My Life Revolves Around Poop

So the past few days I have been on patrol - poop patrol, that is. Who knew that the bowl movements of a baby would take up some many places in my life... disgust, worry, relief, inspection, wipe quality, diaper quality... the list goes on. For the first month of Jon Jon's life, he was on breast milk - which if you don't know, produces a LOT of poop. Like 8 poops a day. I can remember it being 3am and Big Jon would have just changed Little Jon's diaper and carefully placed him back in his bassinet, and then we would hear it - bbbllpptt - a nice big poop in his nice clean diaper - and we would lay there and laugh. You have to laugh really, other wise you'd go insane. And then the cycle would start again.

Then we switched Jon Jon to formula and the "production line" was scaled back to a very manageable once a day. Consistently stinky, and mustardy, and I thought we had everything under control. Then we had to switch Jon Jon into the next diaper size - and apparently I had bought the twice bigger size, because the poop was no longer being contained! It was going up the back, out the legs and everywhere it shouldn't be. I even had to break out the scissors and cut him out of a couple onsies as to not have to drag his big beautiful head through it! I went and purchsed the correct size diapers, and once more, we were under control.

This past week we started Jon Jon on solids - in the form of rice cereal. He was thrilled. Happily opening up his perfect little mouth and slurping up the cereal with great delight in his new experience. We fed him cereal once a day, each time his spoon skills improving greatly and more cereal making its way in his mouth and not just on his bib. And then I noticed... Where did the poop go?? When was the last time he went? 3 days ago!! So apparently, cereal has a "binding" effect and his system was having a little trouble adjusting. I called the DR to ask for advice - just keep going is what he said, Jon Jon will adjust. My Mom Group friends gave lots of great advice - prune juice, oatmeal, vegetables.

So I went to the store to pick up some juice and oatmeal, like a good mom concerned about my little guys production back-up. And wouldn't you know, as soon as we got home - bbbllpptt!!! Well I was so happy and relieved over Jon Jon's relief, I emailed Big Jon, then emailed my Mom Group - who all said "Yay for Poop" (this is why you need a Mommy group - who else will yay for poop? ) I am pretty sure Jon Jon smiled too as he was doing it :)

I never knew how important poop would be... but really when you think about it, it's one of the biggest ways babies can communicate their digestive situation: no mom, I did not like the pureed prunes, or too much rice cereal makes me grumpy. He can't go to the medicine cabinet to pop some Tums. He relies on me to "read" his poop. Kind of like that gypsy lady reads tea leaves, Moms read poop. So, Yay for moms and their babies' poop all over the world! May your days be diaper filled!

Everyone Loves a Man in Uniform!

Just in time for Memorial Day, and thanks to a generous Grandma, Jon Jon has a new collection of sailor outfits. I am pretty sure it just does not get any cuter than this! My heart melts every time I look at him. But these kinds of vintage inspired clothes are hard to find. They certainly don't sell them at Old Navy. My mother has made it her personal quest to dress this little guy in as many sailor outfits and "Jon Jons" (yes, this the official name of a certain style of shortalls) as possible. An unexpected perk of these old school outfits too, is that some of them sort look like dresses. And to a girly-girl, Mom of a boy, I'll take what I can get.

As I confessed in my last post, Ebay is a great place to find baby clothes, and many of Jon Jon's super cute duds have come from here. A couple other sites that specialize in hard to find, heirloom type pieces are BestDressedChild and Grammie's Attic. They have more sailor suits than there are sailors and adorable dresses for girls too. But of course, being the fashionista that I am (or try to be) I have been searching long and hard for the perfect shoes to go with these outfits. Not easy! If anyone knows of a great place to by some white, soft leather booties, let me know!

So happy Memorial Day everyone! Get on your uniform and celebrate in style!

Ebay is a Mom's Best Friend

I am a total Ebay addict! I love it! The bargains, the thrill of the auction and the "presents" that come in the mail thereafter. All in all, a great experience. But as a Mom it's an amazing place to get all the gear you need for you new life with baby. Soon after I got pregnant I starting Ebay stalking Bugaboo strollers - the Mercedes Benz of strollers. Big Jon was horrified when I told him that the limited edition Denim Bugaboo Cameleon I wanted went for a cool $1000! But with some perseverance I found one on Ebay, barely used, for $580! Almost half price! And the great news, is that these strollers are so popular, and hold up so well, that I will probably be able to turn around in sell it to another Mom in a few years when we are done with it.


I've also bought a shamefully large amount of baby clothes on Ebay. New or used, it makes no difference to me - after all, at the rate babies grow out of clothes, you know the used items have not been worn that many times. Cute boys clothes are especially hard to find, and the baby stores at the mall just don't always cut it. But on Ebay you can find great, boutique only brands from all over the country. You can save searches for certain brands you like, and you'll get notified when those items get listed - thus saving you lots of precious searching time. Buying Robeez has been a recent favorite pastime of mine. These fun and colorful leather crib shoes sell for $28 new, but I only paid $12 for my favorite "Mom Tattoo" shoes!


Aside from getting a great deal, I love the idea of "recycling" Mom money. Most of the baby items for sale are coming directly from other moms, who are trying to earn money to buy new gear for their kids. And I have done the same thing. I have sold already outgrown items on Ebay and then used that same money to buy new items for Jon Jon. It helps me out, and it helps other Moms out. And in this economy, who couldn't use a little help? But possible the best thing about Ebay, is that you don't have to take a shower, pack up the baby, find a parking space, fight the crowds and pray that your baby doesn't start screaming, in order to go shopping. You can do it during nap time, while in your bathrobe and slippers, sipping a cup of tea, on the comfort of your sofa. So thanks Ebay for giving Moms a place to exchange their fabulous finds! Now if you'll excuse me, I have some shopping to do - while still in my slippers of course!

Cilantro Makes It All Better

I know this is supposed to be a blog about parenting - but parents gotta eat too! So I want to share two of my new favorite recipes: Grilled Pork Chops with Garlic Lime Sauce and Black Bean and Tomato Quinoa. Both of which are super easy, include common ingredients and will supply you with some yummy lunch leftovers.

I LOVE cilantro - it smells like summer to me and tastes oh so fresh. I would eat cilantro ice cream if someone made it. And I've been super intrigued about making some quinoa recipes - so this one is perfection. If you haven't heard of quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) it is similar to a grain, and cooked like a grain - but is actually a seed and is high in protein, calcium and iron. In other words - a super healthy alternative to plain old white rice! This quinoa recipe can be made ahead of time and tastes great at room temperature. And the sauce for the pork recipe also works great over grilled tuna steaks - which is what Jon and I did this time around and is pictured.

Black-Bean and Tomato Quinoa

From Gourmet | July 2007

Yield: Makes 4 (side dish) servings Active Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes 2 teaspoons grated lime zest 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 teaspoon sugar 1 cup quinoa 1 (14- to 15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained 2 medium tomatoes, diced 4 scallions, chopped 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro Whisk together lime zest and juice, butter, oil, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Cook quinoa according to package instructions. Add quinoa to dressing and toss until dressing is absorbed, then stir in remaining ingredients and salt and pepper to taste. Per serving: 382 calories, 12 g fat (4 g saturated), 15 mg cholesterol, 446 mg sodium, 55 g carbohydrate, 10 g fiber, 14 g protein

Grilled Pork Chops with Garlic Lime Sauce

Yield: Makes 4 servings
Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
6 (1/2-inch-thick) boneless pork chops

Whisk together lime juice, garlic, red-pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking well. Whisk in cilantro.

Prepare a gas grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-high heat. Pat pork dry and season with salt and pepper. Oil grill rack, then grill pork chops, covered, turning over once, until just cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes total. Serve drizzled with some vinaigrette, and with remainder on the side.

Cooks' note:
If you aren't able to grill outdoors, chops can be cooked in a hot lightly oiled large (2-burner) ridged grill pan over moderately high heat.

Per serving: 236 calories, 16 g fat (3 g saturated), 1 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 22 g protein, 40 mg sodium, 65 mg cholesterol

And if you're in the mood for a summery fresh and bikini-friendly cocktail - my new favorite is Miller 64 Calorie beer. Stick a lime in it and it tastes just like a Corona - but at 1/2 the calories! Bon Appetit and Cheers!!

Give a Mom a break.

I had always heard new Moms say how hard it is to get out of the house once you have a baby. But I never had any idea just how hard it was until I became a mom. First you have to time it with naps, then you have to pack the diaper bag - formula, diapers, extra cloths, bottles, water, etc. - get the baby strapped into the car seat, remember your items - phone, wallet, keys, sunglasses, etc. - and if you're lucky you'll be out the door about 20 minutes after you intended to.

Sometimes I wondered if leaving the house was worth the hassle. A simple trip to the grocery store was exhausting. But life still has to go on. There are trips to the post office, the bank, Babies R Us, and the occasional Mommy trip to TJMaxx. Usually Jon Jon would fall asleep in the car and I would try my best to get him out of the car and into the store without waking him. I would give dirty looks to those around me who talked to loud, making his little eyes peek open. Couldn't they see how desperate I was?? With my little baby, and my unwashed hair, and mismatched outfit. All I wanted was to wander around a store like I had all the time in the world, that is until he woke up.

And he would always manage to wake up right when I was in line to check out. When I had spent half an hour in consumerism bliss, and there was no way I was going to leave without those precious few items. And then he would start to cry, and here I am wedged in between other shoppers with no escape in sight. "Aw, he's hungry." "Oh - he must be tired," they would say. No! He's not hungry, and he's not tired, I would want to retaliate, as if this was a personal attack on me and my mothering skills, when all they were trying to do was make conversation. But that's no help to a Mom who has been cooped up in a house with no one but the dog to talk to.

Next time you are out shopping and you see a Mom struggling with her little one, open the door for her! Let her go in front of you in line! Offer to help her get her groceries in the car. This is a woman who just wants to get through her to-do list for the day without any melt downs - her and her baby. So see if you can help her out just a little. If you are a Mom you should remember what those days were like. And if you're not a Mom, you have one, and she too probably battled the triathlon of dry cleaner, bank, and supermarket in a single day. So for her sake, give a Mom a break. She'll be forever grateful and think to herself, "I hope my baby is as nice as that stranger when they grow up." And isn't that the best compliment you could receive?

Might as well face it... you're addicted to swaddles.

When Jon Jon was 6 weeks old, the novelty of sleep deprivation was wearing off. He was certainly not sleeping through the night, and we were experiencing the "Witching Hours" - where he was fussy from 6-10pm. At my wits end, I did what any looking-to-be-informed mom would do - I Googled.

At this point we were not swaddling Jon Jon. The receiving blankets just weren't cutting it, and the velcro style swaddles were no match for his wiggling hands. He would pop them out and start scratching and rubbing his face, thus waking him up. But during my internet search about swaddles I came across the Miracle Blanket. I watched the demonstration video on the companies website, and thought that this straight jacket style swaddle just might be on to something. And then it occurred to me, I had seen this strange, bat-winged piece of blue fabric somewhere before. It was in my closet! My sister-in-law Jill had included it in a box of hand-me-downs from her son Jack. When I first saw it, I had no idea what it was! But I quickly ran upstairs and pulled out the wadded up piece of mystery fabric and could hardly wait to try it out on my little guy.

The Miracle Blanket was a miracle for sure! Jon Jon started sleeping better right away. I was in love - with the swaddle that is. Fast forward to this past week. We had been swaddling Jon Jon consistently every night, and occasionally during naps, and the affects on his sleep quality, and ours, were wonderful. But as he has grown, the little bugger has started to bust out of his swaddle. First one foot, then one arm, then all limbs - which basically left him with a wad of fabric wrapped around his belly. Sadly I thought we had reached the end of our swaddle days. So we attempted to put him to sleep without the swaddle, and once more he scratched and rubbed his face awake. In a panic of - how will we all ever sleep again?! - once more I Googled, this time, "sleeping without swaddles", to see how other parents dealt with this challenge.

What I found surprised me. On parenting chat boards people were consistently talking about their babies being addicted to swaddling, and unable to sleep without it. Jon Jon addicted to swaddling?? And here I thought he was trying to break out of his swaddle because he didn't like it anymore, and it was I who was addicted to his swaddle, or rather the side effects of the swaddle - a good nights sleep. People talked of slowly transitioning their baby out of their swaddle, first one arm, then the second. But others talked of just swaddling their babies arms, so that they wouldn't wake themselves with their twitchy hands. Bingo! So last night when he woke up at 1am, I broke out the swaddle once more, and wrapped up those arms nice and tight, but left his legs dangling out the bottom. Jon Jon slept like a rock once more. So maybe he was addicted to this blue, cotton miracle.

But when will our addiction end? Will he ever sleep without his swaddle? I suddenly have visions of swaddling a teenage boy. I know it won't come to that, and at some point he will sleep soundly without the aid of turning into a little burrito. But for now I will continue to swaddle Jon Jon and hopefully it will once again bring back our sleep filled nights.

Mother's Day Eve...

Tomorrow is my first Mother's Day, and I am so excited. Last year at this time, I had just found out I was pregnant, and though I still received a few Mother's Day cards and gifts, I certainly didn't feel like a mom. I had this little tadpole inside me, or so I was told, but without anything to show for it - not even an ounce of morning sickness - I barely even felt pregnant. But with the calendar being a 12 month cycle and babies taking 9 months to make their entrance, this year I get to celebrate for real.

Someone told me recently that some Mothers take Mother's Day as a day to themselves, to do with what they please. A trip to the spa, or some child-free shopping. But this strikes me as strange. I want to spend the day with my Jon Jon. I want to cuddle him and kiss his little bald head. I want to feed him a bottle and change his diapers. I want to take him for a stroll in the stroller and watch him see trees in bloom for the first time. But you know what I don't want to do? Anything else. No cooking, no cleaning, no laundry or bills. I don't want to be responsible for anything else but loving my son and soaking it all in. I think that's what Mother's Day should be all about.

I recently said to my husband: "I love being a Mom, I think being a Mom is amazing; and I think being a Mom is easy. It's taking care of the rest of your life, while being a Mom that's the hard part." So tomorrow I want to be an easy a day. I want to spend my time staring into those big blueberry blue eyes and thank Jon Jon for making me a Mom.

Happy Mother's Day to all you Mothers out there. Everything else can wait until Monday... for now just enjoy the precious gifts that gave you a reason to celebrate Mother's Day in the first place.

Talking In Your Sleep

At about 12 weeks old, my precious Jon Jon started sleeping through the night. And I'm not talking about the baby books definition of 5-6 hours. He was sleeping a blissful 10-12 hours a night! I was in heaven. Finally, the bags under my eyes and the fog in my brain started to lift. I was basking in the glow of my "good sleeper".

Last night Jon Jon quickly passed out at his normal sleep time of 6:30, but soon he would be changing the rules. A couple times I could hear (and see) him on the baby monitor crying early in the evening. I went to check on him, and he appeared to be crying in his sleep?! I did not even know this was possible. I left him alone and just as fast as he had started crying, he stopped. Then, during American Idol (grrr), he did it again. And at 10pm he was awake for real and wanting a bottle. Well that was not all - he woke again at 1am talking to himself in his crib for 20 minutes until he finally started to cry and we fed him again. At 3:30 I heard him once more and when I turned in bed to look at the monitor, there was my little angel, completely escaped from his swaddle and playing with the toy attached to the side of his crib. But he was also yelling at it. Kind of funny, if it was at 3 in the afternoon, but not at 3 in the morning. I fed him another bottle and he went back to sleep but only for another 2 hours, and then he was up for good.

Well, this was totally unacceptable! I have gotten used to sleeping again. This just would not do. So when Jon Jon went down for his first nap, instead of taking that much needed nap myself, I went straight to the internet and Googled "baby night waking." Good ol' Baby Center had some ideas. Temperature change? Nope. Change in nighttime routine? Guess again. Developmental milestone? Hmmm - he has been talking and yelling, umm I mean vocalizing, a lot the past few days. Could this be the answer? Could all his daytime chatting have left him wanting more?

So if this is the answer, what can be done about it? Should I "talk" to him nonstop during the day, so that he's all talked out by bedtime? Should I ignore his ooos and ahhs? Well obviously this would be a horrible thing for a Mommy to do! I am supposed to be encouraging his development. In fact all his talking has even led me down the Mom fantasy road of: Will he be saying his first words by six months old? Maybe he'll become a great singer! Or a fabulous public speaker! Maybe he'll travel the world on the lecture circuit and always thanking his Mom for her fabulous mothering and encouraging him from an early age. But I quickly see where all this mom-tasizing could lead, and reel myself in.

What will tonight hold? Will Jon Jon be talking in his sleep once more? Only time will tell. But for the moment I will enjoy the ooos and ahhs, even if they come at 2 in the morning, and spend my extra waking hours thinking of all the great things he may do with his amazing oratory skills... like saying Mamma.

Mommy Makeover

I knew when I gave birth to my son that life as I knew it would cease to exist. Anyone who is planning a family knows this. I had my fantasies of long walks with a stroller, music & me classes, mommy group play dates, snuggling naps on the couch and inhaling that addictive baby fresh scent. But I also knew there would be sleepless nights, hormonal breakdowns, spit-up... lots and lots of spit-up, and doubt of whether or not I could handle my new life. But no one told me about ponytails and slippers. No one told me that everyday, these two things would make up my new, and necessary, wardrobe. No one told me that I'd be getting a mommy makeover.

I have nice hair. I do; and it's my favorite physical attribute. In my pre-baby days, I'd always enjoyed "doing" my hair - curling irons, hot rollers, braids, twists, buns and more. Nice hair is especially great when you're pregnant. Your hair doesn't get fat. Your hair doesn't get bloated. In fact, I found that the bigger my belly got, the bigger my hairstyles went. In a weird way I was trying to balance out my body. In the way that they tell you to carry a big purse, so your frame seems smaller. So larger and larger I went with the rollers and the hairspray.

And shoes! Oh, the shoes. The more impractical, the more I wanted them. Sky high platforms, sweet kitten heels, and wild wedges - I loved them all. I went a long time without owning a pair of flats - even when ballerina shoes made their big trendy debut. I still wanted to be tall, tall tall... and then I got pregnant. It wasn't just that my feet were bloated and didn't fit my heels. It was more that, where was I going in all these heels? I was no longer perched on a bar stool on a Saturday night sipping martinis. I was going out for sensible early dinners at places like TGIFridays and sipping water with that celebratory slice of lemon. So out I went and bought practical flats and comfy sneakers. And then I did something I had never done before; I bought a pair of slippers. Everyone said, bring your own slippers to the hospital when you give birth. So I followed orders and found a comfy pair of pink slip-ons, which quickly went into my hospital bag, waiting anxiously by the door.

After the birth of my son, things changed in all the ways I expected them to. Up all hours of the night, constantly doing laundry, and changing more diapers than I could count. But my lifeline, my saving grace, were my ponytails and slippers. I couldn't have enough ponytail holders stashed around the house. With showers being a thing of the past, I pulled my hair back into that little elastic so fast each morning my son probably didn't even know I had hair. But he soon found out at 3 months old, when I managed to get in the odd shower and blow-dry my hair properly, and he learned how to pull on it. So back in the ponytails it went. And the slippers, well there have probably been more days than not, that I have spent all day in these fabulous footwear items. Even as I type now, they are lovingly caressing my feet, in the way that only a well worn pair of slippers can.


I do get out of the house more these days, and into more fashionable footwear (mommy appropriate flats, of course). But I live in fear that one day I will leave the house with my slippers still on and be that lady at the supermarket that other moms will look and give that totally-know-what-you're-going-through, sympathetic nod. I know sometime soon I'll be able to let my hair down again, figuratively and literally. But for now, I'm happy to shuffle around the house with my oh so stylish "do" because in my arms is the sweetest little baby you'll ever meet. And he doesn't care a bit as to what kind of fashion statement I'm making.

Like a Virgin

I am a virgin - to blogging. But today is the BIG day. And with a few quick taps of the keyboard my chastity has been quickly erased - or should I say written. And similar to the real deal, I find myself asking, "What's all the fuss about?" There's been all this talk and build-up. Everyone is "doing" it. As I anticipate hitting the orange "publish post" button on the bottom of my page, I am feeling excitement, curiosity, and apprehension. Am I ready to bear my soul to the world? Of course it remains to be seen if anyone cares to listen. But I am confident that over time and with some perseverance, blogging might become an exciting and rewarding pastime.

My subject matter proves that I am anything but a virgin: my darling, little three and a half month old son, Jon. Yes, I am a Mom. Capital M Mom. A Mom that has some thoughts to go along this whole motherhood movement. Obviously I am aware that motherhood is not a new concept, but the sensationalism of it seems to be. Maybe it's just because I am a mother now, and have cause to notice, that it seems like motherhood is everywhere you look. But with baby bumps gracing the pages of every tabloid, shows like In the Motherhood hitting prime time TV, and celebrities such as Jenny McCarthy and Tori Spelling spilling their mommy beans in best selling books, it's hard to deny the mommy movement.

I am unsure about exactly what I have to say. And I'm OK with that. After all, as a rookie mom, I feel unsure about what I'm doing at many moments of the day. But as they say, isn't that what life is all about? And if I can find the time to type between diaper changes, bottle feedings, and doing my dutiful tummy time, I will share my journey with you.

(pressing orange "publish post" button now. ahhhh)