The Pediatrician, The Expert, Right?

I have learned a lot in the last 10 months being a mom, but one lesson I have learned recently it that not everyone knows everything, especially when it comes to my kid. I have taken everything that my pediatrician has told me as off I must follow him because he knows exactly what's right, right? Wrong. Totally wrong. He has some really great ideas and feedback, but what I have realized time and again is that I know more of what is right of for my daughter than anyone else because I have spent more time with her than anyone else and I have my mommy sense. A good example of this is the diaper rash/ yeast infection situation I was dealing with for a couple of months. During maternity leave Gracie might have had diaper rash once, and I think it was because I was overusing wipes and her little skin was so brand new. I also think that I didn't change her enough at night because I didn't know, and yes I feel mom guilt from that! Thank goodness my best friend told me her routine of changing them right when they wake for a night time feeding. That it's worth hearing them scream for a minute and them give them the boob and they go right back to sleep. Once I went to daycare it seemed to be happening all the time. This of course worried me and I have an awesome daycare provider, but you start to wonder what the heck is going on all day long for this to keep happening! I asked my pediatrician for ideas, scoured the internet and quizzed all my mom friends and I really couldn't figure out what was happening. I got shut down by my pediatrician saying that first, it wasn't a yeast rash, and that it must be what I was feeding her. Well, I though about it and there was no way it was her food. I have fed her nothing but breast milk and pure homemade foods since she was born. My daycare provider and I even narrowed her food down to bland foods one at a time to see if there was a reaction. At one point at the end  Nystatin didn't even work to get rid of the yeast rash that I finally got the doctor to look at and give me a prescription. We even tried different types of diapers and I started to analyze the foods that I was eating to see if that might be causing it. Of course it turns out it was the bubble bath and I'm happy to report that a few weeks later we STILL have perfect skin in her sensitive areas! Yahoo! But, it makes me disappointed in my pediatrician that he didn't help me more or provide more support. He has pushed me off like this several times as if I'm a new mom and worry too much. Or, that I am not worthy to spend more than the allotted time. Interestingly enough, when my husband goes with me his tune seems to change a bit. It makes me want to chew his butt and say, "I'm sorry, but I'm a highly educated woman who is not only intelligent, professional and classy, but I'm paying your ass to listen to me right now, so show some respect!" HAHA. He also seems to be annoyed at me that I only allow them to give Gracie one shot at a time. She has such horrible reactions to the shots each time, I would hate to give her several and have a bad allergic reaction on my hands. Does anyone else have these types of situations with their Pediatrician? He hasn't been bad every time, I just painted him to be a super bad guy, but I do realize that when I ask him things or tell him about my daughter, he really doesn't have all the answers. Neither does the internet, family or friends. That's what makes it so hard sometimes to be a parent and the mom. That you have to make some important decisions and sometimes you have to chose even though you have no idea if it's right or not. I'm looking forward to my second pregnancy and child, hopefully by them I can put all this new knowledge to use and not feel so stressed! I have to admit though, it is getting a little easier the older she gets. :)

Holidays!

I can't explain just how excited I was for the holidays for my little family. I know she is too little to know about Santa and gifts and all the excitement that comes with Christmas, but I was really excited. She was wound up during the week of Christmas though, so I think she could feel how pumped we were and see the fun stuff happening like putting up the tree and decorating the house. I mean, who doesn't want to pull the berries and ornaments off the Christmas tree and rip the wrapping off the presents that are right at your level? Seriously though, it's amazing how much the holidays change for you when you become a parent. All I wanted for Christmas was to watch her learn and experience new things. I couldn't wait to see how she reacted on Christmas morning when everyone was tearing into their gifts and playing with their new toys. I could have cared less if I got any gifts as long as my little girl felt special on Christmas! I also love getting together with my immediate family and watch my niece enjoy opening her gifts and watching the two of them interact. We got them both Little Tikes plastic cars and they loved them! Gracie especially, she kept trying to climb in hers and would just sit and smile and wave every time we pushed her around in it. It makes my heart so happy to watch her grow, smile and laugh! What a blessing to have both my parents and my husbands parents apart of our daughter's life. We got to do a second Christmas with the in-laws three days after Christmas and she got spoiled again. What a lucky little girl we have to have truly great people in her life that love her so much. I just sit back sometimes and take it all in and smile knowing that all of these people will bring such love, joy and positive influence in my daughter's life. The best part is that it is only going to get better from here! Seriously, I have already planned out Elf on the Shelf, videos of catching Santa in our house, making 'Ninja Bread Cookies', and putting out cookies and milk for Santa. I hope I never tire of experiencing these special times with my baby girl and that she will look back some day and cherish these special memories we are creating of her.

Bubble Bath, the Enemy

Well, as many of my posts have shown, I have read, researched and obsessed about the cause of my daughter's yeast infections. In a casual conversation last week a friend of mine brought up bubble bath. I vaguely remember reading at the beginning of my journey as a mother that you aren't supposed to use it with girls. Somehow, in the months of be a mom and all the new things that come with it, I completely forgot that you aren't supposed it use it! Now that she is a big girl and uses the big girl bath, I had all this bubble bath from my baby shower so I thought it would be fun. :( I feel terrible but so far so good. It has been 5 days and all is clear! Cross your fingers that this was the cause. There is so much to learn and remember as a new mom, I guess better late than never. :)

Thrush, or yeast diaper rashes.

I'm telling you that I am getting worn out on this same story of yeast diaper rashes with Gracie. She has very sensitive skin, but even my daycare provider tells me that she gets them way more than the normal  baby. On top of this, many times my pediatrician tells me it's not yeast, but it's because it has almost gone away by the time I get to my appointment because I'm not going to let my baby go through pain for several days when I have medicine and the soonest appointment is days away! After talking with one of my good friends, and brainstorming with my daycare provider, I just know there is another answer. We have thought of the food I am feeding her (which I am thinking is no longer the issue, this entire time I have made homemade pure foods as well as breast milk.) The other option is the type of diapers I am using on her, maybe she is sensitive to a certain brand? (I am currently using Kirkland brand but was using Huggies, I may do a test soon to see what comes of the swap.) The third idea that my best friend came up with is the idea that what I am eating is effecting my breast milk which is causing these rashes on Gracie. This a great article I found on yeast diaper rashes. I'm not done doing my research, but I did love the information in this article. I think I will also post my question in a mom forum I am apart of on Facebook to see what other moms have to say. I can't be first to experience this!

Weekend vs. Weekday Mommy

I finally feel like I am in some sort of routine with being back to work (even though I'm still so sad that I can't be home with my girl). But, it's crazy how much my role changes from weekday working mommy to the weekend full time home mommy. During the week I'm flying by the seat of my pants from one task to the next. I feel like I'm literally packing, cleaning, pumping and trying not to forget anything. On top of this I'm working on financial problems all day and trying (key word) to put Gracie and all thoughts related to her to the side enough to focus and get something accomplished at my desk! Weekday me goes back and forth between wanting to clean, work on projects, have some 'me' time, some husband time, cook something since he does all the weekday cooking and I want to give him a break, make baby food for the week for Gracie, all while wanting to spend every minute with her that I can since I feel like I missed out too much during the week. Sounds good, right?! HAHA. Seriously, how do we moms make it all happen? Working or staying at home, it's nearly impossible. I can't find the article now, but somewhere I read about how much the family dynamics have changed and it really has created a role for the parent(s) mother father, sole care giver to be a super parent. Back in the day we used to have a ton of family either in the same home, on the same property or at least very nearby. The idea was that grandmas, aunts, and sisters would all be around to help keep your world going with preparing food, cleaning the home, watching the babe so that you weren't a one man show. Also, a lot of the families back in the day had only one income. These days I really feel like it takes two to raise a family and have a nice home, two cars and everything that goes with it! How sad that society has changed so much that our focus is no longer on family and helping each other out. Spending quality time with our little ones. I have a great daycare for Gracie, but I still get so sad that I am missing so much time with her! Hopefully in the near future we can figure out something to have more time watching her grow, play and learn.

Food, Food, and More FOOD

It seems that I have been obsessed lately with food, particularly what I'm feeding my baby girl. I've been making super yummy homemade foods, starting with the basics of banana and apple puree and then I went on to making over combos that are yummy like carrot, orange juice, leeks and unsalted butter. A friend of mine recommended a great book that I bought and it has helped tremendously with mixing up new recipes for Gracie. It's called Top 100 Baby Purees. I'm in a funky transition period now though where she wants to eat more foods that we are, but she isn't always ready for the texture or we haven't gotten used to making solid foods that she can eat (no seasonings, etc.). She also tries to choke if I have to big of bites on her tray. She only has two bottom teeth at the moment, so I'm hoping it will be easier for her to eat solids when her top ones come in. I also went on a hiatus from reading too many articles regarding rice cereal and the studies they have found that have high levels of arsenic in them. See this article, small amounts but it still worries me! They say the amounts vary, but I just wasn't comfortable with that. So, it's a good time as any to start transitioning into foods prepared by us but I'm finding it difficult to get into the routine. She really does love to feed herself though, and she refuses my purees more and more. Finger foods are key, I'm always trying to mix it up with a starch, a veggie and a fruit. Sometimes I throw in a meat if we have some prepared that isn't too seasoned, etc. What do other mommies out there do? How do you take the step from pureed to full on toddler foods? :) I'm open for suggestions! Maybe I'm over thinking this whole thing... I usually do.

Momma T's Mock Shephard's Pie

I'm always looking for easy one stop shop-type of dinners that make everyone happy. This one I was able to get from my fabulous mother in law and she calls it 'Momma T's Mock Shephard's Pie." Not only is this super easy to make and tasty, but most of these ingredients I tend to have on hand in my pantry; always a plus! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do.


Prepare mashed potatoes.
1lb. Ground beef
Small yellow onion
Garlic to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can cut green beans, drained
1 can Campbell's tomato soup and a little milk.
Cheddar cheese

Brown the ground beef with chopped onion and garlic. Drain any fat please. Add tomato soup and a little milk to meat. Place meat mixture in greased casserole dish. Add on top of meat mixture the green beans. Top with mashed potatoes and top potatoes with grated cheese. Bake 350 degrees uncovered until heated and bubbly. Yummy. I have made with ground turkey too.

Happy cooking :)

Time to Face the Music

There are so many things I have 'wanted' to do with my life in my everyday routines, but just never found the time or was too lazy. But, with having a baby, I find that it is time to 'face the music' and be the person I have been wanting to be so that my child will be taught the things I believe in. I'm talking about clean eating. Coming from an agriculture background, I have certain feelings about home-made and home grown. I want my child to have the best start to life with a healthy body and mind, and I truly believe it starts with breast milk (which is why I'm still nursing) and then homemade food. I also have started to think more about my choices of products for my family such as organic and local grown. I have always, always wanted to purchase more locally grown food products as the local farmers markets and local grown meats. I also have wanted to purchase more organic foods. I have seen many times filter around the Internet and Facebook the following lists:

Here is the Dirty Dozen- this is where you want to spend the extra money on organic produce whenever possible:

1. Apples
2. Strawberries
3. Grapes
4. Celery
5. Peaches
6. Spinach
7. Sweet Bell Peppers
8. Nectarines- imported
9. Cucumbers
10. Potatoes
11. Cherry Tomatoes
12. Hot Peppers

And here is the Clean 15 list for 2013.  These are the items with the least amount of pesticide contamination found so these are not as high of a priority when buying organic.

1. Sweet Corn
2. Onions
3. Pineapple
4. Avocado
5. Cabbage
6. Sweet Peas- frozen
7. Papaya
8. Mangos
9. Asparagus
10. Eggplant
11. Kiwi
12. Grapefruit
13. Cantaloupe
14. Sweet Potato
15. Mushrooms

And there is also a Dirty Dozen Plus- these items are not on the Dirty Dozen list but still something to try to find in organic if you can:

1. Summer Squash 
2. Leafy Greens (kale and collards in particular)

I got these lists from one of my favorite coupon blogs and they also have a list of these for on the go, go here! 

 I also want to incorporate cleaning the fruits and vegetables properly (water and white vinegar) after purchasing or before eating.

These things don't seem like hard things to do, but it means getting everyone that shops to get on board, then remembering what to buy while in the store, plus adding an additional step of washing when you get home and as you unpack. Doing all of this on top of my all ready busy working and being a mom schedule... daunting. BUT, it's time to put my wants for my family as my priority! It's time to put this into action. 

My last thought is... how has our country become a place that doesn't always have nothing but the freshest, cleanest homegrown food for all of our residents? When has agriculture changed to mean we have to pay more and go the extra mile to feed our families the best? Makes me sad for my daughter's future.

SIDS

I was talking with a new mommy friend of mine and she mentioned how she wish she hadn't of done some late night reading on the Internet about SIDS. Her baby was premature so he is tiny (but perfect!) She said she is so freaked out now to even put him in his bassinet to sleep at night. I remember feeling the same way and Gracie was 4 days over her due date. I felt so frozen by fear. It's like, here is this perfect baby and oh by the way, some scary ass syndrome that no one knows why it happens can just steal your baby like a thief in the night. OMG! Needless to say, I was scared shitless and slept with her on my chest for the first 8 weeks with a pile of pillows all around me so that I didn't drop her or rollover on her. SIDS might be the single scariest thing to deal with mentally as a new mom. I have eased my mind over the last few months about this topic, but talking with my new mommy friend has brought it to the forefront of my mind. Why the hell don't we know more about this? How can there be no warning signs? There could be nothing more terrible for a mother than loosing her baby to SIDS so unexpectedly. My mind is heavy thinking of all those babies lost to SIDS and other unfair conditions. I feel so lucky and blessed to have my Miss Gracie.

Diaper Rash Meet Aquaphor

I feel like I have found the holy grail. I have tried diaper rash cream after diaper rash cream and to no avail. Gracie has super sensitive skin and so anything causes massive diaper rash. I have even concocted crazy recipes of my own that I have taken off the internet. Nothing worked! That is until... I found Aquaphor. It's seriously the bomb. I'm not sure if it would work this great for anyone else's child, and I have heard different things work for different children. However, diaper rash SUCKS and when you finally find an answer after months of battling it; it's like finding out Santa is for real. Or winning the lottery. Anyways, I highly recommend it! One point for mom!

Personal Protection

I've had thoughts about this subject before when I lived alone as a single woman, but it has been even further at the forefront of my mind since I've become a mom. What do other women do for personal protection? A friend of mine at work went to a friend's house party called a 'personal protection party'. She chose to buy a taser gun. In the past I have carried both a knife and pepper spray, but what do I want to do as a mom? Of course I worry about her getting into it later and hurting herself or others, so anything I chose I would absolutely take the proper steps to make sure Gracie was never in danger. But, I also have been noticing shady things happening lately around work, home, and even town. Is it that I have a super sense now that I'm a mom/ momma bear per se, or are things really getting shady these days? Either way, my husband and I have been talking about getting me training and a handgun. I want to protect my baby and be ready for any and all situations that might happen. So, I'm curious; what the heck are all the other mommas doing out there?? I'm just not sure what I want to do. Statistically women tend to get guns taken from them and used against them. But, I also would hate to not be able to do anything if something where to happen in or around my home… Hmm. I'll just have to think more about this and decide. I was also thinking I'd go to the shooting range with my husband and see how comfortable I get handling a gun before I even think about buying one. Yikes...

College

I've been reminiscing a lot about college lately; I just loved San Luis Obispo and miss the days of fun, friendship and spontaneity. I have also been thinking a lot about how I want Gracie to not only have the college experience (of course I would LOVE for her to go to my alma mater for obvious reasons!) where she chooses but I want her to have some financial help along the way. It can be a huge financial burden to take out loans and pay them years later. So, I have been thinking of ways I can prepare now so that it's easier for her in the future. The one thing I have started to do since her birth is put money away each month in a savings account for her.  But, I have a feeling this isn't going to be enough. I read an alarming article that I link to below about the huge costs of college in 2030 ( yeah, I know, that is crazy to think about but it will be here sooner or later). Here is the highlight of the story I want to get across:

What Will College Tuition Cost in 2030?

Congratulations! You are a new parent. It is time you are baptized into the world of diaper changes and midnight feedings. You also might want to brush up on your financial calculator skills.

Assuming junior is going to opt for a value education from a public school, you’ll want to know what the cost of college will be in 2030. According to the US Department of Education, the average annual cost of public school increased 6.5 percent each year over the last decade. That means that by 2030, annual public tuition will be $44,047. The total cost for a four-year degree will be more than $205,000.

 http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/my-money/2012/07/25/how-much-will-you-need-to-send-your-child-to-college-in-2030

Basically... I better get to winning the lottery. Since that's probably not going to happen I was looking around and found these two options, super curious about what other parents think and if they are doing any other pro-active planning...

The Gift Plan and Gerber Life. Both of these look pretty valid from skimming through. I just want my money to grow the most amount but I'm still fairly conservative that I don't want to chance losing any either. So many decisions!

To sleep or not to sleep

I'm laying here in bed exhausted from work thinking about how I better get to sleep before I have to feed Gracie... And it's only 9 pm. I barely remember those days long past of getting ready to go out at about 9 pm! Forget partying... This momma just wants to know when she will get a full nights rest again. Seriously, one of my besties and I were talking about how frigging tired we are and how we just want to get into a deep sleep again. So, when does this happen for most babes? I had this illusion pre-Gracie that at around 8 months she would be sleeping through the night. What I have now realized is that she has night terrors, teething, snotty nose, fevers, and a whole other list of reasons why she wakes up throughout the night. Although I love that I can comfort her back to sleep by nursing or rocking her, I'm excited for the days of full sleep. As adamant as I am about breast feeding, I always am curious what she would do if I fed her formula. So many moms have told me about their kids sleeping through the night early on because of formula. I guess this is the price I pay for choosing breast milk. At least she sleeps in her own bed. A friend of mine was telling me she was at her wits end with co-sleeping for the last year with her daughter. She said she wakes up constantly to breast feed and she believes it's because she is right there next to her which wakes her baby up just from her being near. Positive thinking, right? Let's just all pray that by one year we are all snoozing in the Trunnell household. Speaking of snoozing... Goodnight all!

The beginning of the end.

All moms have their different way and plan to feed their newborn baby; mine was to breast feed for at least 6 months. Because I had no idea what my journey was going to be as a lactating mom, I decided to take it a month at a time. Although I don't judge those who don't haven't, it has become important to me as time has gone that Gracie have as much breast milk in the first year of her life as possible. The more I have read and thought about it, the more important it has become. This has not been the easiest goal to uphold for several reasons:

1: While on maternity leave it's very hard to squeeze in an extra feeding when they are eating all the time. 2: Pumping at work is a pain in the booty with dragging all the goods back and forth, worrying about cleaning and disinfecting the bottles and stuff constantly (boil, microwave in the special bag... What's best? How often?) 3: You get very burnt out taking time away from whatever else you are doing to sit for 20 minutes and have your boobs stretched, which isn't the most comfortable thing.

Then there is storage of the milk, etc. with all of this said, I had made it to 8 months, but then I started to get lazy. I guess that is my breaking point because last week I started to only pump twice a day instead of three times. I can already tell my breast milk has adjusted to a little less. I also knew that once I started to cut back on feeding I would start my period ( a major downside to cutting back on pumping). I have mixed emotions about this. I'm a little excited since it means my life will start (only start) to be my own again. I will have more time during my day and not be so slammed trying to stuff in pumps. It also is nice because Gracie has begun to eat more regular food! (Which is a very exciting stage in itself. ) My other major emotion is sadness. It means it is the beginning of slowly stopping breast feeding; of my baby being a big girl soon. It's bittersweet but I wouldn't change it for the world!

Teething Necklace

Ok, since I'm in the teething zone with Gracie, any product that might help get us through a little easier, I'm all about it. So, my question is; does this amber teething necklace really work? I've heard mixed reviews, plus I'm freaked out about a choking hazard! Any feedback is appreciated...

Being Super Mom

I always have had high personal standards for myself and what I want out of life but being a new mom has put these standards on steroids. Add Pinterest, Facebook, the media and all my other amazing mommy friends and I'm in the high stress zone. I want to be the perfect mom to my daughter and give her every opportunity there is to have but this comes at a price. Time, money or stress on me especially since I'm working full time. I loved this blog that talks about this topic. Sometimes we need to take a step back and put it all into perspective. That it's OK if Gracie has some a store bought food; or that she had an occasional formula feeding. Personally, this has been the biggest challenge with being a mom. Letting go and realizing that as long as I provide her all the love, time and safety she needs, it's all going to be OK!

Punching Out Fear

Gracie had a fever again in the middle of the night last night. It was 100.2, not alarming but after last weekend, I was worried. I gave her Motrin and sent out a couple texts to my mom network. I wasn't sure if having another fever is normal so quickly after the last episode. Is the croup coming back? Is she not going to breathe again? Being a mom, but especially a new mom is so scary. There is a lot of fear when things go wrong because you second guess what you are doing and if you are doing all you can. A Facebook friend of mine wrote something this morning that cracked me up, and I will think of it every time Gracie gets sick. She said, "Sometimes you need to just punch fear in the face and tell it to shut-up." LOL. Seriously though, I love it. Sometimes fear can overwhelm me as a mom and what might happen. Sometimes you need to just stop fear from taking over your mind and just deal with what is and know that it will be ok.

I also got some great advice from my 'mommy network' last night and it goes as follows:
Take Gracie out in the cold air and rock her. The cool air will help with the cough.
Take her into the shower with me and rock her, the water and me rocking can be very soothing.
Rotate Motrin and Tylenol every 3 hours. Because the body uses different organs to process each medicine, you can use them closer together to help keep the fever away.
Use a great product called Be Kool Pads on their forehead or neck to help with the fever as well.

I love my mom friends!! Here's to a great day since I punched fear and tiredness in the face already this morning... ;)

Pump, pump, pump it up!

I had no idea what exactly went into pumping while working full time before I was actually doing it. It's been a journey that has been rewarding but time consuming. From having to push for a better process at work to making sure it is my priority in my daily schedule, I am proud to say I have made it almost 8 months! I am very lucky in how flexible and understanding my job and managers are, but when you have meetings, projects and other things constantly going on in your day, it becomes hard to stop whatever you are doing and make it your priority. Here are some things that have kept me going and motivated. One great motivator was this blog all about what you are providing your baby each month that you breast feed; Timeline of a breasted baby. I knew I was providing great things to Gracie but I had no idea that I was giving her a wonderful foundation to her lifelong health. The second thing is that my body is doing very well after having a baby and I believe it's from breast feeding. (Although I still have a way to go!) I also love that I can still have that bonding time with her and that it is USUALLY easy to put her to bed at night with nursing. Also, just for an FYI, I tried two other pumps and nothing touches Medela in my opinion. It is way faster to pump with than other brands. Also, I was able to get my insurance to pay for the pump 100%, so if you are interested I'll explain. Oh, maybe that will be a future post instead!

Don't get me wrong, I don't judge other mothers who chose not to pump at all, or even for a shorter time. The one thing I have learned is every baby and mom are different, so each mother needs to decide what is right for her. So, for right now my new mission is to breast feed for one year. We'll see how it goes ...!

Almost forgot my favorite two products that have helped me pump...Hands-Free-Breastpump Bra, Lansinoh-Breastmilk-Storage-Bags.

Sleep Deprivation Makes Me Evil

It never fails, whenever I have had zero sleep, my evil side comes out. Last night Gracie woke up every two hours, and then wanted to play at 4:10 in the morning. Ugh... so tired. I just wanted to say to her, "Baby girl, mommy has to work all day. Just come to bed with me and nap for another hour or two so mommy isn't so cranky." Yeah right! Instead, I took her to bed with me and she wanted to play and roll off my bed. I put her back in her crib and 'attempted' to get some more shut eye. Never fails though; my husband came to say goodbye to me and I snapped at him. So sad. I can't help it, it's the lack of sleep I swear! I can't believe I didn't take more advantage of my freedom of sleep in my 20's! Here's to a long day...

Technology Rocks

I seriously doubt I would have made it as a mom 100 years ago. I know that sounds silly but I LOVE all the modern technology we have today that helps me be a better, calmer mom. My prime example is video baby monitors. Which one (if any) do you use as a mom? Some moms go without but I love being able to see my baby at the touch of a button. One friend of mine shared her newest baby monitor purchase, check this link out. It's worth every penny. Why? Because no one tells you how much your house's electrical interferes with the signal or how nice it would be to move the camera angle. This bad boy also gives room temperate, a two way radio, and can add up to 4 additional cameras for more rooms. This is so happening before baby #2. This is the type of thing I wished I had known before I registered for and received another monitor...Motorola Baby Monitor. Is it sad that this is the type of gift I dream about now? Ha! I'm sure there are other great ones out there but I'm digging this one...

The Airplane

During pregnancy you fantasize a lot about your future baby and what it's going to be like. One image I had was air planing food to my babe. What no one tells you is that doing this teaches them to also vibrate their lips and spit said food all over you. Fantasy over. Love my silly kid; she thinks its so funny.

The Creep, I Mean Croup

OK, so last night was the hardest and scariest night as a mom yet. People always tell you about 'Mom Instinct' and during a lot of my pregnancy I worried I wouldn't have it, or wouldn't be maternal or know what to do with my new baby. Yes, I worried about everything and it may be silly, but it's what I did. I'm so glad that I do in fact have this mom instinct because it was on high alert last night. After hours of her wheezing and coughing and crying and snot flying, I finally realized things weren't normal. I of course sent out my 911 texts to fellow moms and scoured the Internet. I attempted to check her temperature because I knew she felt way too hot.  The forehead one we just paid extra money for was NOT working. (See here:Exergen-Temporal-Thermometer I did the armpit one as well and that one still didn't seem to be right. I gave her Tylenol anyways at her dosage (I can never remember it so I found this site to help me gage it... (Acetaminophen Dosage Chart) and that seemed to calm her enough that we both got some sleep. At 2:30 am she woke again and really seemed to be struggling to breathe. Each time she tried to cry, she made a choking sound like there was something stuck in her throat. I found this great video that helped me identify if I was exaggerating over this breathing and coughing thing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qbn1Zw5CTbA. Gracie looked and sounded just like this! Here is also a great website of info I was reading earlier in the night:Decoding Baby's Cough. This was a great resource on all things cough related to your baby; difficult-noisy-or-labored-breathing. So glad I finally decided to go to the ER. They got us checked in, gave her a nebulizer to help her to have immediate relief of her swollen throat. They also gave her Tylenol for her temperature (102) and a steroid shot for long term relief. They gave us great recommendations for getting a cool mist humidifier, which we planned on getting anyways. We got this one like this at Costco and it's the bomb: warm-mist-vs-cool-mist-humidifiers. So, the best part of the who croup/ creep story is that I got home this morning after the ER, went to the bathroom and looked at the non-working thermometer and realized both my husband and I didn't take the plastic cap off the end... OMG. No wonder it was only reading 95 degrees on my baby. Yikes. Gracie, I promise to be better at this in the future!

Here goes nothing...

Well, I've finally decided to start one of my bucket list to-do's; a blog. I never knew when I was going to create one or what I would talk about, but when a friend mentioned the name, 'Love and Gracie', I just knew that was it. I'm not a great writer and I definitely am very far behind on the learning curve of being a new mom, but I wanted to get my experiences and stories out there to share with other moms, to laugh at my self, and to have something for my daughter to look back on one day and read. How cool would it be if it helped her when she is a new mommy? So, here it all is; the good, the bad, the ugly and everything in between as I experience the ultimate love and Gracie.