The Rest of The Month of Being Thankful

Turns out posting every day is hard. Really hard. But I did manage to keep in the notes section of my new Iphone 4s (yes I feel cool) a list of the days I didn't get to post about. And although it's December (scratch that - January) now - I wanted to post it - for prosperity sake, to follow through with something I said I was going to do, and as an attempt to keep on track and continue posting through the holiday season and into the new year. So - the ones I left out ....

Day Thirteen of Being Thankful
Today I'm thankful for my job. As the Director of Meetings for an association I get to meet and work with some incredible people. Today is the start of our second largest conference of the year. I'm away from my family and staying in Bethesda, Md for the Government Contract Management Conference. Today is one of my favorite days - it's set up day! Our general session AV (audiovisual) is loading in, my exhibit hall is being set up by the decorator and exhibitors are moving in, we've opened registration but it's not a mad rush yet, I've got two or three smaller meetings going on all day and tonight we have the Board dinner. Here's to another great conference.

Day Fourteen of Being Thankful
Today I'm thankful for old friends. Tonight I got to have dinner with a friend who's moved up to Boston at a place I've been dying to go - Founding Farmers. It was great to catch up with an old friend who I met when I first moved to the DC area back in August of 2000. She and I were young, foolish, single and a found plenty of trouble back then. Now we both have toddlers, go to bed before 10 and complain about our kids eating habits or lack there of. I wouldn't change it for the world.

Day Fifteen of Being Thankful
Today I'm thankful to work with vendors and clients who make things happen. As our conference started to load out today we had some parking issues and security issues on the loading dock. Two of my vendors worked together to make sure the event loaded out smoothly and no one got upset. It was the perfect ending to a great conference. One more small day tomorrow then we're home free.

Day Sixteen of Being Thankful
 Today I'm thankful I can nap. After arriving home from my meeting, I took a nice,warm,  long, under the covers 3 hour nap. Feeling rested and ready for the holidays now.

Day Seventeen of Being Thankful
Today I am thankful for my thirty-five minute commute home. Its my time. I can listen to music, I can listen to NPR, I can debrief from my day at work and try to release the stress before I get home. Or, I can call old friends and catch up with correspondence. Most times I'm calling friends. One of my best friends from college (note - we also went to high school together) recently moved to Arizona. Before the cross-country move, we used to talk EVERY SINGLE morning on our commutes to work. She was living in Charlotte then and that whole same time zone thing made it so convenient to chat every day. I realize now I took that call for granted. It was routine. Now that it's gone, I miss it and I didn't realize how much until tonight when I called her on my way home. We chatted briefly about our children and our husbands and our families but mostly we just talked about each other.

Day Eighteen of Being Thankful
Today I'm thankful for Country Music. The lyrics, the guitars and the fun, easy to relate to melodies. As we dance around our kitchen tonight with our daughter laughing and trying to kiss the dog, drink his water and get us to jump with her we listen to a whole wide variety of country music - old and new but loved by me all the same. 


Day Nineteen of Being Thankful
Today I'm thankful for our small town. We love our local farmers market and it's become as much a social outing as a chance to buy food, cheese, meats, greens, salsa, pickles, etc.

Day Twenty-One of Being Thankful
Today I am thankful for the church we've found in Purcellville. St. Peter's Episcopal has become our home and the friends and family we have there mean so much to us. We are anxious to become more involved.

Day Twenty-Two of Being Thankful

Today I'm thankful for new friends. More specifically new friends with Chickens. I spent Sunday (November 20) with our new friends the Robinsons - killing, defeathering (is that a word), and butchering something like 13 birds. It was quite an experience.  


Day Twenty-Three of Being Thankful
Today I'm thankful for technology! While my brother cooked his very first Thanksgiving meal all by himself in Kansas City, my sister cooked her meal for my folks in Birmingham, Alabama and I cooked in Savannah, Georgia all on the same day we were able to share pictures, recipes, and laughs through texts, pictures, videos and Facetime.

Day Twenty-Four of Being Thankful
Today I am thankful a baby who sleeps well. Anywhere. We ate Thanksgiving Dinner a bit later than I'm used to which meant dinner time fell right when Andy usually begins to melt down and need lots of attention. We were able to set up her pack&play at Tim & Dorothea's house (where we ate) just before dinner and she slept there until we woke her around 10pm and moved her to the house we were staying in Savannah where she politely went right back to sleep with a quick diaper change and another cup of milk. I know we may not be so blessed with the next child - but for now, I'm thankful for a sleeping baby!

Day Twenty-Five of Being Thankful
Today I'm thankful for my in-laws. After a VERY long drive home from Savannah with a screaming toddler we were all still getting along, somewhat relaxed (after a glass of wine) and wanting to hang out more.

Day Twenty-Six of Being Thankful
Today I'm thankful for lazy days laying around in the country, reading, playing cards, and eating great food. Sometimes it's nice to avoid reality and just enjoy what blessings we do have.

Day Twenty-Seven of Being Thankful
Today I'm thankful for our puggle Toby! We've had some great times with that pup. And thankfully our daughter Andy loves him dearly!

Day Twenty-Eight of Being Thankful
Today I am thankful for pictures. They provide us with wonderful memories. I'm also thankful for old friends who like to travel. Two years ago today I was in Venice, Italy staying at the most luxurious hotel I've ever stayed in - the Gritti Palace. We had just left Rome after a beautiful wedding and were off to Venice and then Florence. What an adventure and what a memory.


Day Twenty-Nine of Being Thankful
Today I'm thankful for my husband. Three years ago today we got engaged in Italy at the top of St. Marks  on probably the most amazing adventure I've ever known and we started our own adventure - LIFE.

Day Thirty of Being Thankful
Today I'm thankful for my most favorite time of year. Crisp cool mornings, dark cold nights, laughter in the air, the smell of pine filling stores, cars and homes. It's Christmas time. Happy Holidays to all!

Day Twenty of Being Thankful

Today I am thankful for ketchup! How else would my nearly 18 month old eat a spinach, onion and garlic frittata for breakfast?

Day Twelve of Being Thankful

Today I am thankful for Keegan Theater! Being a friend of the theater means randomly popping in for a performance and everyone being so genuinely happy to see you that they introduce you to others in this incredibly positive light! Thanks Keegan for the friendships, and the memories!

Day Eleven of Being Thankful!

Today I am thankful for every single Veteran out there. For those who lost their lives fighting for our freedoms and for those who didn't die in battle or war, but who came home to their loving families! Veterans like my Grandpa, Harvey Reece! Thank you Papa!

Day Ten of Being Thankful

Today I'm thankful for Virginia Tech. A full moon, Thursday night football game, beers and bourbon on Houston Street pre-game, KKG, VTTV, SPJ, an education, southwest Virginia, and friends who just "get" me... all of these things are Virginia Tech.

Day Nine of Being Thankful

Today I am thankful for my past. We all have a past that inevitably shapes who we've become. I am thankful that I be learned from my mistakes, forgiven myself and live in the present. Someone told me once, that one reason God created time was so that there would be a place to bury the failures of the past. I don't think that's entirely true. We have to remember where we've come from to remind us of where we're going! However, you have to let it shape you not ruin you. The more anger towards the past you carry in your heart, the less capable you are of loving in the present.

Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forget about the one's who don't. Believe things happen for a reason. If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.

Day Eight of Being Thankful

Today I'm thankful to live in a country where we are free to express ourselves through our right to vote! I left my house before 7am this morning to head next door to Emerick Elementary School to vote.

Day Seven of Being Thankful

Today I am thankful for the glorious sound of a toddler laughing! Laughing and screaming, dancing and jumping the moment I walk in the door from work!

Day Six of Being Thankful

Today I am thankful for the modern conveniences of things like an indoor bathroom. After a weekend camping with great friends, I'm glad we are heading home but thankful for the opportunity to be reminded of how blessed we are.

Day Five of Being Thankful

Today I am thankful for the warm sun. Shining through our tent this morning after a long cold night camping outside, it warmed my face enough to get a few more hours of sleep! Day two of the farm party is well underway!

Day Three of Being Thankful

Today I am thankful for milkshakes, The cookies and cream/coffee milkshake I choose at the Moo through in Remington VA gets its own celebration of gratitude! Founded by the Smith family in central Virginia, their families mission is to bring fresh, local, honest dairy products, including but not limited to ice cream and glass bottled milks, to local residents. The Moo Through is a drive through 60's style milkshake parlor but with an updated twist of local products and picnic tables outside! Right on the side of Route 29 between Warrenton and Culpepper- it's a great lunch spot. Grilled cheese with bacon and tomato, a hot dog that's better than any stadium dog I've ever had, creamy and tangy coleslaw, among other choices offer a nice compliment to the variety of ice creams and milkshakes. My husband opted for the non classic gingersnap and coffer milkshake, I went with cookies and cream pairs with coffee.

But best of all, their son is studying agriculture at Virginia Tech so he can continue the family business! Go HOKIES!

http://moothru.com/

Day Four of Being Thankful

Today I am thankful for the beautiful state in which we are fortunate to live. As we drove to North Carolina for a camping farm party, and we drive past the beautiful fall colors in Southwest Virginia I am thankful for a state that has four seasons and beautiful areas to see the fall colors!

Day Two of Being Thankful

Today I am thankful for yoga. I'm thankful for the ability to leave everything behind and loose myself for an hour and a half, stretching, pushing myself, finding my inner voice and listening to it, trusting my body and my self. Today I am thankful for yoga!

The One For Being Thankful!

I am not going to make excuses for why I can't keep up with this whole blog idea, but again I will try to energize this blog. It's a commitment that I'm having a hard time committing to for reasons I can't define. To get into the habit of posting more frequently I'm going to try something new for this entire month. The month of November. The month you get to eat turkey and dressing, think about Christmas shopping, throw away the Halloween pumpkins after they rot, hopefully cut down a Christmas tree and wait for winter to arrive. But the truth is November is more than all those things. November is for being thankful. Being mindful of our blessings and looking with joy and confidence into the future. So for each day during the month of November I will find something I am thankful for and write about it.

Today I am thankful for my new friends. Having a baby changes relationships with your friends. You seek friendship in others as a means of socializing your child. You sometimes hide behind stories about first words, first steps, teething and a whole host of other infant and toddler milestones. But then it happens. You find that you've made friendships that transcend your child. Friendships where you want to spend time together without the children.

This past week has been filled with many such friends. I am thankful for workout buddies who are moms but also my friend. I'm thankful for friends who drag me to kick boxing class on Saturday mornings when there's snow (more on snow in October another day) on the ground. I'm thankful for laughter through sweat as we kicked it out together! And I'm thankful for friends who persuade me to rally for Halloween, grab a last minute babysitter, and throw on a silly costume. Only to head out and laugh harder than I've laughed in long while dance more than my sore body could handle, and come home far too late on a school night. For, somewhere in all the baby play dates, countless diaper changes, milestone discussions with each other, and meals at restaurants with two toddlers, it happens. You find a couple that are deserving of the title - friends.


                                

The One with Another Friday Ritual

A Friday ritual from Soule Mama, one of my favorite bloggers.  A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week.  A simple, special, extraordinary moment.  A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  If you’re inspired to do the same, leave a link to your “moment” in the comments for all to find and see.

The One with the Friday Ritual

A Friday ritual from Soule Mama, one of my favorite bloggers.  A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week.  A simple, special, extraordinary moment.  A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  If you’re inspired to do the same, leave a link to your “moment” in the comments for all to find and see.

 

The One Where I Rented the Runway

Late one night, several months ago Eamon read an article in the New Yorker about the founders of a website called renttherunway.com, who are ironically both named Jennifer. One goes by Jenn (good job with the 2 N's) and the other by Jenny. The girls were roommates at Harvard Business School and they felt the same dilemma that most girls I know have felt at some point in their life, the one where you have tons of clothes but nothing to wear.  The basic premise behind the website is that you can rent a dress from an expensive designer that would cost you hundreds to purchase but pennies to rent. Eamon thought I might be able to find a dress for at least one of the 6 weddings and events we have this year. We sat there that night, perusing the website, eyeing dresses and wondering how they would look on me. After a few weeks I finally decided to give it a try and rented two dresses for weddings we have on back to back weekends this month. The first wedding on the beach in Charleston, the second one in a park in New Orleans.

The dress arrives 1-2 days before the wear date (which you select on the website) and comes with a "fit kit" that contains fashion tape and other fun little accessories, a package with pre-paid postage to send the dress back after your 4 days you're allowed to keep it and a garment bag. I chatted with the fit specialist about the sizing and my body type. I did my research on the FAQs (what if the dress doesn't fit? what if it doesn't arrive in time? what if I spill something on it? what if I rip it? and the list goes on). The dress arrived perfectly packaged on Thursday before the wedding on Saturday. I've never been so nervous to open a package before.

The website offers handbags, jewelry for rent and also sells undergarments and intimates so I choose a pair of matching earrings. The customer service is unmatched. I had to have the package mailed to address, other than my home because we were already going to be at the destination wedding on the day it would need to arrive. They handled the different billing vs. shipping address perfectly! 

By now, you're dying to see the "the dress," I'm sure. I rented a Nanette Lepore dress, one I'd probably never purchase on my own and it was PERFECT, actually, it was beyond PERFECT. I felt beautiful in the yellow and blue preppy "Girls Only Dress" that  was ideal for a May wedding on the beach in Charleston, SC. 

Eamon and I had a great time at the wedding and I have Rent The Runway to thank for dressing me perfectly! I can't wait to try it again. Next rental - coming next week for yet another wedding; this one in New Orleans! 

Until then... I recommend RenttheRunway.com to everyone. Their prices can't be beat and the selection is incredible. Thank you to Jenn and Jenny... 

The One to Celebrate Mother's Day

May 8, 2011 was my first official Mother's Day. I was pregnant last year on Mother's Day and even though Andy hadn't been born and I had no idea how she'd look or what her name would be, I knew I loved her and I knew I was her mom!

The day started with breakfast in bed. Eamon got up super early and got cooking in hopes that he'd have breakfast ready before our sweet baby woke up. She clearly knew something was different about this particular Sunday morning because she woke up early. He kept her occupied in the kitchen until it was time to serve me breakfast. Mimosas, fruit smoothie, coffee, fried eggs, bacon, biscuits, and a cinimmon roll came in on a tray accompanied by a bouncing, drooling, smiley baby girl! It was the most perfect breakfast.

 It was the most beautiful day in Western Loudoun County so after church, we decided to grab everything we could think of and head out to Fabbioli Cellars for an afternoon picnic celebration.  The perfect way to celebrate before a hectic week of travel for work, family and fun. 

I headed out to Pasadena for a quick site visit with my boss the day after, then jetted off to Greenville, SC to visit my Aunt Jo and the rest of the family, then it was off to Atlanta for the celebration of a beautiful bride to be! One of my best friends from college, Beth Markle, is getting married in July. She asked me to be in the wedding and unfortunately I have a work commitment that will have me in Denver that weekend. I can't believe I'm going to miss her wedding. After meeting her Atlanta friends contingency I know it's going to be a weekend to remember.

The One Where We're Dating

We recently went on a date, a first date. We were nervous, wondered what to wear, had sweaty palms, used all the manners we've been taught, tried not to drink too much, and didn't overstay our welcome. It went pretty good we think. We'll have to see if they call! ....They?

Yes, they! We're dating other couples. I've noticed a trend among my friends who have children. Somewhere around the time their babies turn 5-6 months old, they start to try and find a life outside of "babyworld" again.  Please tell me I'm not alone. You have a baby, your world changes, your trying to keep up with friends, family, day-to-day tasks of life and somehow you realize it's 6 or so months later and you haven't seen your friends who don't have children in months. Why? How can you have fallen this out of touch with the outside world? How could you be so wrapped up in first teeth, introducing solids, a weening schedule, baby proofing and developmental milestones that you forgot to keep up with your babyless friends?

So, what next? Well - you date. You try to meet other couples and you date. You eye other people at church or the grocery store or at the playground, other couples who have children. You whisper about them and wonder if you should ask them over for a play-date or better yet, dinner (with the kids of course). You join meetup.com groups and try to find other mothers/fathers around your area. Which is how we met our latest date; a couple around our age who lives within walking distance of our house. We went over to their house for dinner a few weeks ago for our first date and since then, there have been several subsequent dates. We're getting more comfortable and not as concerned with what we wear or how clean the house is before they come over. What stage of this relationship comes next? A night out without the kids? What do you think we'll talk about? My guess is the kids! But that would be just fine with me. I'm just happy we're dating.

The One Where Spring Never Comes

And its raining. Again. More coming tomorrow and the next day and probably the day after that. I think I know why everyone undertakes massive "spring cleaning" projects and organizes rooms, closets, and basements in their homes. Spring = all rain all the time!

Andy's ready for some sunny days and outside playground smiles. I'm ready to get back on the grill. I even think Eamon's ready for cutting the jungle that is huge back yard.
But mostly I think we're all ready for those long warm Purcellville summer nights, where the sounds of baseball from across our street and Fireman's Field fill the air. Dinner is late and it doesn't matter. Weekends are never long enough. And you feel that crisp tightness on your skin after getting a tad too much sun.

The past week I've been consumed (okay obsessed) with planning Andy's 1st birthday party. Its really hard to not let it get completely out of hand. Happy Tuesday! Here's a sneak peak at my colors/theme for her party!

The One Where It All Goes Really Fast

Yikes! Turns out I'm not very good at this blogging thing. I have found myself recently marveling at just how quickly time is passing. Everyone, and I do mean everyone - even strangers who seem to think it's their mission in life to offer me advice on how to raise my child - frequently tell me, "enjoy it, it goes by so fast!"

<insert cheesy "this is so cliche" eye roll>

God help me if I ever become of of those people who tells strangers who have tiny newborns or are pregnant, "enjoy it, it goes by so fast!" I used to want to smack those folks. The more time that passes and the older Andy gets the more I wonder about her first year on this earth. It's drawing to a close. ONE YEAR! I kept thinking after we'd brought her home from the hospital that someone was going to knock on the door and take her back. But as the days and weeks passed and then months, no one came. One day it just sort of sunk in. She's ours. We get to keep her, and no one is coming to get her. I think the next day it really hit us, "oh $%*#!"

So, here's another vow to re-energize this blog. It should be easy to keep this up considering we do plenty to provide content. Let's see - since the last post (gasp! at the end of January), we've all been to Phoenix together, Andy and I have been to Birmingham to celebrate my sister's 40th birthday and to Richmond to visit Uncle Bennie and Auntie Lauren. I went away by myself to Denver. Andy's started crawling, gotten two teeth, and decided she wants to pull up on everything. Eamon's been to San Diego and New York for work. Eamon and I have both celebrated birthdays and first wedding anniversary and went to a black tie Oscar Party at the W in Washington DC. There's probably loads I've left out so hopefully I can fill in the blanks at some point.

We also received the terrible news that my Aunt Jo has a pretty aggressive form of brain cancer. As we begin this difficult journey I'm finding I squeeze Andy just a little bit tighter, snuggle up to Eamon just a little bit closer and try to enjoy it all just a little bit more because as much it pains me to admit, it really does all go by way too fast.

The One About the Starving Vegetarians

I used to think that vegetarians surely were starving themselves. I believed they were all anorexic looking, emaciated model types who were (name the movie), "one stomach virus away from their goal weight" and sure to be a size 00 (a size made only to make the rest of us feel somehow completely inadequate and obese). I mean, why wouldn't you want to eat meat? What would you eat instead? How could you ever get full if you don't eat meat? Well for those keeping track, for the record:  I'm admitting I was wrong, very very wrong.

In an effort to be frugal, healthier, conserve, eat more local foods, and generally have more energy, Eamon and I have been trying to eat vegetarian most nights of the week. We try and only incorporate an actual meat protein twice a week. And its working. For every reason I listed and many more, it's working. You'd be surprised at how much money you can save. I'm not alone in this modern take on vegetarian. And this is no new movement. Back in 2003, Paul McCartney backed the Meatless Monday movement and its popularity soared. This style of eating has been coined flexitarian. I can't say that I am a flex anything. But, the money savings aside what I can tell you is that I enjoy how I feel after a satisfying bowl of rice and beans. Or last weeks lentils, rice, cabbage and carrots. I do have more energy. We do save money and I don't feel like we're just eating rabbit food. And I do feel full. I am by no means starving.

Don't get me wrong, I love a delicious medium rare beef tenderloin, or a well seasoned herb crusted pork tenderloin and I'll take that extra B on my BLT. But this new culinary adventure for me has been exciting and encouraging.  As many of you know, I love to cook. I love to follow new recipes and I am addicted to the Food Network. And trying to find creative meals that do not include a cut of meat has been an entertaining experience. Curry dishes, beans, veggie lasagna, bean soups, chili, chard, frittatas, the list is endless.


I recently watched an episode on the Cooking Channel (as if there weren't enough cooking shows for me to be addicted to on the Food Network, they had to create another channel) called Cooking for Real, with Sunny Anderson. She was making food for the BIG GAME (read: Super Bowl) and was shredding chicken for what she called nachos blanco with roasted jalapeno salsa. A few years ago, the idea of chicken nachos would have had me running to the closet story to buy the juiciest rotisserie bird I could find, but this past weekend my eye caught a different component to those nachos... that roasted jalapeno salsa. I watched as she roasted the garlic, onions and jalapenos in the oven and blended them with cilantro, lime juice and salt and pepper. My mouth watered. I couldn't get it out of my mind. So when we put black bean tacos on the menu for a night this week I knew I had to make this salsa. We weren't disappointed. And, I'm not starving (and just to note - it's almost 4 hours post dinner now). Anyway - try it.  I promise you'll add it to your line-up. We enjoyed it with black beans that were sauteed with onion, red pepper, celery and spanish seasonings, rice that we'd cooked with lime zest, and corn tortillas.

Salsa: 

3 green jalapenos, halved and seeded  

2 cloves garlic \

1/2 medium onion  

2 tablespoons olive oil  

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro  

1/4 cup  water or veggie stock  

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice  

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

On a baking sheet toss the jalapeno halves, onion, and garlic with olive oil and arrange so that garlic cloves hide under the cavities of the jalapeno halves. Season with salt and pepper, and roast in the oven until the jalapenos begin to blacken and char along with the onions, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and place all the ingredients, oil included, into a food processor. Add the cilantro, stock, and lime juice, blend until smooth, taste and season with salt.


More recipes to come in later blogs, but I just had to share this one with the Super Bowl coming up - it's the perfect chip dipper!

The One with a Few of my Favorite BABY Things

Recently I've had several friends and family ask me about various baby products we use now or have used in the past. I thought I'd make a list.

Favorite Baby Wearing Device

Cooking Dinner in the Moby

We absolutely adored our moby wrap. We haven't used it as much lately. Now that Andy is bigger - we've started using the Ergo carrier more, but I know we could use the Moby still without any trouble. Even my husband wore the Moby with no problems and he enjoyed it - I swear! She would usually fall asleep once we got her situated and I always felt like she was safe.  The greatest thing is that your hands are totally free and you can do loads of things...
During Andy's first 3 months of life, we traveled up and down the East coast. The Moby saved our lives several times on that trip.
It also makes a great gift. As I mentioned we now use the Ergo more (which the hubby also wears). There are loads of studies and tons of research to support the benefits of baby-wearing. It helps solidify the bond between parent and child and assists in making their transition from womb to world easier.

Favorite Pump and Bottles

Andy's first bottle

I rented the hospital grade breast pump made by Ameda when we first brought Andy home and it worked perfectly. So much so, that when it came time for us to buy our own pump - we knew exactly what we wanted. I have the Ameda Purely Yours Ultra and I use it EVERY SINGLE DAY! We didn't do a lot of research on bottles for Andy, but some of the mom's in my mom's group (more on that later) recommended Dr. Browns and I listened. We've never had trouble with Andy taking a bottle, she doesn't have any nipple confusion and she switches back and forth easily. I can't say it's definitely because of the bottle, maybe we're just lucky, but I do think they help with gas and prevent/eliminate her swallowing too much air. I'd recommend getting mostly a stash of the 8oz bottles - they wont use the 4oz bottles for too long and why not just save the money and go straight to the bigger ones. The nipple size is the exact same for the smaller bottles as it is for the larger ones.


Best Items for Traveling

Resting in my Boppy

She slept with her hands over her head

Because we traveled so much those first few months we learned a lot about what you need and don't need. And, because we were gone from home for literally months at a time, we had to TRY to pack lightly. This meant we didn't buy a pack and play or playard or whatever name they're called now. We got a fold up tiny little bed that folded up nice and neatly and would slide in any tiny space in the back of the car. It was made by Eddie Bauer and we bought it at Target. I know they've outlawed the sleep positioner in the picture - don't judge.
We also loved having my Boppy every where we went. I used it for nursing in the beginning and then we'd use it to help her sit up or be comfy where ever she was.  Be sure to get more than one cover - it will get dirty.
We also spent a lot of time on the beach during those traveling months and enjoying having this tent that protected Andy from the wind and sun. It was big enough that we could change her in there as well as keep our belongs sand/salt free. We'd carry her in the Moby from the car to the beach, set up the tent with the Boppy in it, and then sit her in her little beach hut.

Feeding, Making Baby food and Solids

Thanks to my mom's group (sponsored by the Birthing Inn where I delivered) I've learned about a lot of interesting, helpful and useful items. One of these is the mesh feeders that Andy absolutely adores. You can put frozen food in them (apples, mango, etc.) or soft foods (avocado) and let her suck away. You don't have to work about choking hazards and it's great for her poor teething swollen gums.
The other great item for all things baby food related is actually a website. Wholesomebabyfood.com has given us so many ideas for what to feed Andy and what to avoid, what ages we should feel comfortable starting certain solids, recipe ideas, tips, tricks, etc.


It's a wonderful resource for those wanting to make their own baby food. Which might sound daunting but it's truthfully not as hard as it seems. If you want your child to grow to enjoy all sorts of foods, and not eat special meals different from what you're having it's a great way to start. If we're having peas for dinner, we just make a few more, and puree them for her. Speaking of babies eating what you eat - I saw this list on facebook (see below) and thought it rather relevant to our life right now and dead on in-line with our thoughts for how we'd like our children to eat. And I couldn't make a list of my favorite things without mentioned the Bumbo seat. We could sit Andy on our dining room table during our meals so she could join us. We could sit her up in the living room so we could fold laundry. She liked being fed sweet potatoes in the Bumbo seat and she even carved pumpkins in the Bumbo! Her thighs are a bit too chunky now to fit, but the Bumbo is a lifesaver! 

Other things that we love that I'll review later include:
Our cloth diapers: a mixture of Gdiapers, Fuzzibunz and BumGenius
Sophie the Giraffe (a must for all stylish babies)
My Babe Au Lait Nursing Cover


I'll close now, but I just wanted to share a few of my favorite BABY things.  Thanks for reading!

Respect Your Child's Appetite: Young children tend to eat only when they're hungry. If your child doesn't want to eat don't force a meal or snack. Likewise, don't bribe or force your child to clean his or her plate. This may only ignite, or reinforce,  a power struggle over food.

Set a Routine:  Serve meals and snacks around the same time every day. Try not to serve liquids or snacks for at least one hour prior to eating a meal. This way your child will come to the table with a larger appetite.

If your child still isn't eating look back at what they may have had earlier in the day. Perhaps a larger meal at breakfast, or lunch, is what's causing them stomach's to be full.

Set a Good Example: If your child isn't used to sitting at the table during every meal this could be why he or she has learned to get up and go. Try getting your family to sit down, together, for every meal rather then letting them sit in front of the television or in another room.

Set a Timer:  Start low. Maybe five minutes the first few days and then ten. This will create sort of a game for your little one to eat what they can before the timer goes off. You could even reward them for staying at the table until the timer goes off.

Keep Distractions Limited:  Shut off the television, put away the games and try not to have any toys at the table.

Be Patient: If a child is new to table food or if they are trying something for the first time it's important to realize they may not like it. Young children often touch or smell new foods and may even spit it out after trying.

Your child may need repeated exposure to a new food before he or she commits to it. Encourage your child by talking about a food's color, shape, aroma and texture.

Don't Force It: This could lead to obesity if your child is being told to eat when not hungry. Once they are finished eating tell your child they get nothing else. No meal substitutes or snacks. Just what's in front of him or her. If your child is that hungry they'll learn to eat each meal.

Hide It: If you're child is against fruit and vegetables try chopping them up and hide it in your meals. Smoothies, cereals or sauces are just three examples. 

Offer a Menu: Sit down with your child each day, or week, to determine what they'd like to eat. Or offer two or three meal options per meal, as if they were ordering from a menu. But, do not get into the habit of preparing a separate meal for your child after he or she rejects the original meal as this may encourage your child's picky eating. 

Have Fun: Take your child grocery shopping and have them select fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods that they'd like to try at home. When preparing a meal, have your child help you by mixing ingredients or placing the items on their plate.

Allow your child to choose which sauce they'd like to dip their foods in. You can also cut foods into various shapes.  One idea is to make "fun toast" by toasting a piece of bread and cutting out a shape using a cookie cutter before adding a healthy margarine or jam.

Dessert Alternative: If you eat a variety of healthy foods then your child is more likely to follow. When it comes to offering dessert try to serve strawberries, watermelon or pineapple instead, all of which have their own natural sugars. Yogurt is another option.

If you decide to give your child dessert, after they've eaten their meal, try not to serve one every night. This may send the message that dessert is the best food, which may only increase your child's desire.

If you're concerned that picky eating is compromising your child's growth and development the best advice is to consult with your child's doctor. In the meantime, continue to work with your child and introduce them to healthy foods and habits that might convince them that mealtime isn't so bad. 

The One Where She Spits, Sits and Smiles

I knew it would happen. I knew I'd be so ramped up about this blog and then it would slip away from me and I would go months without posting. How do people I know keep up blogs every day? Every week? I'm renewing my commitment to this and hopefully I can do better. Like anything - it's all about trying your best.

It's 2011 now and today is Andy's 7 month birthday! She's peacefully sleeping upstairs, on her belly (GASP!) and I'm downstairs remembering this night seven months ago. The emotion of it all is overwhelming. Seven months ago I was nursing her for one of the very first times. I was so nervous back then about everything breastfeeding my daughter entailed. What if she didn't latch? What if my milk didn't come in? What if she had an allergy? What if I got mastitis? What if we both got thrush? Tonight as I nursed her for the some odd thousandth time I thought about those early days of breastfeeding. I'm lucky. She's lucky. We're all blessed. She latched like a champ, my milk came in before we ever left the hospital, I can eat anything and she's never shown any allergic reactions and she's gaining weight like its her job - 90th percentile in weight. I'm happy that we're still committed to our goal of breastfeeding our daughter until she's at least a year old. Thankfully, Eamon (my husband) is on board with this commitment and continues to be incredibly supportive of my breastfeeding. Anyway: In an effort to catch you up quickly - we'll go through the S's - spitting, sitting and smiling.

SPITTING
We are committed to breastfeeding Andy until she's a year old but we have however introduced her to several solids since my last blog. Let's see - there's been: sweet potato, bananas, frozen apples, frozen mango, oatmeal cereal, peas, mashed mango, avocado, and the latest came tonight - carrots. She's done great. Accepting of our trials on pureeing our own baby food and eager to try new tastes. Our learning curve is like hers - steep but forgiving. After the first sweet potato trials we learned vinyl bibs are a must! A few days after the first mango trials - we learned it probably should be pureed more finely. She does love to eat though and for that, we're blessed. We also got this awesome mesh feeder thingy too that you can put frozen things in. She gets to suck out the flavor - all the while working on soothing her tiny swollen gums where her little teeth keep trying to push their way through. SHE LOVES THAT THING!
We'll keep up the solid food experiments and enjoy every time she spits something back at us (oh the peas!)


SITTING

Momma's Pearls

Andy's 6month Portr

Eamon has been anxious for Andy to hit her milestones. Especially sitting up and crawling. I wanted her to be sitting up on her own by Christmas (selfishly wanting pics of her in front of a Christmas tree sitting unassisted with her toys and gifts). She was so close at Thanksgiving - holding her cute fat hands in front her her - spreading her legs and balancing on those chubby hands. But one small excitment or one move of those hands and she toppled over and scared herself. Inevitably crying would follow and we'd go to laying on our belly or sitting in my lap. About 3 weeks before Christmas, we were in Boston and we realized we'd quit holding her up, we'd stopped worrying she was going to fall over. She was sitting up on her own. This made for some super cute Christmas photos.


SMILING

There is nothing that can bring warmth to your heart like the smile of a child. When its your own child, that warmth melts you. Since my last blog, we've enjoyed Halloween together: a trip to the pumpkin farm, carving those pumpkins, and a Halloween party at the Daycare. Thanksgiving: we traveled up to Baltimore for an amazing Coy, Deford, McAdoo celebration. First plane rides - including trips to Boston and Dallas and a visit to Texas Stadium. A 6 month birthday and portrait session. Christmas: trips to Nelson county to see the Coy's, Richmond to see the Johnson's and Pawley's Island to see the Reece's. We enjoyed New Year's on the beach sitting with our toes in the sand with lots of smiles and giggles and Andy's Aunt Suzanne, Uncle Bennie & Auntie Lauren and Grandma and Grandpa Reece.  

So, I'll close for now. I know I left out quite a bit since that last post (late October).
Like - my first meeting back at work since maternity leave, Andy's Christmas adventures, and much much more. 

I vow to keep my blog more updated and fill in the missing milestones as we go - for now, we're enjoying spitting, sitting and smiles over here at the Coy house.