Balance

Not one single update since Feb 9th! I am such a slacker. Well, not really, but things have been a bit crazy. There are so many things to say. Where do I begin....?
Long story short, 12 weeks of maternity leave, followed by 2 months of work, and now I'm back on maternity leave... permanently. What an emotional roller coaster. I was devastated when I had to return to work. Henry was 3 months old and I was terrified. It was a rough two or three weeks. I almost quit more than once, but I promised to give it one month. I'm glad I did because I realized that I did in fact want to be a working Mom. Henry transitioned nicely in daycare and I fell in love with his caregivers. I was finally comfortable. Finally some stability!!! Zac was set to be working on the new Shriner's hospital in STL for the next couple of years. One day he came home from work and told me that he no longer was going to be working on the hospital, but he was being sent to Osage Beach. What!? Where is that??? Lake of the Ozarks, he said. I freaked out. That was way too far. Turns out its only 2 hours from our driveway. Huge bonus, but still too far to commute. Separation with Henry is not an option. Not to mention the fact that we have been separated for almost our entire marriage. So I resigned from my job and we have officially relocated for 14-16 months. I honestly don't know how I feel about all of this. The word balance comes to mind. Although, I had decided I wanted to be a working Mom, I was not happy about the amount of time I was separated from Henry. I dropped him off at daycare at 6:30 AM and didn't pick him up until around 5PM. In short, it felt like his daycare caregivers were raising him. Even though I LOVED his daycare. It broke my heart. We only saw him for a little over an hour in the evening during the work week. That is just not ok. I realize that this is reality for so many families. Ideally, a part time job would bring the best of both worlds, but that is not always an option either. Child care, even part time is astronomical. I feel incredibly fortunate that Zac is able to financially support us so we can all be together. I am enjoying being home all day, but is has certainly been an adjustment. I just hope that I can provide Henry with exactly what he needs. I of course hope that my sanity stays in tact as well. I miss my friends so badly it hurts. I do feel a bit lonely here, but I know that its only temporary and this time with Henry is absolutely priceless. If we are going to be outside of STL for a year or so, this is certainly not a bad place to be. Here are a few pictures from our lake adventure thus far. We haven't had a chance to venture out much. We are in the middle of sleep training (will post about this later) and we're still adjusting. There's a lot to be done around the condo. We finally ordered couches. We are currently sitting on camping chairs. As we speak, I'm typing this post sitting on the floor, my computer is attached to the Ethernet cable. We forgot the wireless router. Ohhhh we forgot so much. Moving sucks, but I better get used to it I guess. I'm learning Zac's job equals travel. Sorry this was so long. Like I said, it has been a while. Hopefully now that I'm not working and will be getting more than 4-5 hours of sleep a night, I will have the energy once again to blog. Please read so I'm not doing this for nothing. Ha!

We're Officially Parents

Wow! It has been a while since I have looked or even thought about looking at my blog. One of the reasons I started this blog was mainly because I wanted to share our lives with family and friends and post stuff about food. I love food. Well, now I think I have something that I love more than food... Henry. Yes, he finally came! 1 week late on January 2nd. When he gets older we may have to raz him a bit on how we missed out on the 2012 tax deduction. Oh well ;)
Many of you know my birth story, so I will spare the specifics, but I had to be induced because little Henry was apparently too comfortable hibernating in my belly. I was three centimeters when they started the pitocin at noon. By 9:30 PM I was 9, almost 10 and it was time to push!
Well, that was an experience. Thank goodness for drugs. I pushed the "button" multiple times. I loved my epidural. LOVED it. I have nothing to prove. I'm still a tough mama even though I didn't do it all natural.
I pushed for over an hour when Henry's heart rate started to drop. Additionally, he was face up instead of face down. Way to go Henry... ; ) My doc decided that we needed to do a c-section. I was now living my worst nightmare. I have never been in the hospital let alone had surgery...EVER.
I was TERRIFIED. Luckily, I have the most amazing doctor in the entire world. I began the journey to the OR with some serious tears and arrived with dry eyes and an attitude that I could do this.
God, she is a blessing. Zac was nothing short of amazing. He kept telling me I was strong and that I could do it. He was right. I could do it. They cut me at 11:25 and Henry was out by 11:28. The cord was wrapped around his neck, so either way I would have ended up having a c-section. My doctor spared me MULTIPLE hours of pushing with no result and I appreciate that. A lot of people have been telling me that I need to mourn the loss of my "ideal birth" There's no such thing. The ideal birth is our son entering the world 100% healthy. End of story. And really...I was able to experience both. I pushed for a while before they told me to stop. The ONLY thing that makes me sad to this day is that I was not able to see him for around 30 minutes after he came out. That felt like an eternity. I did get to hold him while they were wheeling me into recovery. He hasn't left my side since.

 

So cute, even fresh out of the womb.

 

 

Wow, I look stunning... hehe and look at him sucking on his hand. He was ready to eat the second he came out! What a chunker.

 

 

After the 5 days in the hospital, we ventured home. Some days I miss the hospital. They took such good care of us and Henry. It was "easy" in the hospital, with the exception of the pain from recovering. I cried everyday the first few weeks. Probably more than Henry. No one can truly prepare you for how hard it is to take care of a newborn baby. They do not come with instruction manuals. I wish they did... luckily my mom was here for a week taking care of me and helping Zac and I with Henry. Kris (my mother in law) came the following week and helped as well. We were incredibly lucky. Zac was able to stay home with us for 4 weeks! I'm not going to lie...that spoiled me. The first week he went back to work was rough. I didn't like taking care of Henry by myself, but now I have started to adjust. I feel like it took a solid 5 weeks for me to feel more comfortable and actually feel like I am getting the hang of this parenting thing. I'm gaining more and more confidence everyday and I think that helps so much. Henry and I go back to the hospital twice a week and attend mommy group as well as a breast feeding support group. That has helped a lot too. He LOVES going to class and I have been able to receive a ton of support and knowledge from these groups.

That's another thing. NO ONE prepares you for how difficult breast feeding is. I wanted to quit everyday for several weeks. Now, I feel like I have settled into my role as the milk cow.

Right now our issue is the bottle. He won't take it. Why would he?!? The boob is the best. One of the reasons breastfeeding, well feeding in general has been so stressful is reflux. Henry has severe refulx, but we started him on Zantac and he is a completely different baby. If you suspect your baby has refulx, make sure you let your doctor know and if they say no, to the medicine. Fight for it. Its totally worth it. He went from screaming in pain every single day to being happy. It hurt my heart everyday to see him in so much pain. On a happier note...Henry is sleeping wonderfully at night and has since day one. He gets up once usually between 2 and 3AM and then sleeps again until around 6 or 7. We are really really blessed on that end of the spectrum. I can't imagine what it would be like to be really sleep deprived like most parents. Don't get me wrong, we are tired, but we fully recognize that we could have it much much worse.

Henry fights naps a bit during the day, but I'm usually able to get two solid two or 3 hour naps out of him. One in the morning and one in the late afternoon. I have been using Baby Lite. A wonderful app on the iPad that helps me coordinate his eat, sleep, poop schedule. Many people told me not to put a newborn on a schedule. Umm yeah, sorry. These people don't know me. I need schedules. I need structure and I totally believe that Henry does too. Children, even babies like and and need structure. In my opinion, it helps them feel more secure. Being adaptable is important too, and I fully recognize that, so I need to work on deviating from the schedule once and a while without freaking out.

I plan to post a TON so family and friends from afar can catch up with Henry's happenings, but as you other parents know. It can be next to impossible to get anything done. I promise to do my best. 

I'm going to enjoy the next half hour or so while Henry is napping just doing nothing. I forgot how enjoyable it can be to just do nothing.

 

PS: Henry is 5 weeks old today. He will be six on Wednesday of next week and is currently 11 lbs. He's in the 75th percentile for height and weight.  He's going to be huge :)

 

I snapped this picture when he turned one month and plan to use the calendar each month. I think its a cute idea (thank you Pinterest) It might be harder once he is mobile. Hmm... didn't think that one through too well. Hopefully I will be able to get him to stay on the calendar. I'm sure we can figure something out.

 



Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

Thank you Pinterest and Bakerella!!! Whoa baby, this pie is amazing. Super easy and it made for a great dessert tonight. Hopefully I can just force Henry out with food.

This recipe is courtesy of Bakerella.

Ingredients:
1 unbaked 9 inch deep dish pie shell ( I used Schnucks brand) located in the freeze isle
2 large eggs
1/2 C flour
1/2 C granulated sugar
1/2 C brown sugar
3/4 C softened butter
1 C semi sweet chocolate chips
1 C chopped pecans

Directions:
Thaw pie crust and poke holes with a fork into the crust so it doesn't bubble up while baking
Preheat oven to 325
Beat eggs in a the mixer until foamy
Beat in flour, sugar, and brown sugar
Beat in butter
Stir in chocolate and pecans
Pour mixture into pie shell
Bake for 55-60 minutes
If you notice the top getting dark, cover with foil and resume baking
Cool on a wire rack, but serve warm with a scoop of ice cream

YUM YUM YUM!!!!

41 Weeks?!

Well, I guess its no secret that Henry did not arrive on his due date. That's ok, but the question is...when is he going to arrive!? I cannot even begin to explain how ready we are for this to be over as we are getting ready to embark on week 41. I am really uncomfortable and REALLY ANXIOUS to meet our baby boy! We are dying to see what he looks like. I have been trying to move, but I get sore pretty easily. I have been pushing myself- I promise. My mom and I went on a all day shopping spree the other day and I just spent 3 plus hours in the kitchen. Hell, I even washed and dried the dishes by hand so I could stay on my feet. Henry is just not ready to come out. I have accepted it, but I hope that he comes soon. If anything...we are getting bored. Everyone keeps saying to enjoy the peace and quiet while we can. I know someday we will look back and remember this moment and wish it had lasted longer, but now we are ready for it to be over. Zac was just ragging on me for not updating my blog enough so I figured I should post an update and a few recipes since I'm bored and all. Plus...maybe talking about it will make it happen??? Perhaps?

Anyway, here are some photos and recipes from tonight's dinner :)

 

Creamy Chicken with Wild Rice Soup

 

4.5 Cups chicken broth

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 package Rice-a-Roni long grain and wild rice

1/2 t salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 all purpose flour

1/2 C butter

2 Cups half and half- you can use fat free if you want to reduce calories

1 C grated carrots- I just buy the shredded bag and then use the left overs for salads

1 C diced celery

1 C diced onion

1 to 2 garlic cloves

 

Poach chicken breasts in water until cooked (or you can use a rotisserie chicken) allow them to cool and then shred with a fork-season with salt and pepper and set aside.

 

Saute veggies in 1T of butter until cooked, but don't over do it. I like a little crunch to my veggies- set aside.

 

Cook rice according to package instructions- set aside.

 

In a stock pot melt 1/2 C butter (1 stick) and add the flour. Cook for a few minutes to remove the raw taste. This is the roux that will eventually thicken your soup. Slowly whisk in the 2 cups of half and half. Whisk over medium heat until it thickens.

 

Add the chicken broth, chicken, veggies, and rice. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes or so. You want all the flavors to meld together.

 

This soup is absolutely delicious and will make 6-8 servings. If you want to bulk it up a bit, you can make two boxes of rice instead of just one. I actually ended up doing that for hubs because he LOVES wild rice.

 

Enjoy!

39 Weeks

Warning- bare belly photo. I haven't taken any of those up to this point, but I figured that one day I might want one to look back and see what I looked like...don't fret, its tasteful.
For starters, let me preface this post by saying that I hope this is my LAST baby bump photo shoot. (I'm sure Zac feels the same) It can't be easy taking 20 plus pictures of me with a chalkboard until I find one that I can tolerate. I have mentioned before that I feel so blessed to have had such an easy going pregnancy. Trust me.... with that being said though, I am soooo ready to be done. First and foremost because Zac and I want to meet our son. In addition to that------> I hurt. My body just hurts. I don't know any other way to explain it. I don't want to go on and on with complaints that I know other mothers out there are familiar with, but I will just simply state that I am sick and tired of being pregnant. The End.

Here are some pictures that we snapped today...as mentioned earlier, hopefully these are the last ;)

Caramel Corn

Last year for Christmas Jace and Andrea bought us a Whirly Pop from Crate and Barell. I use it all of the time. Soooo much better for you than the microwave stuff. Its a lot of fun to create custom seasonings and flavors and it tasted a million times better. Last night I thought I would try a sweet version so I decided to make caramel corn. I started by popping 2 cups of kernels. I always save my large paper brown Trader Joes bags, so when I was done I emptied the Whirly Pop into a bag. On the stove I brought to a boil: 2 sticks of butter, 2 cups of brown sugar, and a 1/2 C light corn syrup. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1t of vanilla and 1/2t of baking soda. Pour mixture over popped popcorn. Then shake, shake, shake! Pour onto a couple of pans and throw in the oven at 225 for 1 hour. You should take it out and stir once every 15 minutes. Trust me- it is totally worth it. Once you remove from the oven spread it out on wax paper to dry.

Nursery

We started working on the nursery this summer and I'm sooooooo glad we did. My advice to future moms... do stuff while you feel good! I'm not much of a waiting til the last minute type of person anyway, but I'm really glad we did so much so early. I'm pretty uncomfortable and I can't imagine having to work on the room at this point. Overall I'm happy with the way it turned out. There are a few photo frames left to fill and some that still need to be hung on the wall, but other than that...we are ready for Henry! The inspiration for his room mostly came from Pinterest and my love of giraffes. I knew I wanted to do grey and mustard. We left the walls alone as they were already painted a light blue color. I will admit that the walls would look better grey, but the thought of repainting ANOTHER room in our house was too much to deal with...so we went with it.
I wish there were some more mustard accents, but oh well. I like that its eclectic and many of the items were homemade.

The crib is from WalMart and the sheets are from Pottery Barn

The little side tables were already in the guest room being used as night stands. We spray painted one expresso to match the white and brown crib.

 

This griaffe came from a consignment shop for $25



The book/toy shelf is from IKEA



 

The glider is from WalMart as well

 

The lamp was $12 from Target and I stenciled some grey and blue paint designs onto the plain white shade.

 

 

The changing station came from WalMart and it is FULL of diapers and clothing

 

These cute chevron giraffe prints came from Etsy : )

 

This came from Etsy as well. I LOVE it

 

I'm hoping this will develop into more of a gallery wall eventually as I find more things I like and want to hang on the wall. The H on the left was made by me. The middle square is canvas wrapped in scrapbook paper. The top frame is simply filled with scrapbook paper and the bottom frame will evetually have a photo of baby Henry in it. 

 

The closet...

 

I tried to organize it as much as possible.



 

The mirror was on clearance at Target, originally colored white, and I just spray painted it bronze.