Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Teething Town

I know for new parents, not excluding us, teething is a difficult time- full of long, sleepless nights, little fevers, and tireless frozen treats in mesh bags. We are in the throws again! Little Gwen is such a trooper though- as much as she's hurting, she still plays and tries her best to be smiley and enjoy herself. Oh, and *shhh, don't tell anyone* it's kind of turning her in to a snuggle bug... which you know makes my day. :) 


I have compiled a short list of teething tips for parents... I hope these are aside from the obvious ones that are geared more for the kiddies. These are how YOU can manage to keep your head on straight, and reserve at least a tiny bit of energy for your partner.


1. Don't stress!
    Literally, there is so little you can do as it is. If you are trying everything and still you are feeling forlorn and as if you are failing miserably, you aren't! They are just teething. And teething sucks! So- if they proceed to scream and hold their face, rolling around on the floor, and you have already done the medication/frozen/teething tablet, etc route- just let them cry. It's ok and it does not make you a bad parent. Snuggle them a bit, try to reassure them but don't let their distress get YOU down. 


2. Remember this doesn't last too long...
    Be patient when it is 4 am and once again, your child is up every couple hours, yelling like a newborn. While this disrupted sleep schedule is surely nightmarish for you- imagine how they must feel! They (probably) aren't fully aware why they want to chew on everything (including you) or why there mouth feels as raw as it does- and they need the sleep even more than you do, with their growing rate and what not. Take advantage of the late night calls. Read some more books together, sing a little, snuggle a lot- try to look at it as an extra opportunity to love on your kiddo and stay relaxed. The more relaxed you are, the more likely your child will be too. This too shall pass!


3. Sleep when they sleep!
    Personally,  I am terrible at this- but I am getting better! If she naps, you nap too- and when you put her down to bed, do the same for yourself. (If you can, of course.) The first things that go for most human being's when they are tired is their ability to rationalize, be patient or understanding, and it tends to bring out the "stressy" emotions... none of these are good to have present when trying to sooth a babe. Stock up on the sweet dreams.  You will not regret it! 


4. Make it FUN
    When you are trying to soothe little one, try doing something a little bit fun first. This acts as a really great distraction, so that they CAN be ready for some comfort. 


Hope this helps anyone with a teeth-er at home right now. Or if you are expecting in the future- hope it helps! 

Saturday, June 18, 2011

The Fam!

A little update for those of you who aren't close enough to see us on the regular...miss and love you guys!


Everyday, Gwen is learning a new syllable to practice and picking up on more and more words- and it's so cool to see how her little brain is forming! She loves to communicate in anyway that the people around her seem to prefer and the more we encourage her to talk, the more she listens intently and repeats. She has been saying "ma" for a couple months off and on, but recently she figured out "mom" and she says it with her bottom lip over her top lip- and she knows it's my name... it's the best and I love it! We're also learning little games, like high-fiving and clapping together when something makes her happy or she accomplishes something. She loves to bring me things and trade toys. Occasionally, she'll point to one of the cats and proclaim, "cat!" proudly and she's been working on talking to Arya, our pup... I'm sure so she can master the art of bossing her around. ;)


More and more little steps as of late too! The more she gets excited about playing in her room and not so much in her walker, the closer she gets to walking. She's always been a quick learner and ahead of the curve, but her development in the last month has been really staggering. AND BED TIME! Oh, the dreaded bed time... finally, we have figured out the magic routine that makes bed time look so much more appealing to her, and she is starting to dig it. The breakdown is a little romping about an hour before bed time, a bath, some more playing, a bottle with some cuddling in her room with the lights down- two or three books, some snuggling, and then by the time we put her down she actually seems content to be in her crib. A month ago, even carrying her in to her room when she started to get sleepy would trigger the crying fit, and there was absolutely nothing we could do to console her except let her wail it out. I am so glad that this is on the out! No momma likes to hear her baby flip her lid and be unable to calm and comfort her. So praise God for that! 


She's also becoming proficient with drinking out of cups and using sippy cups more throughout the day. She is super close to kicking formula all together, which I know that Tristan and I are looking forward to. Less money to be spent, and less weird, fake crap going in our daughter's tummy. All good things! 


Tristan and I are enjoying each other as much as ever- perhaps in a more exhausted and quiet way than normal, but we still manage to have fun together and go out and do things too. As you may or may not know, we're experiencing some plumbing issues as well as general household disarray- which I have realized is temporary, so I am not fighting it. One day, many moons from now, our house will be clean and decorated and prettied up- but we've made peace with it coming in baby steps. Right now, our energies are focused far more on raising some healthy, happy kids, loving and keeping up with each other, and maintaining our poor plants alive through this dry, dry weather. We are still discovering everyday what it means to be married and what it means to be parents and it's the most positive challenge we could ever hope to go through. 


We go in for our first ultrasound on Tuesday the 21st, and that is when we will be finding out if the little bean is a boy or a girl! We are so excited, and it looks like Gwen will be there too. She won't be able to remember this (more than likely) but it's going to be so cool to do this as a family. I think I might be a little farther along than my midwife thought, as not only can I feel the little babe move but so can Tristan. So, I'm thinking I am actually more like 6 months along, as I had previously suspected... but we'll find out on Tuesday! :) 


To all of you who read this and support us (and it means so much, even if it is from far away) thank you a hundred million times. We feel your love, prayers and positive thoughts each and every day! 

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

New Baby Jitters!

I am finding myself to be growing with excitement everyday as the baby gets bigger and bigger- moves more and more and that due date gets closer and closer... but there is a new feeling with this one! NERVOUSNESS. With Gwen, I wasn't nervous. I was super pumped up, I felt very ready and I truly had no reason to feel that way other than faith alone... at the time of her birth, we were being put up by some very wonderful and gracious friends, but we still did not have our house and we ended up moving in to a hotel shortly after that. There was no tangible stability in our lives, other than Tristan and I to each other, as a family unit at that point- we were living out of boxes and we were also still in the throws of "new married couple" dom. I don't mean to suggest that our heads were in the clouds, but as far as our roles in our marriage and figuring out how to best coerce each other, we were new.  We have learned A LOT since August 20, 2010. You want to really get to know someone, inside and out? Have a baby with them! Children unlock the most beautiful parts of a person. They also unlock some interesting over exhausted arguments, irrational and emotional too (for both parents) but if you sail through it, it's nothing but glue for a relationship.


So, now that I am really digging the Mommy thing and feeling confident about it, now that I have a home that I am building up and pouring love in to, now that Tristan and I are infinitely closer than we were a year ago- and I've seen what an awesome Daddy he is to Gwen, why am I so nervous about this one? Well, I have been working on identifying the reasons so that I can best prepare myself. I am also sharing this so I might be able to glean some wisdom from you more experienced Moms out there! And by all means, if your not a Mom but you are clever and have wonderful ideas, feel free to tell me what you think too. I'm open to any and all thoughts on this stuff!


Reasons!


1.Routines and I are new to each other...


   As I was lying awake last night, delving in to my swelling apprehension, I believe I have identified one of the main stresses. I have JUST finally managed to get Gwen, my family and I on a daily, basic schedule- for the first time in my entire life. Scheduling my day was not something that I was ever previously very great at, except in short term bursts. Now, I am finding I do actually have a knack for it, but I think because of this newness, I am concerned about the challenge of adding another life in need of scheduling. Subconsciously, I think I have been working out ways to make the day to day things easier- such as rearranging our closet space for easier maneuverability, keeping our room clean, only using a small basket so as not to let laundry pile up, rearranging, baby proofing, cooking meals ahead of time, etc. I think that as I increase the efficiency of our home, I will feel better about this... and it probably wouldn't hurt to let Tristan in on some of this, huh? :) How did you guys manage your routine after the arrival of new baby? What do you find works for you? 


2. My beloved little lion, the non-sleeper. :) 


   Those of you who have been around baby Gwen know that she is not a huge fan of sleeping. (Although, that is steadily getting better! We're napping every day now! And that 9:30 bed time is unwavering.) She is SO in to what is going on around her that she has a very difficult time shutting off to sleep. (And yes, she totally got this from me.) Since it has taken so much time to get her on to a good sleep schedule, I am concerned that when new baby gets here, she's going to decide to toss it out the window, or that she'll be unable to sleep if new baby is colicky or a loud crier. They won't be sharing rooms, and Gwen IS a pretty heavy sleeper... I know this is something I can't truly deal with unless it happens, but I still want to be prepared... does anyone have any advice on this? 


3. Me time!


   If you are reading this blog, you probably know me well enough to know that I am kind of terrible at carving out time for myself and sticking to it. (Part of that "bad at routine" thing.) Finally, at one of the busiest times of my life, I have managed to figure out a way to incorporate the artistic, analytical, physical and emotional needs I have in to some sort of set time apart from everything else. I am really terrified that will be something I completely lose grasp of when the new baby arrives. I guess that's just going to boil down to me digging my heels in about it, while being realistic at the same time...I know it will have to be put on hold (for the most part) for a couple months at least- but how do I keep that priority for myself?


4. Breast feeding





5. Recovery from Labor


   So many things are going to be different about this delivery, I don't know WHY I am even tackling this in my brain right now. Last time was in a hospital (which I wholly did not want) but it was as best of an experience as I likely could have had- minus in the end I was rushed and in my anxiety, I made the stupid decision of overriding my contractions and pushing Gwen out myself. She was fine through all of this, but it really did a number on my body, and threw my lower back, neck and hips completely out of whack. I can safely say that my recovery was about eight million times worse than labor. It was freaking awful- I mean, traumatic- and I managed to get a stomach virus two weeks after delivery too. Which ripped my couple remaining stitches from tearing...THAT was horrid. But there were so many contributing factors to that- I knew giving birth on my back was not going to be right for me, and it wasn't- but this time I am going to be in water and most of that back pressure will be relieved. My body will have done this once already, so the likelihood of the overall labor being easier is much better. During recovery, I won't be trying  let my husband sleep, sleep myself and nurse a baby in a single hotel room... there are a ton of things that are going to be different, and I am sure that it won't be nearly as stressful. Still, labor doesn't scare me- the recovery does. :/


Time for 5 things I am NOT worried about! :) A good way to counteract nervousness and concern, I have noted. 


1. Love!


   I am not worried or concerned about being capable and able to love little one as much as we do Gwen- nor am I worried about Gwen's affections for new baby. She is SO in to other kids and absolutely loves being around anybody and everybody- and doesn't get jealous as long as she still gets some attention and is allowed to be involved.  She is perfectly content to play by herself for a while too, except for on the rare days when she is all about being held. (Which usually means teething.) I think the relationship between big sister and little one will be natural and I think she'll take to it really well- that is, until they are old enough to start brawling. I am sure there will be impressive fight sequences and lots of time outs! :) 


2. Tristan


   Truly, I am not at all worried about his dedication to being a good husband and a good father. No doubt there will be some challenges that arise from sleep deprivation and aggravation from work, but we've come so far and have come through so much that I am hardly phased by this! (Feels SO amazing to say that.) He's going to continue to be an awesome Daddy! 


3. Finances


   Despite my concerns about breast feeding failure, I am truly unconcerned about managing our money. Both Tristan and I are pretty excellent at making a penny go a long way, and have already managed to save a TON of money on little Gwen. It will be a stretch at times, but I think everything will be just fine. We are the masters of tasty cheap meals! And being super crafty. 


4. Baby stuff


  NOT worried about having enough for new baby! Even if new baby is a boy (as we all suspect) Gwen was dressed in mostly unisex things as a newborn, and a lot of her clothes she has recently grown out of are boy appropriate too. Also, we have so many friends with babies and young kids, I know we won't be hurting for anything. :) Love you guys! 


5. Knowing What to Do


   Gwen was always an easy baby, although demanding, but she presented us with a wide array of challenges! Outside of a major illness or injury, she's put us through it all. :) So we've learned a lot! We know a million tricks on how to deal with teething, head bumps, rashes, cuts, bruises, stained clothing, huge poops and even peeing on furniture and car seats. Honestly, we loved learning the ropes with Gwen, (and continuing to) but it will be nice to not have to focus so much on what we are doing and if we are doing it right. 


So there you have it guys! A little insight in to my ever running prego brain. :) If you have any tips, advice through the grape vine, first hand experience stories, please comment! You all are the best and I love you. Thanks for reading this one! 

Thursday, June 9, 2011

New Chicken Recipe!

I came up with and cooked this last night- and it was super tasty! The only thing I didn't do quite right was I baked my chicken a little too long... but, other than that, it was SUPER yummy. 


Assemble...


. Glass baking dish
. 3 or 4 Chicken breasts
. 1 cup balsamic vinegar (I told you I was on a kick!) 
. 1 HUGE tomato
. A large handful of fresh Basil, chopped 
. 2 tablespoons of garlic powder 
. A pinch of salt and pepper
. Drizzle olive oil (or grape seed)
. Some parmesan cheese 


In a bag, Pour the garlic powder, balsamic vinegar and basil (save a small bit of basil for later, too!) in with the chicken breasts. Let those sit for at least a couple hours. (yuuummmm!)


When time is up, set your oven to 350 degrees and put your chicken and all the marinated juices in to the baking dish. Slice up your tomato and lay the slices on top of the chicken evenly, if at all possible. Sprinkle a tad of salt and pepper on top of the slices along with the rest of the fresh basil. To ensure that your tomato friends do not burn, drizzle a little bit of olive oil over them. Bake her up for 30 minutes to 1 hr, depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts. About half way through, dust the top of the whole dish with parmesan cheese! 


This would pair really well with a pasta salad, steamed veggies or a fresh salad and a glass of fruity white wine. Enjoy! 

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

All About Yesterday's Adventure!

The gang (Ann, Gabe, Declan, Gwen, Connor and I) all saddled up and FINALLY made it down to The Children's Museum in downtown Charleston. It was completely fabulous! I loved it fervently as an adult, but if I had been to that place when I was a kid, oh my god- good luck EVER getting me to leave! Here are some pictures.









   This place has a castle, a pirate ship, a water room- an awesome, open toddler area for little ones to rock out in their crawly cuteness- most of which is pictured here- but NOT pictured here is a room dedicated to physics, a wishing wall, and the most awesome art room EVER. (Conveniently located off of the castle- which, HAS A ROUND TABLE OF CAMELOT!) I'm a geek, I know. That art room is killer, though. 

  Being there reminded me of how much I depended on my imagination as a child, and how much I still do. My imagination (still) brings me so much joy. What did you LOVE to imagine when you were a kid? What do you love to imagine now? 

Yummy Summer Salad...

I have been eating this salad  for lunch a lot through this pregnancy- and I have found it to be surprisingly filling, very hydrating and (to me anyway) SUPER delicious. So here we go!


You will need...


1 peeled and sliced cucumber, unless you are sure no pesticides have been used on it than keep the peel *
1 tomato
1 ounce of mozzarella, chunked
Balsamic vinegar to taste
Fresh basil to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Drizzle olive oil


Okay, so...


Toss the sliced cucumber in to a bowl along with the tomatoes (also cut in slices) and add some salt and pepper. Then, toss in your fresh basil and mix well. Add that touch of olive oil at this point. Now, put the chopped mozzarella on top and stir in lightly- add the balsamic (just swirl it around once or twice in a very light drizzle, stuff goes a long way) and you are done! This goes great with just about anything honestly. Love this stuff! Super flavorful, packed with good stuff- and pretty light on the calories.


* It can be super hard to wash the pesticides off of cucumber peels- safer to just ditch them! And, at least in this salad, I think tastier too. 

Saturday, June 4, 2011

What to name her?

So, this is a piece I started a couple days ago... this part of the process is just about finished, so I will publish her here. (I was just reminded that facebook actually "owns" the images we post- and they can use any and all of them to their full discretion. I think from now on, I am going to post all of my images on sites where this is not the case!) 


Anyway, here she is- colored in. Once I get a large canvas- I am going to transfer her over and paint in her oils. But, for now, I really like this pen and pencil drawing. 




I wish I had some deep rooted meaning behind this... but the truth is that I really had very little interest in drawing her mouth this go round! Thus, and idea was born. Feel free to insert your own meaning! Out of curiosity- what do you get out of this image? I'd love to hear your feedback. 

Friday, June 3, 2011

Thank you for Being You



As a new Mom, I spend a lot of time reviewing what my goals as a parent are- loving my children wholly and teaching them how to love honestly and fully are among the top priorities- but as of late I have begun to examine those ideals in a brighter light. I want to help develop my child's brain, my child's body and my child's spirit as best as I can in these years of formation, to lead her in to a life of well living, and of course I wish the same for our second child... but what remains of parenting once they are no longer children, but adults, forming their own family and legacy? The love never vanishes- but what becomes that number one priority as the deep challenges in life commence and seldom cease?  


Too many parents try to make their children in to something from the moment they meet them- and I find it a horrible shame. I know a lot of grown adults who grew up with parents who meant very well, but smothered who their children were in the process- and this left them a bit lost as adults, or bitter and on a tyraid. A lot of my friends asked me if I would enroll Gwen in piano or violin lessons as soon as she was old enough. Other people asked Tristan if he would press her toward going in to a magnet school for art... it is an easy thing to fall in to, as you want your child to be well rounded and you want them to be knowledgeable, but in the end the motivation makes all the difference. Of course I'll have her in every music lesson imaginable- but only is she wants to. Art classes by the dozens? Absolutely- if she loves it naturally... Would I be delighted if Gwen became a killer musician- or my baby on the way? Would both Tristan and I swell with pride if one or both of them took up any of the arts? Yes, of course we would. But should they be wonderful athletes without a care in the world for the tune of a 16th century song, or a rattling guitar riff, I will not lament that. I will be just as proud. It is not my delight in what they excel in that is important when it comes to the life of my child- it is only that they excel in something and live out of it! I did/will birth them, but I only had a slight hand in their true creation- a greater magic in the hands of God is the force that put them in to being what they are, as they are. 


My delight in them should be in the importance of their being- no matter what their passions or purpose may be or not be. I hope to never fail them there. 


Perhaps the most imperative thing we can do for our children as they age and become fully developed human beings is to teach them how to know themselves, actively listen to themselves, trust themselves and how to delve in to their talents and their loves in life. Imagine if the great musicians did not become musicians at all, or the most awesome scientists abandoned their intellects for a career offering something else. Our imprints as mother's and father's are enormous, but before those babies are even born, they are indeed little, unique, beautiful people all their own. No two of us are the same! I am so thankful for that. 


A question- are you in touch with the importance of your being? 

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Birthday Bests!

Man, turning 23 was fantastic! Those of you who have been my friend for sometime will recall that my 21st was quite possibly the worst 21st birthday in history. (The summarized version being- water spilled on my friend and I and LEFT THERE, only two drinks all night at two different places, worst service imaginable, got pulled over, had to go to the hospital the next day with a busted cyst that kept me in bed for nearly two weeks solid.) Yeah, it was what one would call NOT fun. But this one... now, this one made up for it! And last year's was lovely as well. :) 


I have really wonderful friends who turned out to make this bash really special- thanks to Stephen and Amanda and their little Zoey, to Jason and Courtnay with Kimber, Ann and Gabe, my lovely, sexy hubby, and Tim and Anna with the wee Rebecca! And too Heather and Cassidy- who it was nice to meet. There was a little jamming, which did wonders for getting me back on that guitar and various other stringed friends- and some fantastic gifts. Tea, mango chutney, shortbread cookies and a spiral wound sketchbook were among them! Also, some maternity clothes and two awesome pieces of artwork from my semi-removed aunt Priscilla. Just awesome! 


Oh, and a thank you to my friends and family afar who left me the most awesome renditions of Happy Birthday on my answering machine. They were worth a million words. :)