Cody vs the Skunk

Well, my biggest fear (besides a coyote of course) has been realized.  We had been seeing this skunk around  the neighborhood and had a run-in with it in the backyard once before.

A couple weeks ago, Cody woke me up barking because he needed to go out.  It was 3am and although this is super annoying, it's not uncommon for him. Long story short, he got sprayed.  It could have been worse.  I pulled him into the house as soon as I realized there was a skunk.  In the morning, I called his groomer and she said no tomato juice.  Just mix peroxide, baking soda, Dawn dish soap and water together and bathe him in it.   This mixture was a lot less messy than tomato juice and got the smell completely out.  I scrubbed him and left it on for maybe 2-5 minutes, rinsed and the smell was completely gone!

German Nivea

I've been hearing about German Nivea for a few months now.  The rumor is that it is basically the same recipe as Creme de la Mer.  I compared the ingredients and it is very similar but it's not exactly the same.  The reason that it has to be German is that, apparently, America puts things in their products that are banned elsewhere.  America uses petroleum in skin care products all the time, which is, I am told, bad for our skin.  Anyway, I figured why not try it since it is seriously cheap.  This huge tin, I think 13.5 ounces was $15 on Amazon.com.  So far I really like it.  It smells great and is really thick and moisturizing.  I have somewhat dry skin so someone with oily skin might hate it.  

Pineapple

I think it's so funny how food can be trendy.  I understand how healthy "superfoods" come and go in trends but fruit, really?  Pineapple is having it's moment right now.  It's all over fashion and parties.  Pineapple themed this and that.  A little while ago it was lemons. Anyway just to jump on board, I bought an Old Navy tank with gold pineapples on it and we are having a Hawaiian luau themed 1st birthday for Blake (Kyle's idea BTW).

I love this presentation for pineapple.  My step mom has been doing it for years and I tried it today and it was surprisingly really easy.  I might even try doing a bunch for Blake's birthday party.  Then again maybe not.  We'll see...

Lactation Shake

Peanut Butter Banana Lactation Smoothie: healthier than eating lactation cookies :)

• Protein Powder (I use vanilla)
• 1 banana
• splash of milk
• Chia Seeds (because they are a superfood and I put them in everything these days)
• Scoop of Peanut Butter
• 1/2 tbs flax seed meal (soak in water for a few minutes before to soften)
• 1/2 tbs. brewers yeast
• ice

You don't have to do peanut butter banana but this flavor is sweet and can cover up the bitterness of the brewers yeast.  I might try a fruity or green shake next.  Protein, flax seed meal, and brewers yeast are the important ingredients for lactation.  

Today I also heard that coconut oil and grass feed butter (whatever that is) are also good and some people put them in coffee (decaf).  There are so many home remedies for low milk supply out there and who knows if they really work but I have pretty much tried them all and now have a really great supply so I will keep doing what I'm doing. 

Healthy Banana "Ice Cream"

I have been seeing this around the internet a lot and decided to give it a try.  Hopefully I will be able to fool Blake with it for a little while at least.  It is actually really good and a great alternative to actual ice cream since I'm trying to be a little more healthy post baby.

All you have to do is slice some bananas and freeze them.

Put them in a blender or food processor.  I added a scoop of peanut butter.

The bananas will start to look crumbly and you have to scrape the sides and blend a few times.

Eventually it will look smooth.  It takes about ten minutes.

Re-freeze the smooth soft serve-like bananas, scoop and enjoy :)

Three bananas made 2 portions

  Mmmm delicious!

Breastfeeding Must Haves and Update for Month 2

Must haves:

• Boppy or My Brest Friend 

Boppy

My Brest Friend

They both have positives and I was fortunate enough to have both that were loaned/handed down to me.  The Brest Friend was my favorite in the beginning.  It's very sturdy and comfy.  It's great when you and baby are learning to breast feed.  The Boppy is more compact and has really cute slipcovers.  I got one at Pottery Barn Kids that matches my nursery.  They are both useful but I like the Brest Friend in the beginning and the Boppy later.  Now I really don't even need a pillow when I feed her.

• Lanolin

Let's face it, you can't always expect to have a perfect latch right from the beginning.  Lactation consultants will tell you that you should not have any pain if you are doing it right but learning to breast feed takes work and you can get sore the very first day of trying.  Using the lanolin can save your nipples from some serious irritation that can make a huge difference in sticking with breast feeding or giving up.  Also, I don't care how good your latch is, all that feeding and pumping is just not something your tender skin is used to in the beginning.  

Take in your hospital bag and use it the very first day :) It won't hurt the baby and is totally fine for them to get in their mouth.  I don't think the brand matters as long as it's pure lanolin.  

• Nursing Pads

Disposable

Washable

Again, I have both.  The washable are easier on sensitive skin and are obviously more economical because you use them over and over.  In the beginning when your milk supply is still getting regulated you may leak a lot.  The washable pads will probably leak through.  They work better later on when there's only minimal leakage.  Some people don't need these but I always use one or the other because I don't want to get caught in a situation with leaking milk spots on the front of my shirt ;) 

• Snacks and water

In the beginning, breast feeding made me really hungry and thirsty.  Also, once I sat down for an hour long nursing session with my newborn, it was hard to get up to get something to eat or drink.  I kept a basket next to the place I choose to nurse with snack bars and a water bottle, along with lanolin, nursing pads, and anything else I would need.  

• Fenugreek

Fenugreek is a supplement that helps increase milk supply.  I use the More Milk Plus which has some additional herbs in it to help with let down and other things.  It is crazy expensive but I was obsessed with my supply when I was having some trouble with breast feeding so I thought it was worth it.  Just plain fenugreek also works and is more reasonably priced.  

• Breast Pump

  

  The Medela pump is awesome and insurance now has to cover it for you.  Thanks for the breast pump Obama.

  Pumping after feeding and in the middle of the night if baby sleeps through really helps increase supply but consider this a full time job for a while.  It sucks but can make a HUGE difference.

• Bottle Brush
  
  A bottle brush can save time with all of the cleaning of bottles and pump accessories.

• Dr. Brown's bottles
  
  They have the slowest nipples and really make the baby work for the milk, which is the most similar to feeding at the breast.

• Another huge tip that I didn't learn until later on was if you are going to be pumping all day, just stick the whole bottle and parts in the fridge in between pumping and pull out and reuse each time.  Clean them all thoroughly at the end of the day but you don't necessarily have to clean everything each time.  This will keep you from going crazy.  Make sure to have clean hands when pumping or feeding baby.  Once you've experienced Mastitis you will know you can never be too cautious:)

Some other really helpful things that can make all the difference in breast feeding:

• Supportive husband/partner and family
• Taking classes while still pregnant- education is so important 
• A good lactation consultant- or 2 if necessary
• A good book on breastfeeding- again, the more you know the better
• A positive and relaxed attitude- it's really easy to freak out in the beginning but you have to be confident, trust your instincts, know that what your doing is best for baby and that it will eventually work out in the end if you're patient.

Also, some say these are myths/old wives tales but steel cut oatmeal, beer, lactation cookies, a little alcohol (to relax you) can all help increase supply.  Stress is a major negative but really hard to control (especially for me) so a glass of wine once and a while can help.  I did all of these things and I really increased my supply so who knows which really did the trick. 

My update:

Blake had a couple of weeks where her weight gain really slowed.  She never lost any weight but she was barely gaining.  I think it was my supply (from Mastitis) but I started to get really frustrated and stressed.  My lactation consultant suggested we see our doctor at this point and she didn't have any more suggestions.  I felt I needed a different perspective.  A friend recommended Kay Gregg who just happened to be really close to my house.  She's a lactation consultant but with a different method.  It was great to get to see two different ways of doing things.  They were both valuable but Kay's way of doing things was really what we needed at that time.  She was calm and relaxed and got me back on track.  She has a grandmother-ish sweetness and calmed my anxieties.  I never had to see the doc or supplement with formula and Blake got an A+ at our 2 month well child doctor's appointment.  

Cloth Diapering

Cloth Diapering is easy.  People told me I was crazy to even try this and that it would be so hard but really it's not.  It's not disgusting either.  It's fun and the diapers are super cute!

Here are my tips from what I've learned so far: 

• Wait until you are ready to start.  Newborns have skinny legs and they go through 10-12 diapers a day.  I started slow when she was about 3 weeks with only a few a day until I was eventually using all cloth.
• Double up the inserts at night if your baby sleeps through the night.
• Make sure everything is tucked inside and the leg holes are snug to avoid leaks.
• Leaks and blowouts happen in all kinds of diapers but I've had less in cloth than disposables ("sposies" to the cloth diapering mommas).
• Baby can feel when they are wet so change often. This will be helpful for potty training and I personally think it's fine since I would never let Blake just sit around in a dirty diaper.
• It's ok to use disposables and cloth.  They call it a hybrid approach but you might find, like me, that sticking to one is just easier.
• I keep some disposables around in case I am not able to get to the laundry in time but I rarely use them.
• I started with 24 Sunbaby pocket diapers, size 2.  They are the cheapest by far and I just ordered 12 more.  So far I have spent about $200 for diapers which is not too bad.
• We have never had diaper rash but I use Aquaphor on her every once and a while to prevent it.
• I have noticed less redness with the cloth diapers, she has very sensitive skin.
• I wash with All Free and Clear detergent in hot water and dry in dryer on low heat (to try to save the elastic).
• I line dry in the sun if they are stained but it doesn't happen too often.  If you want them to last longer I'm sure line drying every time is better for them but who has time for that.  I'm always washing last minute because I'm about to run out :)
• While baby is under 6 months and is exclusively breastfed, there is no need to dump out or spray off poop.  Just throw the whole thing into your diaper pail and when it's full you throw the whole thing, bag included, into the wash.  The inserts will come out in the wash and I re-stuff when they are dry before I put them away so they are ready to use at all times.   When they are on solids, the poop changes and you need to clean them out a little bit first.  I'm not sure about formula but I'm sure the poop is similar to breast milk.  It just disintegrates in the wash.  There is no smell and the washer is fine.  
• Use cloth wipes.  It's just easier to throw it all in the same diaper pail and wash it all.  I use baby wash cloths and squirt a little baby wipe solution (that I make) on them.  The solution is the same as for my homemade baby wipes but I put it in a squirt bottle.  It's the one from the hospital and anyone who has given birth will know what bottle I'm talking about.  Yay for recycling :)

Lactation Cookies

 I know, I'm in need of new baking sheets :)

The recipe makes a lot of cookie dough so I bake half and wrap the other half in waxed paper and put in the freezer to bake later.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons flax seed meal
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups oats
1 cup chocolate chips
2 -4 tablespoons brewer's yeast ( I use 3tbs.  It is a little bitter and can change the taste of the cookies so I don't do 4 but I want the benefits of the yeast so I can tolerate a little bitter taste)

Directions:

1 Preheat oven to 350°.
2 Mix the flaxseed meal and water and let sit for 3-5 minutes.
3 Beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar well.
4 Add eggs and mix well.
5 Add flaxseed mix and vanilla, beat well.
6 Sift together flour, brewers yeast, baking soda, and salt.
7 Add dry ingredients to butter mix.
8 Stir in oats and chips.
9 Scoop onto baking sheet.
10 Bake for 12 minutes.
11 Let set for a couple minutes then remove from tray.

*recipe from food.com

Variation:  Next time I might try a little cinnamon and raisins instead of chocolate chips to switch it up a little.  All that really matters is that you have the 3 important ingredients for lactation: the flax seed meal, oats, and brewer's yeast.

Blake Olivia: 1 month

What's been happening this month:

• I have been off work for a month and we have had tons of quality time which has been great.
• Blake had her first bottle and she did great.  She took to it right away and had no nipple confusion.
• She has been consistently gaining weight, which is good, but not as quickly as we would like.  I'm really working on fattening her up. (8lb. 11oz. on day 32)
• She lost her umbilical cord scab at day 6.
• She started to cry real tears at 2 weeks but luckily for me it's only when she is crying really hard, which isn't very often.
• We have been working on getting her used to tummy time but she still really hates it.
• We have started to create a bedtime ritual which includes bath time, story time, and a baby massage.
• We started cloth diapering.  I don't do it exclusively yet but more to come on that in a future post on cloth diapering.  She has started blowing out the NB diapers so I think it's time to move up a size.
• We have been out to dinner 3 times and been on multiple outings to grandma's, friend's houses, and the beach for walks.
• Blake's puppy brother is adjusting better than I thought he would but he still has work to do.  He's terrible when we have visitors (so overprotective) and needs to work on being gentle.  
• We have had quite a few sleepless nights but most nights we get one 4 hr stretch followed by two 2 hour stretches which is enough for me.
• Blake is starting to like her swing ad she loves being in the Ergo Baby.

What I've learned so far:

• Be patient.  It takes time to figure things out like diapering, dressing, bathing, soothing, burping, feeding, etc etc etc.
• Wait to cut nails until about 2 weeks old because they will be firmer and it's easier.  File and use mittens until then. I did this and then still nicked her thumb once.  She cried for about 30 seconds and I cried for about 2 hours.  The good news is, she won't remember it but I was still traumatized.
• About every 3 or 4 diaper changes put some Aquaphor on her bum (and other areas that could get irritated).  It helps prevent diaper rash.  She got a tiny bit red and doing this fixed it right away. 
• Poop stains!!  The sun will magically take care of this if you dry the stained item in the sun.  It seriously works like magic.
• The booger sucker (bulb syringe) is your best friend.  Along with saline drops.  Around 2 or 3 weeks old, Blake started getting huge boogers that blocked her nostrils and she sounded like a Pug trying to breathe. 
• Breastfeeding is hard.  It's a huge commitment and takes a lot of learning, for both you and the baby.  Stick with it because it gets easier and is totally worth it.  Also, yes it literally takes all your time in the beginning and that's normal.  Don't let people tell you different or make you feel guilty because you're hogging the baby.
• Let Down feels like "pins and needles" for me.  It doesn't hurt, it's just like my boobs fell asleep.  People kept telling me I would be able to feel it but it took awhile to recognize  
• Infant gas drops really help with her fussiness and spitting up.  Also feeding her semi-upright and holding her upright for about 20 min after eating helps with spitting up and gas.
• Take the 1st month and do nothing but bond with your baby and husband.  You will not regret taking advantage of this special time with your family. Especially if you're like me and have to go back to work now :( 
• Enjoy this time because, as cliche as this sounds, it goes by so fast.

A friend of mine calls this the 4th trimester.  I LOVE that :)

Homemade Baby Wipes

This is really quick and easy.  Even for a new, first time mom like me.  I made them in the first week I was home.  The only thing you have to watch out for is, due to the fact that these are all natural with no preservatives, they can mold.  This really isn't a problem considering that you go through a batch of them in about a week.  Just don't make multiple batches and store for later.

I love these wipes.  When we brought Blake home I used Pampers wipes.  I was paranoid about diaper rash and I did notice her skin was a little irritated.  I don't know if that was just a normal newborn thing and normal new mom obsessiveness but when I switched over to my homemade wipes, which are really moisturizing, her skin looked way better.

All you have to do is mix the water, coconut oil, and baby wash together in a bowl.  The coconut oil is solid at room temp but has a really low melting point.  Making these in September in southern California, my coconut oil was already in a liquid state but if yours isn't, just use water that is a little warm and it will melt.

Cut a roll of Bounty Select-A-Size** paper towels in half.  It can be a little bit messy and use a big serrated knife.  Save the other half for the next batch.
**You must use Bounty.  Other paper towels will fall apart.

Stick the half roll of paper towels in the bowl of liquid and let it soak it up.  I turn it over once all the liquid is absorbed and let gravity do the rest.  In about an hour it will be all absorbed and you can pull out the cardboard center.  Put in an old wipe box or container of your choosing and pull from the center to dispense.

I made a sticker label to cover the Pampers label and done and done.  So easy :)

Nursery 2

 The shelves for Blake's library are spice racks from Ikea that I spray painted white.

Simplifying My Routine

Ok so a few months ago, based on the advice of a friend, I changed up my skincare routine.  She told me that all she ever uses is Dove Sensitive Skin bar soap on her face.  We both have combo skin that tends to be dry.  I personally hate the feeling of dry skin but I have always used a cleanser designated for the face like Neutrogena because I was afraid of acne.  My skin always feels dry after a shower so I just moisturize immediately.  She claimed that this bar soap left her skin soft and never dry.  I was skeptical but I figured I would give it a try and if it worked out, I would end up saving money.  Also, I happened to already use Dove Sensitive Skin body wash so I had it in my shower.  It was just too convenient not to try it.

My new routine is Dove with my Olay Pro X once a day, which leaves my skin feeling amazing, I mean I noticed it the very first time I used it.  And then just the Dove if I need to wash my face again that day (I don't like to overdo exfoliation).  I have had literally NO breakouts and my skin tone is becoming more even.  It might be in my head but I feel like my pores are smaller too.  I waited to post about it until after I had been doing it a while to make sure the results were accurate and I am proud to say that this is my new way of life.  I love it.  It's so much cheaper and easier to be all-in-one now.  If only I could wash my hair with it...

New Beauty Ritual

Beauty products are so expensive and I've tried many and I never get the result my hard earned money deserves.  Lately I have been looking for an alternative.  I searched my pantry and decided to experiment.  I know that sugar is a great exfoliant, I've read on Pinterest that a lot of people use coconut oil as a moisturizer, and I've always known that lemon can be a skin brightener (aka can fade dark spots and freckles).  I was a little afraid to use lemon on my face as I have heard that it will work but can get worse if you don't use sunscreen forever after.  Well, at my age I never go without sunscreen on my face anyway so I decided it was worth a try.  

I just threw the ingredients together but an estimated recipe is: 

• The juice of one lemon
• 3-4 tbs of coconut oil
• 1 cup of white sugar

I mixed them together in a ziplock because the coconut oil is solid at room temp but your hands can easily melt it.  I just kneaded the ingredients together in the bag and tossed it into my shower to use.

I have been doing this for about a week and my skin feels really soft.  Especially in the dry winter weather.  I have not had problems with any breakouts but it's really hard to tell if my skin looks brighter.  I should have taken a before picture but I didn't.  Overall, I am happy with the way my skin feels.

Portion Control

This is something I really struggle with.  I love food and I love to eat.  But...I have been packing on the pounds in record time since I have gone off my ADHD medicine.  It's really getting out of my control and I'm starting to freak out.   So, I'm going to try it the old fashioned way--diet and exercise.     

I decided that portion control might help since I really eat pretty healthy already.  

It turns out that the serving size for Grape Nuts, which I eat just about everyday, is 1/2 a cup.

I probably had triple that in my bowl.  Oops.

Below is what the actual serving of Grape Nuts should look like.

It looks a little sad but honestly I was just as satisfied in the end from the smaller bowl of cereal.

Lesson Learned :)

Side-by-side comparison:

Cleaning with Baking Soda

Well my mom took back her good camera so I'm stuck with my old point-and-shoot for a while.  My picture quality will be less than stellar but oh well...

I might have to ask Santa for a fancy camera.

Anyway I got stainless steel pots and pans as a wedding gift and although I love them, keeping them clean is a little bit harder than when I had cheap non-stick pans.  I have been getting black stains on them that won't come off no matter how hard I scrub.  I can get them clean enough to cook with but I want them looking new again.  I tried several methods but here's what, in the end, worked the best.

Step 1:
Soak pan in warm soapy water.

Step 2:
Boil the soapy water for 10 minutes.

Step 3:
Let cool to the touch and then scrub with non-abrasive (I use plastic) scrubber pad.

Step 4:
To get that brand new look back in your pans, sprinkle the wet pan with baking soda and scrub with the scrubber side of a sponge.  Rinse with water and the pan should look like new again :)

While we are on the subject of baking soda...
I recently had a incident with the dog secretly marking some areas of our carpet over in front of the TV.  I have no idea why he decided to do this but apparently we missed it and as the weather started heating up the smell started coming out.  Let me tell you it was dis-gusting!!  I tried everything to get the smell out.  Eventually I ended up thinking we could never have people over again because our house will reek of urine forever!

My mom suggested baking soda so it was my last effort before having to call in professional carpet cleaners.  I waited for the carpet to dry completely (from all of my other cleaning efforts) and sprinkled it with baking soda.  I used a lot actually because I was desperate.  I rubbed it in also.  I waited about an hour and then vacuumed it up.  It was a MIRACLE!!  No more smell :)