Having a Baby? May the Force Be With You!

I have so many friends who are about to have babies that I thought I would share some baby survival tips. I've shared a few of these before when I talked about surviving the first six months with a baby here and also in another post here. In random order, here are some things you should know, baby mamas:

• Paper Towels - Let's talk paper towels. I'm not sure what exactly I use so many for but we go through about one roll every two days. So my first piece of advice is to have plenty of paper towels on hand. Go to Sam's or Costco a little before your due date and stock up on paper products so you won't have to get out for a while. Don't forget toilet paper too! Sorry, trees! I recycle, I promise!
• Baby Wipes - Wipes are kinda like paper towels. I use a lot of them, and for way more than cleaning baby behinds. They're great for wiping up spills, taking off mascara, cleaning up boogers, giving yourself a bath...hey we don't all have time for a shower during the sleepless newborn days. Kidding. So stock up! I always buy wipes in bulk.
• Amazon Prime Membership - This will be your very best friend. It can be dang near impossible to leave the house with a baby sometimes. Especially if the babe is asleep and you have to catch up on reality TV. With a simple click, you can order just about anything right to your doorstep. And it includes free 2-day shipping! This is great for when you run out of paper towels and wipes. So if you're not already, get set up on Amazon Prime before baby comes.
• Babysitters - This is a complicated subject. Babysitters are like housekeepers. You can't steal them from friends. You've gotta find your own. And it can take some time to get a few good ones. We found a phenomenal one on Care.com. She happened to also be a local university (TCU) student majoring in nursing so I felt an element of trust with her from the beginning. Care.com may sound like a creepy way to find babysitters to you, but trust me, when you haven't been out in a while you'll look for a babysitter just about anywhere. OK, maybe not anywhere, but you know what I mean. Another great babysitter resource is checking with your baby's teachers if they are enrolled in Mother's Day Out (which I HIGHLY recommend). Everyone needs me time. I'll openly admit it: I'm a MUCH better mom when I am able to get time to myself. No shame here. My best advice is to start looking for babysitters before your baby is even here! Or at least get started on it when they are still teeny tiny so that when you are ready to par-tay, you're covered. And these days, by par-tay, I just mean go to dinner, have a few drinks, and if you're feeling crazy, go to bed at 12:00. GEEEEEZ those 6:30 am wakeups come SO soon. This brings me to my next piece of advice....
• Phases - Remember that everything is a phase, and your "phases" may be different from what the books say they should be. For example, my child rarely sleeps past 6:30 am. And sometimes he is up earlier than that. (Why do those mornings seem to ALWAYS be after one too many adult beverages and a 1:00 am bedtime?) Babies need 12 hours of sleep right??? Wrong. Mine is an early riser and as much as I have tried to change it, he just won't sleep late. I have read every book and tried every theory, and I have finally just accepted it. And don't even get me started on all the people who suggest to me to put him to bed later to make him sleep in...my child can go to bed at midnight people, and he's still up when the sun rises. I do try to leave him in his crib as long as possible in the morning. He'll roll around and talk to himself and then start screaming for "da-da." He knows who the softie is. Maybe my next one will sleep in? Please? God, are you there? Not sure where I'm going with this but babies go through lots of phases. One week they sleep great, one week they don't, one week they love bananas, the next week they don't. Try not to get too stressed and realize that it may not have anything to do with how you are parenting. They are little people with their own little personalities and will act accordingly. Joy!
• Diaper Rash - Dipaer rash SUCKS. But it happens. Especially if your baby is ever on antibiotics. Try to get ahead of diaper rash as soon as you think it's happening. I typically use Desitin every night since they are in a wet diaper for a prolonged period of time, and I use it at every diaper change if I notice ANY redness at all. Like even one little speck of pink. If things get hairy and the rash is bad, I use Lotrimin followed by Maximum Strength Desitin (the purple tube). Yes, Lotrimin is actually athlete's foot cream. But, some bad diaper rashes are caused by yeast and until you kill the yeast (which Lotrimin does), the rash won't go away. You can get it at any drug store. Disclaimer: I am NOT a doctor, and you should not use my advice as such. I'm just giving you advice that I got that really works. Ask your doctor if you aren't sure if you should use Lotrimin! (Mine actually suggested it to me).
• Getting Out - OK this is a big one. You are NOT going to feel like getting out those first few weeks post d-day. I was a hot mess for a good month (I've tried to erase it from my memory but it comes back in flashes. Isn't that called post-traumatic-stress-disorder?...) Anyway, please try to get out as soon as you are feeling up to it (which could be a while especially if you had a c-section or a bad delivery out the normal exit route...YIKES). Go somewhere, even if it is driving through the bank. Or grabbing some Starbucks (and man, will you need it). Or just sitting in your front yard. Ok, you could start with your backyard if you haven't showered in a while!
• It's a Love that Grows - When you meet your baby for the first time, you may not have a highly emotional reaction like in the movies. There may not be tears and choirs of angels singing. Wouldn't that be neat though? You will either have had your abdomen sliced open and be heavily drugged up or you may have blown out your downstairs, which I'm sure feels awesome. It for sure isn't a great state of affairs physically, and sometimes not emotionally either. It is ok to not immediately feel an overwhelmingly deep love for your baby at first sight. I mean, don't get me wrong, I loved Robby when he was born but not in the way I do now. It is a love that grows with time. Falling into a routine helps, and so does sleep. Now he is my little biscuit muffin and I am so obsessed with him that I can't imagine loving him more! In the beginning it was more like, "Hey kid, I love you. But you are kinda being an a**hole when you wake up all hours of the night."
• Speaking of A**holes - No one really told me what things look like after you deliver a baby. Why did everyone keep this a secret? And WHY are there mirrors in post-partum bathrooms? OY. All I can tell you is that after you have a baby, your stomach skin may be kinda puffy, a little soft, and slightly saggy. And I'm sorry for over-sharing, but your belly button may look like an a**hole. When the baby filled up your stomach, it made your stretched skin very tight, and now that baby is out, well, it's not tight anymore. It's sorta wrinkly looking, in fact. I cried when I saw myself for the first time. Like sobbed. Dramatic, much? I'm not sure what I thought was going to happen but I didn't like what I saw. So my advice is just don't look at it, don't dwell on it, and don't worry about it. It DOES go back but it will not be overnight. Can someone promise to tell me this when I do this again? I'm sure I'll listen....especially with those post-baby hormones raging.

I CANNOT believe my biscuit was ever this small. Thanks Sabrina Gebhardt for capturing Robby as a newborn. This picture is brought to you by three layers of Lancome concealer and a healthy dose of Motrin. 

 Happy Tuesday friends!

The Best Chicken Recipe Ever

I get tired of eating the same old chicken from the same old recipes every week! I found this recipe on the cutest blog, tablefortwoblog.com. Check this blog out if you haven't. She has some really great, easy, and delicious recipes.

Originally called Holy Yum Chicken, I call this recipe "The Best Chicken Recipe Ever" because that is exactly what it is. I've made it at least ten times and it ALWAYS turns out perfectly. Everyone needs a never-fail recipe, so add this one to your recipe box. Enjoy!

*In my adapted version, I lower the oven temperature and use dried rosemary instead of fresh.

Ingredients

• 1½ - 2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken thighs
• ½ cup Dijon mustard (must be Dijon mustard, no substitutes)
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup (again, no substitutes. No fake Aunt Jemima stuff)
• 1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. dried rosemary

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 8x8" oven-proof pan with 2 layers of tin foil. *You MUST line with two layers of foil! Do not skip this step!
• In small bowl, whisk together Dijon mustard, maple syrup, rice wine vinegar, salt and pepper.
• Place the chicken thighs in the foil layered pan then pour the mixture on top of it. Turn the chicken around in the sauce to make sure it gets all coated.
• Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes. *Check the chicken around 30 minutes to see if you need to turn down the oven temp.
• Remove from oven and let chicken sit for 5 minutes then transfer to a plate. Do NOT discard the liquid.
• Immediately after plating chicken, whisk in the 1 tbsp. of cornstarch into the liquid in the pan. You'll create a nice, thick sauce to drizzle over your chicken. You need to do cornstarch mixing immediately because the liquid needs to be hot in order for it to thicken properly. If it's still not thickening after 1 tbsp., you can add a little more.
• Whisk in the dried rosemary. Pour some of the sauce over the chicken, and reserve the rest for extra drizzling if needed.
• Serve with rice and veggies!

Sorry I don't have a photo of the chicken. I promise it looks amazing and you will love it. In lieu of a chicken photo, here's one of my sous chef getting some work done. #businessbaby....wait, I mean #businesstoddler......insert BIG sad face on the transition to toddlerhood....BOO.HOO. I'm sad.

More than anything, I am needing a nightly vino fix these days as R shows more of his toddler self. WOW. He doesn't really say the dreaded "no" yet...but the writing is on the wall. He has a bit of a stubborn streak. I wonder where he gets that from. HELP!

Happy Tuesday!

Mommy Must Haves: April Edition

How is it April? And why do I begin every post with a question concerning the passing of time?

Anyway, this month snuck up on me but fear not - I have plenty of must haves to make your April a spectacular one.

Lindsay Phillips Ballet Flats - I am lusting over the adorable colors and patterns (Did you see the seersucker?!) Lindsay has going on with her shoes this spring. I discovered these flats in a boutique in the shopping mecca of Waco about four years ago. If you want these shoes and Waco isn't a part of your upcoming travels (and WHY wouldn't it be with the scenic beauty of that section of I-35?), you can find them online. One fun thing about these shoes is that you can switch out the detail on the front to make it look like you have a few pairs. They just snap right on and off and are interchangeable. How smart is that? Just think, you are saving money when you buy this shoe because it's really more than one pair. #winning #shoppinglogic #itcanalwaysbejustified And P.S. - they are SO comfy. I just ordered a metallic gold pair off of her web site. Amazon has some, but not all colors and styles. Check out her site to see them all. Aren't ballet flats so perfect for spring? Plus they're buying me some time on my desperate need to get back to regular pedicures. #coverthosetoes

Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss - I've been using this lip gloss for quite some time now. It is VERY similar to Chanel Glossimer but soooo much cheaper. You can go buy wine with the money you save. Yay! Sometimes "cheaper" equals "not as good," but that is not the case here. I actually like these glosses better! My latest fave color is Pink Pop. It looks super bright in the tube but goes on lighter. Rumor has it that this is the lip gloss Blair Waldorf is seen wearing in Gossip Girl.

Jergen's Natural Glow "Three Days to Glow" Moisturizer - *This was formerly called Jergen's Natural Glow Express. OK I love this stuff. Spring always brings out my need to sport sun-kissed skin. I am super crazy about wearing sunscreen and don't want to lay in the sun too much to get color. No thanks, skin cancer! This product helps take me from snowflake status to sun-kissed in no time. It just gives you a healthy glow and works faster than the regular Jergen's Natural Glow lotion. I find that I don't actually need to use it three days in a row to get the results I want. Which is great if you are lazy don't have time to apply it every night. One application is usually enough depending on how much color you want. I apply it at night and sleep in it. They have drastically reduced the "fake tan lotion smell" but I still like to wash it off in the morning. To maintain color, you can use the regular Jergen's Natural Glow after you use the three day version. I definitely don't use this religiously but it is nice when you have an event coming up and want to look a little bronzed.

Biscoff European Cookie Spread - Ummmmm, OK....why am I just now discovering this? NOT helpful to the summer bikini diet but oh so delicious. When I'm craving something sweet, I eat this on apples, crackers - well, just about anything. If you like Nutella, you will probably be a fan of this. Those Europeans sure know what they are doing!

Happy Hump Day, y'all!

And before I go, I leave you with a photo of Mr. R. This is what happens when you forgot to send extra clothes to school. Your son dons capris on a 40 degree day. How he fit into size 6-month pants when he wears size 18-24 month, I'll never know. Lesson learned on making sure we are stocked with extra clothes at school. Lesson also learned on sending raspberries in R's lunch.....

Robby's First Birthday: Party Animal Style

Mr. Robby turned ONE on March 9! I had so much fun planning all the little details of his party and wanted to share. We went with a "party animals" theme because of his love for all things animal related. It was a perfect day minus the cool, rainy weather. Nothing like having to improvise with a mostly indoor party at the last minute. We made the best of having to be inside and still had fun despite everyone being squished into our living room.

The first thing I did when planning the party was design the invitation. Shameless Plug: If you are in need of invitations/paper products, please let me know! I offer a variety of printables (meaning I design and you print yourself) on Etsy or you can contact me via email for design and printing.

I used a Dr. Seuss birthday book as the sign-in for guests. I think it will be fun for Robby to look back at this book when he is older and see all the messages people wrote him on his first birthday!

I made a coordinating banner and tent cards to match our theme. I just know that when you look at that tissue paper tassel garland, you can see how much I love my child. Oh the debacle that making tissue paper tassels is...for me anyway. Next time, I am totally buying one from this darling shop on Etsy. My tassel making was a total comedy of errors that finally came together at the last minute. At least Robby knows I love him. Fun times burning the midnight oil with the paper cutter!

We kept the food easy. Who doesn't love Chick-fil-a, and ham and turkey sandwiches? I ordered cupcakes from the most delicious baker in town, Leah's Sweet Treats, and made these adorable cupcake toppers. If you want some featuring your own little one (or big one), you can get them here in my Etsy shop. I think these would be hilarious at a 30th or 40th birthday. You're never too old for a party hat! I even made a large one and attached it to the balloon wreath I made for the front door. Want to make a balloon wreath? Tutorial here. Before you start this little project make sure you have all your supplies ready. One of the supplies you are going to need is a bottle of wine. Plus one bag of birthday cake m&m's. And possibly a Dairy Queen blizzard.

My mom, who is a fabulous cook and baker, made Robby's smash cake!

 We had a Bloody Mary and Mimosa bar for the adult guests. Obviously.

I made a ball pit using an inflatable pool and balls I ordered on Amazon. The kids loved it! I'm excited to keep this around for play dates and times when I really need Robby to give me a couple minutes to myself. Ball pits make great babysitters in case you didn't know.

We set up a corner for photos and I hired a local high-schooler to take pictures. I wanted to be able to enjoy the day and not worry about lugging my camera around. I was so lucky to find this photographer through a friend who also used her at her son's first birthday. I think she did a great job. (You're looking at her pictures).

I found some adorable animal books on Amazon that we gave as favors. I printed out little thank you cards that matched the food tent cards and invitations and tied them around the books with ribbon.

I can't believe my little man is one. I'm already thinking about his next party! Cray-zee, I know. I can't help it. I just love parties. Especially celebrating babies. Is there a support group for party supply lovers? Because I need to go.

I hope you are partying somewhere on this Hump Day Eve! We're partying tonight by eating FRIED.chicken. I know. Who eats fried food anymore? Well, we do!

Month Twelve: Baby Must Haves...and Thoughts on the Past Year

A year has come and gone. HOW? I feel like it was just yesterday that I was awake all hours of the night, walking around like Quasimoto post c-section, downing hydrocodone every four six hours, and changing my PJs three times a night because of "night sweats" that NO ONE told me about. Ah, fond, magical memories. Don't worry, friends. I am now sure to share my extensive night sweat knowledge with you before your next labor and delivery. You really need to know. Knowledge is power.

Those first few months were truly the best and worst experience of my life so far. We had NO.CLUE. how much having a baby would change our lives. You think about it and imagine it but until you are living it, you just have no idea. But, it.is.so.fun. Lots of people talk about bringing home a baby...they say things like, "OHHHH, you're in for it." Or how about, "See you in eighteen years!" And then there's my favorite, "Was this planned?" People can sound very cynical about the whole thing (including me at times). But you have to look at the wonder in it all. It is a complete trip to look at this little person who came out of you. It blows my mind. And the major plus is that I will have someone to take care of me when I'm 90. The hubs might have kicked the bucket by then, so this is good.

We have survived the first year! Yes, it rocked our world. However, I cannot imagine not having this little guy in my life. I am not really sure what we did before he got here. Oh yeah, sleep. There have been many highs and lows, but one thing is for sure - he keeps us laughing and he keeps us wanting to be better people. I love him to the moon and back. People told me you can't prepare yourself for the kind of love you have for a child and it's true. It's so much bigger than I imagined. I fully felt the depth of this love once I was getting a straight six hours of sleep every night again. *Disclaimer: I know I mention sleep a lot, but me with not much sleep = a totally hormonal, bat sh*t cray girl who is not fun. Like not fun at all. I won't get into specifics. But I will tell you there's lots of crying involved.

Without further ado, here are our month twelve baby must haves! Some of these have actually been "must haves" since month 10 or so... Can I even call these "baby" must haves anymore??? Where'd my baby go???? Whah!

• Kitchen Utensils - whisks, spatulas, you name it. This is Robby's obsession. He can be screaming bloody murder and I hand him a whisk and it's like the baby whisperer entered our home. Thanks whisk! Sometimes you can find random plastic kitchen utensils in the Dollar Spot at Target - I scoop up a few when I see them and stick them in R's toy box.
• Goodnight Moon board book - We have read this book to Robby every night at bedtime for a long time. I throw in other books too and Robby gets pretty irritated that we aren't reading Goodnight Moon. It's funny how babies really do fall into whatever routine you teach them. Thankfully, he only does this at bedtime so I don't have to read Goodnight Moon ALL day long. It only takes a few times through to memorize the words. The 107th time reading it gets monotonous. Maybe he'll have a new favorite soon. Maybe I'll write a sequel!
• Johnson's Hand & Face Wipes - These are just the best. Babies are messy. Especially when they start feeding themselves. These wipes smell so good and according to the package, remove 95% of dirt and germs. I'll buy anything that says it removes germs. I stash packages of these everywhere so they're always on hand. In the car, in my purse, in the junk drawer in the kitchen, and so on. R recently started thinking it's funny to pick his nose (just lovely) and these wipes really come in handy.
• Munchkin Mighty Grip Flip Straw Cup - We still aren't fully transitioned from the bottle just yet but this is one of the straw cups that R will drink out of. Not too hard to put together and dishwasher safe, cause y'all know I don't hand wash stuff in the sink. Ain't nobody got time for that! 
• Stride Rite Shoes - R took his first independent steps at 10 1/2 months and crawling was quickly history. These little shoes are perfect for new walkers. I finally realized that Robby was falling all the time at home because he was walking around in socks on concrete and wood floors (genius discovery) - so I got these shoes and he loves them. I can tell when I put them on him that he feels so dapper. I also ordered a pair of New Balance gray tennis shoes but they are a tad too big so we won't get to wear them for a bit. I'll get back to ya on those.
• IKEA MULA Bead Roller Coaster toy - This toy is fabulous because it holds Robby's attention for more than five minutes - and that is saying a lot these days. I randomly picked it up the last time I was at IKEA. They have some of the cutest and cheapest little children's wooden toys. And I have an obsession with classic-looking wooden toys. I have to class up our ginormous lot of plastic real estate around here somehow. My house is basically one giant ad for Fisher-Price. At least this gives me an excuse to go to IKEA. Not that I need one. Also, if you were wondering, IKEA knows their customer base. There's free diapers in the bathroom. They've got your back, moms.

Little man had his 12-month appointment a few weeks ago and he is weighing in at almost 25 pounds and standing at 30 1/2 inches tall. STOP.GROWING. Actually, don't. I want you to be taller than me when you're 20. 

Current tricks are clapping on command, "singing" songs, and walk/running anywhere and everywhere. His favorite foods are cheese, ham, and any carb. He has finally accepted one fruit: raspberries, and one vegetable: peas. Wait, he does eat avocado - is that a fruit or a veggie? Funny thing is, I can give him anything as long as it is in one of those baby food pouches. Otherwise, he's picky. Hopefully I don't have a dreaded picky eater on my hands. Oh well, we have plenty of time to expand his palate!

HAPPY April y'all!

Mommy Must Haves: March Favorites

I'm a little late on posting my March favorites because it has been a crazy month! Mr. Robby turned ONE and I spent the beginning of March getting things ready for, and then recovering from, his birthday - which I will post about soon. I have found that no matter how big or small the event, it is a WHOLE. LOT. of work to have a party. But, how can you not have a party to celebrate your baby's first year of life?! Luckily, we had lots of help and it turned out just perfectly.

March is so fun because it gives us hope that warmer weather is on the way. I'm already looking forward to pool time this summer. Let me just say that Robby's summer wardrobe is going to be CA-UTE! I have found some of the sweetest little boy outfits for warm weather and I can't wait to share them with you later. Here are the items I'm loving this March:

• Bumble and Bumble Spray de Mode hairspray - If you need to use hairspray but want it to look like you didn't use any, this is the product for you! I have been using this for probably ten years now. One can will last you a long time - I bet I only buy two cans per year. It smells light and fresh and holds your style without being sticky or hard. You can brush through it and it still holds curl. Bumble and Bumble has so many great products, this is just one. Check out their shampoos and conditioners too. I love everything that I've tried from this company!

• La Croix Curate sparkling water in Cherry Lime - This tastes like warm weather in a can! Similar to a cherry limeade from Sonic but without all the calories. I have loved La Croix sparkling waters forever and this new flavor has me buying it by the case. Plus, it would probably be just delicious with a splash of vodka....

• Old Navy Rockstar Super Skinny Jeans - OK I have an obsession with these jeans. I think I may have them in 10 different colors and patterns. The best thing is that they are cheap. And cheap in a good way. Not like cheap looking cheap. But cheap like you can afford 10 pairs cheap. They are almost ALWAYS on sale. They're a great way to go out on a limb and try something new if you've never worn colored or patterned denim. If you end up not loving the color you buy, it's really no big deal because you didn't spend an arm and leg on them. You can still afford to order another color. Winning! Spring is the perfect time to brighten up your wardrobe, too. And don't be scared that they say "super skinny" in the name....they are very flattering. Try these out - I think you'll love them.

• Birthday Cake flavored M&M's - Yes. You read that right. Birthday. Cake. M&Ms. I am a sucker for anything cake flavored (ice cream, cookies, the list goes on) so I had to try these. And they did not disappoint. I am trying super hard to not eat the whole bag at once. I put them in a jar in my kitchen and told myself I am only allowed two at a time....however, I didn't really limit how many times per day I can have them so we'll see how that works out.

Happy March, my friends! I hope your month is filled with warm days and birthday cake flavored M&Ms!

Don't you just love a good monogram?

I love a good monogram. SUCH a great way to personalize something and make it special. And it doesn't HAVE to be expensive, y'all! My favorite items in Robby's wardrobe are shirts that I bought at Target and got monogrammed. It's my secret weapon to looking pulled together. Or do we just look pulled together in my mind?.....

Anyway, what can really be a pain is not having a go-to monogrammer for all your monogramming needs. I am here to solve your problems. Two sweet friends of mine started their own monogramming business called Monogramming Mamas! Check them out: www.monogrammingmamas.com

Here are some photos of the cuteness that they have done:

They make the sweetest seasonal items too. Look at these Easter pajamas they did for Mr. Robby!

His are the blue ones, obviously. Have you seen anything cuter in your life? I didn't think so. I CAN'T wait to show y'all a photo of him in them. But he is napping right now (praise God from whom all blessing flow), and I don't think he is in the mood to play dress up. There's always this afternoon, though.

If you need something monogrammed, give Monogramming Mamas a try. They are so reasonable and get things done quickly. And the sky is the limit on what you can get monogrammed. They've done clothing, pillow shams, towels, place mats, bags, etc. Way to go mamas! 

Happy Thursday!