What I've learned.

So, in the past eleven and a half weeks (Holy cow!!!) I've learned that being a mama has its ups and downs, and that when you think you have something down, your baby will completely change the game on you. I've learned that the worst poops will happen when you didn't pack a change of clothes for you or baby. I've learned that the little things will absolutely melt your heart. I've learned that it's the hardest thing I will ever do. I've learned that there are some feelings I'm ashamed to admit, but in the end it's okay because I truly love him. I've learned that adult interaction is necessary for my sanity. I've learned that I can't do all the same things I did before. I've learned that I get to do so many more amazing things. I've learned that very few things will work more than once. I've learned that the animals will always be the loudest right after I get R to fall asleep. I've learned that sleep is scarce and how to deal with that a little. I've learned the magic of coffee. I've learned that Papa's will try their hardest, but still manage to bug you because they just don't get it. I've learned that R's smile can always make me smile. I've learned that you will get more unsolicited advice than you can shake a stick at. I've learned that R will ALWAYS cry as I begin to eat or get a shower. I've learned that babies will fight sleep tooth, nail, and lungs. I've learned that even though I get so frustrated when he's lost his mind, I get so sad when I see how much he's grown. I've learned to take help wherever I can get it. I've learned that I miss cooking. I've learned that I have a baby that just needs to be held. I've learned that I am RIDICULOUSLY out of shape. I've learned the value of baby wearing. I've learned that some friendships will end. I've learned that I'll long for old friends, but look forward to new friends. I've learned that not everyone will agree with my style of parenting, nor I theirs. I've learned that I will be told I am spoiling my child. I've learned that I will not hesitate to be an advocate for my child. I've learned that some things I would have previously considered gross I now do without a second thought. I've learned the many uses of breast milk. I've learned that I'm really good at masking my frustration. I've learned that it's okay to cry. I've learned that husbands give really good hugs. I've learned that my life has changed for the better. I've learned that I still have a lot to learn. I've learned that my life is amazing.

Also, I swear I have pictures, I just have to post them. :)

Progress and Grins

So, The Hubs and I failed at the birthday party. We expected R to have a meltdown much sooner than he did, and therefore were at said party much later than we expected. So, we caved and ate crappy Chuck E. Cheese pizza. We started over the next day and are now completing day two of eating totally gluten free.

Day one consisted of Cinnamon Chex cereal, I'm blanking on lunch, and chicken salad on tortilla chips. Today was a tea for breakfast, leftover chicken salad for lunch, and steak, quinoa, and salad for dinner. Snacks have been various fruits, yogurts, and spoonfuls of peanut butter. So, it hasn't been too bad. The pain is going to be knitting at Panera tomorrow night. I've been scouring their nutrition section, trying to find what I can have, and it looks like my options are going to be pretty slim. On top of that, I can't be sure that there won't be any cross contamination, but at this point I'm not going to be too picky about that. I think the important thing right this moment is cutting out as much gluten as I can. I'll be more picky about cross contamination once I've gotten this down.
My life saver so far has been www.gfoverflow.com. The Hubs' sister told me about this site, and I absolutely love it. If you aren't sure about the gf status of a product, you just type in the name and the site will let you know. It's really great for the hidden gluten in "natural flavours." Another site that I've been thankful for finding has been www.glutenfreegirl.com. This lady is married to a chef, so good food is very important to them. Because of that, they have worked really hard to de-gluten a lot of different things, posting the recipes as they go. Things are sorted into neat categories, so everything is easy to find. With the holidays coming up, I was beginning to get sad when I thought about the things The Hubs and I R would be missing out on, but thanks to these sites he won't miss out on anything. He can have most candies at Halloween, and I found a sugar cookie recipe for Yule.

Besides working on this whole gf thing, I have been working on getting smiles out of R. Gathering evidence  of said smiles is my primary occupation.

Taking the Plunge

In the last year The Hubs' mom was diagnosed with celiac disease and several of his family members have at least a gluten sensitivity. With that in mind, The Hubs and I have decided to also remove gluten from our diets. Due to the family history, R is predisposed, as is The Hubs, and we both have several issues that are said to be exacerbated by gluten, so what will it hurt to just cut it out?

We are now on day two of no gluten, and I'll be honest, it makes me feel a little trapped.Things have to change, and as selfish as it is, I don't want them to. I don't like that I can't make a quick stop at some fast food place if I'm out running errands and am starving. I don't like that I might not be able to get anything to eat when I go to knitting at Panera. I don't like that at the birthday party we're going to today I can't have cake or pizza. I don't like that since we have decided that this is the best option for our family, all I can think about are muffin, fresh bread, and all the fall treats I can't have. It's silly, and like I said, selfish, but it's frustrating.

So, now we're working on figuring out what we can eat and how to incorporate it into our lives. It's going to require me cooking a lot more, which is something that has seriously decreased since late in my pregnancy. It also requires me to plan my meals a lot better. I can't just wing things like lunch anymore. I think the thing I'm most worried about is food being boring. I've never been the type of person who enjoyed eating the same thing days on end, and it feels like that is what's in store. So far I've had salad, salad, and more salad.I know there is more I can have and do, it's just the process of figuring it out that seems daunting. I can definitely understand why The Hubs' mom was so depressed when she received her diagnosis, and I have no idea how his sister does it on top of being vegetarian! If they can do it, though, so can we. His mom is just going to receive a lot more calls asking what we should make for dinner. Also, if anyone has any suggestions for gf lunches that are easy to put together while dealing with an angry baby, I'm all ears.

I'll let you all know how this goes and if we see any improvements. :) Wish us luck!

Life With A Baby

R was born 4 weeks ago today, so he is either a month old today or will be here in three days. He is staying awake a lot more, eating constantly, following our faces, and beginning to hold his head for short periods. He is extremely needy, hating to be set down, hating to sleep anywhere that isn't on one of us, and always hungry, but we love him. He has set a bit of a schedule for himself at night. He wakes up to eat and be changed at about 11, 2, 5, and 8. By 8 he has decided that he is up for the morning. At that point we get up, get changed, eat, and then he refuses to be set down. Because of this, we are having a little bit of trouble figuring out how to get back into our old routine. I very recently discovered that R will tolerate being in my mei tai wrap as long as he is practically asleep when I put him in. From there he goes to sleep and I can do the dishes and pick up a bit before he decides he is done and wants to eat RIGHT NOW! It has been a big accomplishment! I'm hoping that with this discovery I'll be able to get back in the swing of things. I am so incredibly out of practice when it comes to cooking, cleaning, crafting, everything. I miss baking, I miss crocheting, I miss a lot of the things I was doing when I had two hands.

The Hubs goes back to work on Tuesday, and I really hate to see him go. He has been so incredibly helpful, and I'm nervous about being on my own with the baby for the first time. I'm nervous about being completely on my own during night duty. I'm nervous about my little bit of progress disappearing once I don't have him here to take the baby for a moment. I'm nervous about not having anyone here to help when I get overwhelmed. It's definitely going to be an adjustment!

So, here are the goals:
-Get back on track with Motivated Moms
-Bake something
-Go to knitting and actually crochet

So, does anyone have any suggestions for getting things done with a needy baby?

Also, in case you weren't aware, IT'S FALL! I adore summer, but fall holds a special place in my heart. I love the smells, the tastes, the pleasantly cool air, and being from Florida, I love the colours! Having a baby now, I want to start some developing some family traditions. This year I want us to go to a pumpkin patch and pick apples. In the future I want us to all bake pumpkin treats, have a bon fire, and to grow and give pumpkins to our neighbors.

I truly can't wait to get R involved in the turning of the seasons with us. I see how difficult he can be right now, with needing to be held and reassured all the time that the world is an okay place to be, and it is so incredibly worth it. I look at him and I see all the things he is learning to do and I imagine all the things we will do, and my heart just swells. These first days can be difficult, but they are becoming easier. They can be difficult, but they will be so short. One month has passed and it happened so quickly! How quickly will the rest of time pass? Every time I think of how tired I am or how I wish he would just let me lay him down for a moment, I think of how soon he will be running and not wanting to be held. It makes me reevaluate things, and I snuggle him closer. I love being a mama and I don't want these days to end.

Meal Plan Monday 6/11

So, it's Monday and that means it's time to list this weeks meal plan! I'm trying something a little different this week,using a meal plan I found at 100 Days of Real Food. It lists food for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack, has a grocery list, and links to the different recipes. There are several things that are supposed to be made over the weekend so that they are available throughout the week, and so this plan actually starts on Sunday.

Sunday

Breakfast: Whole wheat banana pancakes with a side of cantaloupe

Lunch: Grilled cheese sandwich with half a peach and half a banana

Snack: Zucchini muffin

Dinner: Pork carnitas tacos with a side of watermelon

Monday

Breakfast: Granola cereal with sliced peaches

Lunch: Caprese penne pasta salad

Snack: Watermelon

Dinner: Quesadillas with leftover taco meat

Tuesday

Breakfast: Peanut butter banana smoothies with toast and cantaloupe

Lunch: Zucchini muffins with cream cheese, grapes, and watermelon

Snack: Handful of granola

Dinner: Grilled sandwiches with roasted veggies, monterey jack cheese, and pesto, with a side of fries.

Wednesday

Breakfast: Leftover banana pancakes with a side of watermelon

Lunch: Leftover caprese pasta salad

Snack: Half a peach

Dinner: Grilled salmon with lemon, grilled corn, sautéed green beans with mushrooms and biscuits

Thursday

Breakfast: Zucchini muffins with cream cheese and strawberries

Lunch: Peanut butter and banana sandwich with plain popcorn and half a peach

Snack: Grapes

Dinner: Chicken alfredo with leftover green beans

Friday

Breakfast: Granola cereal with bananas

Lunch: Cream cheese and cucumber sandwiches with grapes and strawberries

Snack: Half a banana with peanut butter

Dinner: Pizza pockets

Saturday

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with toast or leftover biscuits and bananas

Lunch: Yogurt with granola, honey, and whatever fruit is left

Snack: Plain popcorn

Dinner: Leftover pizza pockets with sliced cucumber

The things I was supposed to make over the weekend were banana pancakes, corn tortillas, granola, caprese penne pasta salad, and zucchini muffins. I went to make the pancakes and muffins only to discover that I only had enough milk for cereal the next morning. We have milk delivered on Mondays from a local dairy, so once it arrives I will get on those. I'm going to freeze the leftover pancakes so that they can be thrown in the toaster on other pancake mornings. I put the granola in a large tupperware and stored it in the fridge. It would probably store well in the pantry, but I wanted to be safe. So, I spent a decent amount of time in the kitchen on Sunday, but it should make the rest of the week a lot easier. My hope is that with all the meals planned out and mostly premade I will be less tempted to go to the drive-thru while running errands.

We'll see how it goes!

Meal Plan Monday...

Uhh... Tuesday... Ehh Monday was long and consisted of a car ride stretching from New Jersey to Virginia. The next MPM will actually be on Monday. Probably, anyways.

Chicken and Rice Soup*
Chicken Caesar Salad
Chicken Casserole*
Frozen Alfredo Skillet Meal
Chicken and Broccoli Casserole*
Leftovers/Panera (As is the Wednesday night knitting group custom)
Beef Lo Mein

What is your meal plan for the week? Link your post over at True Confessions of a Real Mommy.

*These meals will be updated with links to my blog posts with the recipe, so keep an eye open! :)