As I was flipping through the channels this morning while pumping (the only time I turn on my television), I realized that it was apparently time for the obligatory "Year in Review" segments on every single show, on every single channel. I suppose it's appropriate on this New Year's Eve 2011. Here I sit, while my little angel naps, and think, my goodness, what a year I've had. So, here I go, here is my 2011 walk down memory lane and some of the things I remember and more importantly, the things I've learned~.
In early February, I learned I was pregnant and my life changed forever. I remember taking my pregnancy test while my friends were sitting outside in my dining room drinking wine. At the same time, I remember thinking, Oh Shit! I just drank a glass of wine! (the last glass I drank until last month). I remember telling Matt that I was so bummed that I couldn't go snowboarding on our upcoming trip to Vermont, and the look on his face when he said "We're pregnant?!?". I thought about my body in a totally different way. The only thing I cared about was putting the right things into it, and treating it right so I could give my baby the most wonderful environment to live for the next 9 months.
I learned what it felt like to live in fear. For the first three months of my pregnancy, I lived in total fear that something would happen to my baby. After previously experiencing a miscarriage, I just knew I couldn't go through that sadness again. The joy that Matt and I felt at our 13 week appointment when we saw our little baby kicking around on the ultrasound was so overwhelming. One of my favorite moments!
Telling my family was one of my favorite memories of the year. We captured their reaction on film after Matt said he wanted to take a family picture while we were all out to dinner. Instead of "Say Cheese!", Matt said "Say Elisa's Pregnant!". My sister cried, my mom screamed a profanity and my dad & brother were all smiles. Pretty typical reactions for my family, but super fun all the same!
Telling our friends was also a lot of fun. Typical reaction comment (seriously, we heard this from several friends): It's the end of an era. (ha.)
Good pickles are expensive. When you are buying a jar or going to the deli for them every 3 days or so- they add up.
You will never ever be prepared for your baby. Over the past year I think I read at least 15 books on pregnancy and not one described the overwhelming feeling you have when they put that baby in your arms...or the shocking look on your husbands face when he sees that first black tarish poopy diaper.
In the year 2011, I became closer and more in love with my husband that I have in the past 13 years that I have known him. His strength and love toward me while I was pregnant filled my heart with joy and seeing him as a wonderful father makes him the most amazing man in the world in my eyes (...and the hottest. I also learned that when your husband becomes a father...hopefully to your child...he also get exponentially hotter).
Family is everything. I always knew this, I was always a family oriented girl, but while you are pregnant and when you have a baby, you really, truly understand this. My younger sister was my angel during my entire pregnancy. She was there for me to talk to, to help me with my laundry and to help me clean my house when I was too tired to do it myself. She came with me food shopping at the end, just in case my water broke (huge fear of mine..) and she unloaded all of my groceries. She asked me how I was feeling every single day. She grew up right before my eyes, and I am so grateful to have her in my life as my sister and best friend. I also gained a much deeper relationship with my mom. I learned so much from her, she was always there to answer my questions and give her opinion (SHOCKING, right?? ha. ). I value our relationship so much more now that I am a mommy. Knowing how much I love my son, makes me love her even more...because I know she loves me just as much. It has been a beautiful journey watching my family and friends love me and my son, right from the moment they learned of his existence.
I learned I am strong (if not humble..haha) person. WAY stronger than I ever thought I could be. I pat myself on my (achy) back this year.
And now, it's resolution time. I will not pledge to lose 10 pounds (even though I would really , really, really love to lose 10 pounds!! So maybe....), I will just pledge to love more, be angry less, keep my stress level at a minimum, be generous, try new things, be adventurous, give my everything to my precious baby so he can have a wonderful first year of life!
I will be ringing in at midnight with the 3 loves of my life tonight. Baby, Daddy, Chihuahua & me on the couch with a bottle of expensive champagne I have been saving for a special occasion. Since everyday is a blessing , I guess tonight is a as good of a night as ever to pop that cork and celebrate.
Happy New Year everyone. Lots of love for an awesome 2012!
xo
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Stuff you don't need. And a few things ya do...
Holden is 10 weeks old today. The time is flying by and I am now an experienced mother who knows exactly what I'm doing. HA! I kid. I'm thinking I will never know what I'm doing, but I have realized something: You really don't need all of the stuff you thought you'd need. When we went to register at our ginormous baby store, we registered for everything because that's what "they" tell you to do. And we were modest in our registering...we thought we were being practical. Well, now, in my sage wisdom, I can tell you some of the shit you don't need (at least this is what I am finding...I'm sure it's not the same for all so please don't take offence) and some of the stuff you absolutely do need. Happy registering for the soon to be mommies out there- have fun with it. Hope you find my little list helpful (or at least fun:)
DON'T NEED:
-Those little mitts for your newborns hands. Most newborn shirts have fold over sleeves that work great, and those mitts fall off and disappear in your washing machine (much like baby socks. Yes, you need these...but the dryer eats them.)
- Really fancy butt creams. I have about 10 different butt creams that contain calendula, chamomile and lots of other wonderful ingredients for my little ones precious tush. It just so happens that he has the most sensitive skin in the world, so now we have a big 'ol tub of Aquafor that works wonders to keep his hiney rash free.
-Crib bumpers- I actually don't have one because I cancelled it from my custom crib bedding order.They are officially dubbed "dangerous" by the important people at the American Academy of Pediatrics. Don't take the risk of putting one in your baby's crib just so it looks nice. Not worth it.
-A bumbo (sorry Heather ; )- I was obsessed with getting one of these and I did! Holden hated it, and soon after, reports of baby's falling out of them and cracking their skulls were reported. Again, not worth the risk...but if you do use one, for goodness sake, watch your baby!
-Baby blankets- I love all of my baby blankets, and I use quite a few of them regularly. But, you do not have to register for them! It is inevitable that you will receive lots as gifts.
- Also, don't register for baby clothes. You will have more clothing in your baby's closet than Kim Kardashian has in her closet. Only wash a handful of items at a time, and keep receipts so you can exchange them for a bigger size if necessary.
- A huge stroller. Ok, I know this is like talking religion & politics in the baby world, and I may get flamed for this...but I see zero reason for a $1000 stroller. I think it is the biggest waste of money ever. I don't even think you need a big, heavy travel system. Get a Snap & Go and you will be set...donate the other $900 you would have spent on your Bugaboo to charity. Simplify people.
- Dr. Brown's bottles- Before you scream that I am psychotic and that Dr. Brown's bottles saved your life, hear me out. I hear they are fantastic and I registered for them, and got them with all their million accessories. BUT, if you don't have a colicky, fussy or gassy baby, why the hell would you want to wash 5 parts on each bottle?? If you are using a bottle, I say start with something a bit more simple (love my Avent bottles for pumped breastmilk) and switch to the Dr. Brown's if you need them. You spend about 1/4 of your day washing bottles when you have the simple bottles, so don't bump it up to 1/2 a day unless absolutely necessary.
Now, on the contrary- here are some things you (and your baby) cannot live without:
- A "gardeners" knee pad. If you have to kneel on your tiled bathroom floor to give Baby a bath- head to Home Depot and buy one of these for $4.00. Your knees will thank you.
-A Sound machine- We are in love with ours. It sounds natural and it really, truly helps Holden sleep a solid 6-8 hours at night. This one isn't pretty or fancy, but check out the reviews. Totally worth it!
-Sleep sacks- I love the ones that are sleeveless so you can still put a pj on Baby. They are much safer than a blanket and are super cuddly for your little one.
-Swaddlers- I, like all the other moms who read blogs and magazines, love my Aden & Anais swaddle blankets. They are big, and stretchy and great. But, I also love my Swaddle Me blanket sleepers. Yes, they are a bit pricey at about $20 each, but I have 2 and wash them often (what's the difference, I do laundry about 100 times a day anyway!). Holden sleeps great when he is swaddled tightly in one of these and the are really comfy cozy for the winter.
- A high grade breast pump. I'll keep this short and sweet... if you are pumping lots (like me, I am almost exclusively pumping) rent a medical grade pump. Let me know if you want info and I would love to give it to you.
- A baby sling- Like any hippie granola head mommie, I love my baby sling. I don't wear Holden all of the time, but for me, it is a wonderful tool to have him close to me while having my hands free to do some housework (like the bottle cleaning and laundry mentioned above).
- A My Brest Friend pillow- If you are Breastfeeding, get one. Love it.
- A Pack n Play- A total yes for all of the traveling parents. I got one with the newborn napper and the changing pad...didn't use either of those though. I also have a Pack n Play at my mom's house. Great idea to have the basics at Grandma's if you are there a lot!
- Swing/Bouncy chair- Love this for when I need to shower especially. Holden just chills out in the bathroom with me and listens to the water!
- Boppy changing pad covers for your changing pad cover. Yes, your new baby will poop and pee all over your fancy (in my case, custom made) changing pad cover. Get these little pads by Boppy to put on top of the cover and you will be washing your cover less and changing baby on a naked plastic changing pad less.
-A camera. And a camcorder. And a Shutterfly account.- Take lots of pictures. And now, is the time to buy that Kodak flipcam you've been eyeing. They are adorable and deserve to log hours of film on your videocam.
And lastly, LOVE (duh)!!! Cuddle that sweet baby of yours and he will not know if you have fancy baby stuff or the bare necessities. They are pretty non materialistic and low maintenance at this point!
DON'T NEED:
-Those little mitts for your newborns hands. Most newborn shirts have fold over sleeves that work great, and those mitts fall off and disappear in your washing machine (much like baby socks. Yes, you need these...but the dryer eats them.)
- Really fancy butt creams. I have about 10 different butt creams that contain calendula, chamomile and lots of other wonderful ingredients for my little ones precious tush. It just so happens that he has the most sensitive skin in the world, so now we have a big 'ol tub of Aquafor that works wonders to keep his hiney rash free.
-Crib bumpers- I actually don't have one because I cancelled it from my custom crib bedding order.They are officially dubbed "dangerous" by the important people at the American Academy of Pediatrics. Don't take the risk of putting one in your baby's crib just so it looks nice. Not worth it.
-A bumbo (sorry Heather ; )- I was obsessed with getting one of these and I did! Holden hated it, and soon after, reports of baby's falling out of them and cracking their skulls were reported. Again, not worth the risk...but if you do use one, for goodness sake, watch your baby!
-Baby blankets- I love all of my baby blankets, and I use quite a few of them regularly. But, you do not have to register for them! It is inevitable that you will receive lots as gifts.
- Also, don't register for baby clothes. You will have more clothing in your baby's closet than Kim Kardashian has in her closet. Only wash a handful of items at a time, and keep receipts so you can exchange them for a bigger size if necessary.
- A huge stroller. Ok, I know this is like talking religion & politics in the baby world, and I may get flamed for this...but I see zero reason for a $1000 stroller. I think it is the biggest waste of money ever. I don't even think you need a big, heavy travel system. Get a Snap & Go and you will be set...donate the other $900 you would have spent on your Bugaboo to charity. Simplify people.
- Dr. Brown's bottles- Before you scream that I am psychotic and that Dr. Brown's bottles saved your life, hear me out. I hear they are fantastic and I registered for them, and got them with all their million accessories. BUT, if you don't have a colicky, fussy or gassy baby, why the hell would you want to wash 5 parts on each bottle?? If you are using a bottle, I say start with something a bit more simple (love my Avent bottles for pumped breastmilk) and switch to the Dr. Brown's if you need them. You spend about 1/4 of your day washing bottles when you have the simple bottles, so don't bump it up to 1/2 a day unless absolutely necessary.
Now, on the contrary- here are some things you (and your baby) cannot live without:
- A "gardeners" knee pad. If you have to kneel on your tiled bathroom floor to give Baby a bath- head to Home Depot and buy one of these for $4.00. Your knees will thank you.
-A Sound machine- We are in love with ours. It sounds natural and it really, truly helps Holden sleep a solid 6-8 hours at night. This one isn't pretty or fancy, but check out the reviews. Totally worth it!
-Sleep sacks- I love the ones that are sleeveless so you can still put a pj on Baby. They are much safer than a blanket and are super cuddly for your little one.
-Swaddlers- I, like all the other moms who read blogs and magazines, love my Aden & Anais swaddle blankets. They are big, and stretchy and great. But, I also love my Swaddle Me blanket sleepers. Yes, they are a bit pricey at about $20 each, but I have 2 and wash them often (what's the difference, I do laundry about 100 times a day anyway!). Holden sleeps great when he is swaddled tightly in one of these and the are really comfy cozy for the winter.
- A high grade breast pump. I'll keep this short and sweet... if you are pumping lots (like me, I am almost exclusively pumping) rent a medical grade pump. Let me know if you want info and I would love to give it to you.
- A baby sling- Like any hippie granola head mommie, I love my baby sling. I don't wear Holden all of the time, but for me, it is a wonderful tool to have him close to me while having my hands free to do some housework (like the bottle cleaning and laundry mentioned above).
- A My Brest Friend pillow- If you are Breastfeeding, get one. Love it.
- A Pack n Play- A total yes for all of the traveling parents. I got one with the newborn napper and the changing pad...didn't use either of those though. I also have a Pack n Play at my mom's house. Great idea to have the basics at Grandma's if you are there a lot!
- Swing/Bouncy chair- Love this for when I need to shower especially. Holden just chills out in the bathroom with me and listens to the water!
- Boppy changing pad covers for your changing pad cover. Yes, your new baby will poop and pee all over your fancy (in my case, custom made) changing pad cover. Get these little pads by Boppy to put on top of the cover and you will be washing your cover less and changing baby on a naked plastic changing pad less.
-A camera. And a camcorder. And a Shutterfly account.- Take lots of pictures. And now, is the time to buy that Kodak flipcam you've been eyeing. They are adorable and deserve to log hours of film on your videocam.
And lastly, LOVE (duh)!!! Cuddle that sweet baby of yours and he will not know if you have fancy baby stuff or the bare necessities. They are pretty non materialistic and low maintenance at this point!
Saturday, December 10, 2011
He's 2 months old & I'm a mom- damn, that went fast...
So, here we are...my first ever blog post as a mommy. Yes, if you have been living under a proverbial cyber rock, you may not know that on October 11th, all of my dreams came true. My life was changed forever when my son, Holden Salvatore, was born at 8:14PM, 7.4lbs and 19.5 inches long.
I won't go into his birth story in detail since it's not overwhelmingly interesting. I went in for my 38 week check up, I was 100% effaced and 4cm dilated (it turns out, I was in active labor for about 2 full days before that and didn't realize it), so they decided it was time for baby to come out before my water broke and his foot ehhh... popped out. That was at 3pm and by 8:14pm, he was here and I was changed forever.
There were a lot of things I thought would happen after I became a mom, and I grossly underestimated them all. This little miracle was mine, I made him, and he depended on me. That is a lot to handle emotionally....the emotions of loving someone else more than you could ever imagine loving any human being in the entire world kind of hits you hard. So I cried. A LOT. I cried when he cried. I cried when he pooped (awww look at the black, tar-ish, nasty poop!). I cried when I looked at my husband (he gave me the most beautiful baby boy ever!). I cried when I fed him. I even cried when I thought about him but he was sleeping in the next room! I tried to sing to him, and I cried and couldn't get through a song. And then I heard the song, Lullaby, by Billy Joel on my Pandora radio and I really lost my shit. This is a public service announcement to all new moms- Do not listen to that song as a new mom. Actually, I don't think I will ever be able to listen to that song ever again without bawling my eyes out. Don't get me wrong, I am so happy that all of my tears are the happy kind...but I just wasn't expecting to become such a blubbering fool about everything.
Now, it's 2 months later, and I cried yesterday because I already have to pack up my baby's newborn sized clothes.He is swiftly growing out of his 0-3 month outfits and I am not really sure how time is moving so fast. Tomorrow night, my husband and I will make a little toast to our baby boy at 8:14pm to celebrate his 2 months of being on this Earth, and for making us the happiest people in the world. And, I'm sure,as I look at his now smiling (yes, real smiles!) round face...I will cry. Gotta love being a mommy <3
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