hard to believe that more than 7 months have passed since he was born and he grows and changes more and more everyday. I can't wait for many more firsts with my blue eyed boy!
I got this idea from CMae over at A Little Lovely and thought it would be fun (and entertaining) to share some of my pet peeves and things I'm not a fan of. Please don't take offense hehe.
I don't do....
Backwards hats. My dad has never been a fan of them and I guess that rubbed off on me but I can't stand seeing grown men wear them in public. Maybe on the beach or at the park (even though a backward hat defeats the purpose of a hat) but at a restaurant, store, etc. Not a fan.
On that note, I also am not a fan of grown men in sports jerseys.
Smokers. Not much explanation needed.
Mustard....excuse me while I go yak! There are things I don't like but will eat if it is in something (mushrooms, olives, peppers) but if there is one atom of mustard anywhere on my food, I can't eat it.
Nails on the roof of the car. My sister use to scratch her nails on the inside roof of our car, I think to annoy me, and I just get chills thinking of it. The sound. The thought. Oh my!
Coffee....never have, never will. Water is my caffeine, I literally wake up every morning craving it.
The Bachelor. I just can't. I used to, but once dropping it I've never looked back. Although after Monday nights finale and seeing tons of social media posts, I am curious about what happened?
Lemons in water. I would rather be parched than drink water with lemons. The taste... gag. I am the person at a restaurant who will specifically ask for water with no lemon when I order. I just can't do it.
Candy Crush. Never played it and don't plan on it...like I need anything else to get addicted to on my phone!
I am a huge fan of broccoli---cooked, steamed, or raw, but man oh man. These delicious bites don't even taste like broccoli! If you have picky kiddos (or a picky husband) this may be the perfect way for you to get them to eat their greens. I can't wait to start giving them to Ford soon! Anything tastes good with cheese right? The night we made them, they were supposed to be a little appetizer before dinner and I ended up eating 5.
Ingredients
16oz package of frozen, chopped broccoli, thawed and squeezed dry
1.5 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
3 eggs
1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl
2. Make individual mini patties with your hands and place onto a greased or foil lined baking sheet
3. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes, flipping the patties after 15 minutes of cooking
I've been crafting this post in my head ever since I had Ford and am finally getting down to business and writing it. After I got married, there were so many little etiquette things I took note of when I went to weddings. You also realize how big not RSVPing, not showing up to the reception, etc. are after you get married. Mad respect for brides now that I am a Mrs. and I have to say I love going to weddings now knowing how much work it is to pull one off and that I don't have to do it again! Same goes for being a new parent. Nothing anyone can say can prepare you for being a new parent. Sure you can read What to Expect and take a breastfeeding class but your baby is still going to throw you a curveball and newsflash... breastfeeding hurts at the beginning! Something they warn you against in those classes.
Now I'm getting off topic because the meat of this post is to give you a few pointers when going to visit a new parent. Most first time moms assume they will give birth the old fashioned way and since that wasn't my story, I was completely unprepared for my recovery. I told all my friends to come visit (before I had Ford) and we even brought Yahtzee in our hospital bag...no wonder the nurses laughed when they saw it. Below are some key recommendations for visiting new parents that I wish I would have known before having a baby.
Wait until they are home to visit. Like I said above, my world was rocked when I woke up from surgery feeling like I had been run over by a truck. I didn't get out of bed for 24 hours and had a cathedar bag attached to my bed. Trying to sit up to nurse my brand new baby hurt like hell so you can imagine the pain I endured to sit up and entertain guests. We were so grateful for people bringing food, snacks, and loving on our brand new baby but next time I will ask that just my family comes to visit. Now I know some women who feel fabulous after pushing a baby out so I may be solo on that one but I think we can all agree that breastfeeding is tricky and it can get awkward with guests when you, your husband, your mom, your nurse, and your lactation consultant are all trying to help your tiny little baby latch.
If you do make a hospital visit, bring snacks/coffee/energy drinks for dad, tell mom she looks beautiful, snuggle the baby for 5 minutes then leave. If you are really close to mom, it's a whole different ball game. I wanted my mom and sisters up there as much as possible to hold Ford while I slept, help me feed him, make me eat, and give Jon a chance to go shower and sleep. I didn't mind being topless and attempting latching my baby in front of my family.
Be flexible. Those first 2 weeks home from the hospital are when most people want to visit yet they are the hardest 2 weeks of your life. Babies don't know the difference between day and night and often times new moms spend an hour every 2-3 hours breastfeeding. Ask the parents what time works for them, get a ballpark time, and tell them to text you beforehand in case of a schedule change. Baby could be having an epic meltdown at 7pm when they said you could comeover or mom may finally get the baby down and want to lay down herself. And if new mom says you kno what, this week isn't a good week, don't get offended. After 2 weeks of jam packed visitors I was ready for time alone as a family. I told Jon I wanted to take a hiatus from visitors and it was the best thing we did for our sanity.
Reschedule if you're sick. No ifs ands or buts. Period.
Bring food. I will never go visit a new mom and baby without food. Those first few weeks are such a blur and the last thing you have time for is preparing a meal. The most I made was a bowl of cereal but when I had live in help (mom the first week and sister the second), they made my cereal for me. New moms are also incredibly hungry. You thought pregnant women ate a lot? Breastfeeding burns so many calories and when you are doing it non stop, your body is drained. If the new parents decline dinner they are just being nice and don't want to inconvenience you. Bring something they can pop in the freezer for a later date or bring snacks (fruit, muffins, breads). Bring everything in disposable containers or containers they can keep. Trying to figure out which tupperware is which neighbors is not a task a new mom needs to spend time on. Also ask them if there are any grocery items you can pick up- coffee creamer, a pack of diapers, Tylenol.
Don't bring clothes. As cute as baby clothes are to buy, don't bring a new mom clothes. She probably got 3x the clothes she actually needed at her baby shower and still hasn't found the time to return doubles. Bringing a gift also requires a thank you note and even if you promise you don't need one, this will weigh on her mind and she will write you a thank you note at 2am when she could be sleeping.
Don't stay long. There is nothing cuter than a snuggly little baby that sleeps in your arms, am I right? As addicting as their smell is and as easy as it is to watch their chests move up and down as they breathe, make it quick. I remember the first 4 weeks of Ford's life in constant worry about when I was going to sleep next. The perfect guest knocks on your door, brings in a container of food, holds baby for 10 minutes and tells mom she looks beautiful, rested, skinny, and then leaves. Again, circumstances are many but I am talking about those first 2 weeks where mom may have been up from midnight to 5am and not had a shower in 4 days. I was still so sore from my C section, hobbling around protecting my incision and putting frozen peas on my sore boobs and sometimes it got to be very draining entertaining my guests. Watch for cues. If baby gets fussy and mom looks flustered, hit the road. Or if mom says something about baby needing to feed, go ahead and pack up your stuff so she can nurse comfortably. Nothing is more awkward than hosting adult men in your house and having to nurse your brand new baby. Like the hospital visit, if you are super close to new mom, everything changes. My sisters would come over and I was able to go lay down, take a shower, or get on my computer and not have to be "on". If you do plan on staying a while, be sure to offer new mom some time for herself. Let her grab a shower or offer to fold some adorable little baby clothes.
Wash your hands in front of new mom. Even if you used hand sanitizer in the car, it will give her peace of mind.
Love on that baby and don't forget to love on mama. Being a new mom is such a wonderful, weird, emotional roller coaster that nothing can prepare you for. The sleep deprivation wasn't hard for me, it was the C section recovery that rocked me. I felt like my body was failing me, never having ever been in so much pain, and I couldn't see the light at the end of the road. Those aches and pains are just a memory now and my incision is a reminder of my triumph as a mother and delivering my son. There is nothing greater than introducing your baby to your family and friends and being loved on, supported, and embraced in your new role. If new mom cries when you ask her how she is, it is 100% normal. Give her a hug, tell her she's glowing, and remind her she can drink wine now that she's not pregnant.
I remember it was about October when we dug into the last freezer meal we were given after Ford was born. 2 whole months of not having to cook, that is love right there. I don't know how I could have survived without the help of family and friends as we started the journey of parenthood, it does take a village to raise a child.
What are your tips/recommendations for visiting new parents?
We had a friend over last weekend who said, "I thought you only posted the pictures of Ford smiling but he really does smile ALL the time". And that is the biggest blessing we've come to know with our baby boy. Ford is such an animated baby and continues to wow us with how much he knows and how much he is learning. A huge topic of conversation this month has been that he seems like he is a little boy now...playing on his own, discovering new toys and new surroundings, and starting to make preferences for what he does, eats, etc. Each month brings whole new set of challenges and this month has been the two pesky little teeth up that are right under the skin that won't pop through but have given us lots of sleepless nights. I can't believe my baby is getting teeth! I feel like his whole look will change and he'll wake up looking like a toddler. Last week I took this picture of him, looking so grown up.
Weight: 21lbs even (done on scale at home)
Chunk chunk getting too big for the bumbo...but I still stuff him in there
Height: 28 inches (measured at home)
Health/Dr.appointments: Ford has had a lingering cold for what seems like the entire month. Luckily we haven't had to go to the doctor but doing saline, nose frida, and humidifier at night. He will most likely take after his daddy and be asthmatic and we've noticed about 6pm he becomes wheezy so we do a nightly albueterol breathing treatment. Hopefully no doctor visits until his 9 month well check.
Clothing: mostly 9 month clothing but some brands are getting pretty tight. I organized all Ford's spring and summer clothes last week and we are looking forward to warmer weather! He's also moved up to size 3 shoes.
Diapers: last week we made the switch from cloth at night to disposable overnight diapers (Huggies). We were leaking out of cloth, even with double inserts, and leaking out of regular disposables. As much as I love using cloth, I was sick of having to wash jammies, sleep sacks, and crib sheets daily.
Eating (milk): Now that Ford is eating solids regularly, he is nursing less. I nurse him on demand which is about every 4 hours during the day and he can empty my breast in 5-7 minutes. Still no bottle (but we are no longer trying) but he loves water from a sippy cup.
Eating (solids): would it surprise you to hear that Ford LOVES solids? He eats 3 meals a day plus little snacks (mum mums, yogurt melts, cucumbers, peppers). His favorites are still avocados, pears, and sweet potatoes with cinnamon. We added mango, apple, zucchini, and carrot this month and I've been experimenting with different fruit/veggie combos and he had his first finger food dinner last night. I cut up avocado and banana for him and he was getting very frustrated that the pieces kept sliding in his hands and he kept opening his mouth for me to feed him. I am going to try out some other, less slippery foods so he can build the confidence to feed himself. I can't wait for finger foods!
Teething: Ford's top 2 teeth are coming in! I read that the bottom teeth come in first so I never really looked up top but we were laying on the floor and I saw a flash of white. This picture was a few weeks ago and the teeth are bigger now! Nights have been rough, he is in pain and nothing seems to comfort him. We do Advil before bed and he seems to be improving on the teething pain. He loves frozen fruit in the mesh feeder and gnawing on Sophie and his new wooden blocks.
Sleeping (naps): Ford is transitioning from 3 naps a day down to 2. On a good day, he naps 1-1.5hr about 9:30a, then another 1-1.5hr around 1p and 45 minute snooze around 4-5p. I've started trying to plan my days around his naps because he can sleep great in the car but once I get him out (even if he is in the carseat and covered), he wakes up.
Sleeping (night): Ford was a great sleeper and then I feel like things went downhill at 4 months. He still has really great nights but this month has been very trying in the sleep department. He goes down great at 7:15p but has been waking between 11p-1a and just screaming and crying and plain pissed off. We practice cry it out and Jon takes that shift when he is not traveling. It would be incredibly easy for me to go in there and nurse him back to sleep but we know he is fully capable of sleeping longer stretches. I was SO ready to cut that nighttime feeding before this separation anxiety/crying in the night started so I now am hoping to get through that before we use CIO to cut the early morning feeding. Ford usually nurses about 5am (5 is always my goal and we will let him CIO until then and sometimes it is 6am), and goes back to sleep until 7:45a. Some days he has slept til 9a! We've had a crazy month with travel, teething, etc so we are looking forward to getting back on track.
Social: Ford is a ham and this month is VERY interested in other people. He studies new people and is quick to smile. He also has fun "playing" with his baby friends and gets a kick out of Ernie. Just this morning Ernie came over and licked Ford while was playing and Ford couldn't stop giggling.
Likes: chewing on Bubba keg straws, mesh feeder with frozen fruit, his jumper, balloons, his new toolbench, walking backward in his walker, taking medicine, being tickled, remotes, iPhones, bathtime, peekaboo
Dislikes: getting his nose sucked, being hungry, getting something taking away from him
New this month:
Crawling backward! He gets up on all fours and starts rocking then scoots backward
Sitting up very solidly. I can go grab something in the other room and not worry about him falling.
Standing up (not on his own, we place him) and holding onto toys/couch pretty steady
Sitting in a shopping cart and loving it! I actually enjoy bringing him to the store now and he gets oogled at by lots of passerby.
A few sink baths and loving them! He plays so well for 15-20 minutes which gives me time to fold clothes, organize, etc in our room. We give him frozen fruit in the mesh feeder while he's in there and it keeps him very busy. As of last night he started climbing out of his baby bath so we are going to move to the bath ring.
Actually playing with toys and interacting with baby friends
Loves his walker and zooms backward
Opening his mouth for kisses when you say "Ford can I have a kiss"
Learning to angry grunt/fuss when he is bored or wants our attention.... aye yi yi
Fun things we did:
First Valentine's Day! Ford got lots of Valentine's from friends and family and passed out treats to his friends.
We started the Baby Signing time videos and surprisingly he is entertained for about 10 minutes before getting antsy. We sign "food" and "more" and "all done" while we feed him and he laughs.
First boat ride on Lake Austin
Spent a few days in Liberty, MO with Ford's gramma and grampa great
A short trip to Dallas to hang with cousin Embry
Started going to childcare at MOPS and the workers love him! We also signed up for childcare at the gym and he did great yesterday and plan on making it a part of our week. Mama break!
Mama: being a mama can be hard, but there is nothing else I would rather be doing! Ford is an absolute joy and I love being his mommy. We stay very busy and are blessed with lots of mommy/baby friends in our neighborhood and in our city. I am definitely not one of those stay at home moms who "miss" the adult interaction because I get more of it now that I don't work! We walk to the park with friends almost everyday and have playdates and lunches throughout the week. We signed up for childcare at the gym and I am excited to make that a part of my week and get some me time. I am also a crazy lady and have started planning his first birthday party and actually have bought a few items (eeek!)
Daddy: I think I would mentally go insane without the support of my awesome hubby! He helps in the middle of the night, lets me sleep in in the morning, and tells me to go run errands so I can have alone time. He is the one who keeps us grounded and I am so grateful for him.
Looking forward to:
Warmer weather and playing outside
Going to the Hope Spoken conference at the end of the month
Traveling to Chicago in early April
We have got to get Ford a haircut this month! His hair is growing over his ears and getting very long up top
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