Weight Loss: Weight Watchers

Today I started Weight Watchers. I ordered the starter kit right off of ebay. I gained a ton of weight during pregnancy! Over 50 pounds so I have a lot to lose. I'm hoping after losing some weight I'll be able to fit into more of my old clothes and hopefully my wedding ring again! It's probably been 5-7 months since I've been able to wear my ring! Anyways this is Day 1 of weight watchers. I hope to update each Monday about my progress...maybe that will keep me slightly more accountable!

Weight Before Labor: about 197lbs

Weight Currently: 168lbs

Weight Goal: 135lbs

Need to Loss: 33lbs!

Have you ever done weight watchers? If so I'd love to know some tips on what to eat!

 

 

Newborns: No I Didn't Injure My Child's Head...It's a Hemangioma

I debated on whether or not to write this blog post or not. It is very personal to me but after being ask about it multiple times in the past two days I decided to go ahead and tell about it. I hate being ask "What happened to Kaley's head?". People think her head has been accidently hit by something. So here's the answer so you won't have to wonder.

 

 

-----

Well before now I couldn't have told you what a strawberry hemangioma was but now I'm experiencing first hand what it is. It was not present at birth but at about 3 weeks a small red dot appeared on her head and slowly it grew. It looked like her hit had been hit on something. Being a nurse, I figured well her head got hit and it will go down on it's own. I didn't know what had hit it but in my mind I figured it had to have been something. I gave it about 3 weeks not thinking too much of it but instead of regressing the area increased in size. I started to freak myself out so I broke down and called my pediatrician's office. From my description the nurse was unable to tell me what it was but she said to bring her in tomorrow so the doctor could look at it. Immediately I freaked out and became very anxious. I was scared there was something to this now.

We took her to the doctor's office and after seeing it, and even breaking out this weird head gear that he wore to magnify it... He stated it appears to be a strawberry hemangioma. What in the world is that? You know...those "-omas" sometimes aren't too good... carcinoma (cancer) and lymphoma. Well thank goodness a hemangioma is no where related to these other two terrible things.

So what is it? Hemangiomas are a type of vascular birthmark that usually appears a few weeks after birth. It is caused by extra blood vessels that are packed closely together. It is painless and harmless. They have a period of growth and after the growth cycle is over they will regress and usually completely go away. They can basically pop up anywhere on the body. Scalp, face and neck are common areas. Usually they do not require any treatment unless they would be in an area where it was affecting the babies eyes, eating process, or breathing. Thank goodness Kaley's is no where like that. And so far it is fairly small, it's probably around dime.

But I will admit, I've cried and stressed over it. The stressful part is you don't know when the growth phase will stop and of course I had to google it which was probably the worse thing to do. Google can scare you death sometimes. You know like googling a bug bite and then diagnosing yourself that you have West Nile Virus and are going to die in 24 hours so you start on your bucket list (exaggerating a little bit but you get what I am saying). I'm just so scared it will get big but the pediatrician said he didn't think it would get very large. But there's nothing I can do but pray for it which I'm doing and wait for it to go away.

It ends up being in a good location on her head though. I had been putting hairbands and bows on her anyways since she was born and it is conviently located under where her hairbands and bows cross. :-)

It's only a cosmetic issue and the thing I need to tell myself is it could be worse. My child is healthy, beautiful and is a miracle to even be here and that's all that matters! And in time "this too shall pass"

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hemangioma/DS00848

 

http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/guide/red-birthmarks

 

Does your child have a birth mark or maybe even a hemangioma? I'd love to hear about your experience.

 

 

Update : I thank everyone that has already reached out and told me about there experiences with hemangiomas. So many have wrote me on facebook and it has really helped to hear about other moms and their babies going through the same thing. It makes it feel not quite as rare now. I really do appreciate it! :-)

 

Newborns: Stuffy Noses

I know this post seems so simple or like people shouldn't even need to know this but even though I'm a nurse I didn't know for sure what was the best way to handle my babies first stuffy nose! It's different when it's your own child! So if suctioning your newborns nose makes you nervous like it did me, here are some simple instructions and tips.

When you bring your baby home you may notice they sound congested at times. This is totally normal per my pediatrician. What this post is about is what to do if your newborn gets an actual cold or stuffy nose.

Kaley got her first cold or stuffy nose at about 5 or 6 weeks old. When she would drink the congestion would get so much worse. At times she would sound terrible. I was scared to use the suction bulb on her even though I'm a nurse ha ha. I put it off because I really didn't want to do it, knowing it would probably make her mad. And I thought they recommend you not to do it much anyways. But when she started to look like it was making her breathing harder or more difficult I had to do it. So I did, it helped a little but didn't totally clear it up.

 

To Suction

 

1. Squeeze air out of bulb

2. Insert tip to hole of nostril (don't stick the tip up in the nose)

3. Release the bulb creating suction

I called my pediatrician and she recommended getting saline nose drops and using those before suctioning. Also to limit suctioning to 2-3 times a days. Suctioning can actually make the problem worse if you do it too much.

 

So I purchased the saline drops. It is from Little Remedies and is called Little Noses. It can be used as a spray or drops but in a newborn you use it as drops. It is totally safe in newborns. Saline is basically sodium in water so its not really a medication. All you do is just drop a drop or two in each nostrils which helps soften the congestion and discharge (aka boogeys..ugh that makes me feel nasty saying that lol) and also helps when you suction their nose out. It make sure you aren't dry suctioning which if you do too much can make there little nose sore! So don't over-do-it.

 

 

New Moms: If You Cry Your Not Crazy

I remember the day I was getting discharged from the hospital with Kaley. Everything would make me cry. My husband would ask me what's wrong and I'd say I don't know, seriously. I'm happy but I'm crying. It was frustrating me that I couldn't stop crying. I loved the balloon and flower my sister brought me and for some reason that was even making me cry looking at it. We tried to take pictures with Kaley before we left and it was everything I could do to hold back the tears for the pictures. The worse part was when we were leaving the room with the nursing assitant to walk out of the hospital, I just could not stop crying. I was passing people in the halls and they'd look at the baby or say something to me like congratulations and I was just crying away. I was like "I know they think I'm not happy about my baby or crazy". I thought I looked like a horrible mother but literally I had no clue why I was crying or any control over it at all. I was so happy and excited to be going home and I was in love with my baby. So why in the world was I a crying mess!? Hormones.

 

I posted this to say in case no one tells you before labor, if you are crazy emotionally afterwards it's completely normal. Your hormones become totally out of wack and take a dramatic dive plus it's a dramatic change to your life also. Exhaustion, lack of sleep, and the new responsibility can contribute also. Thank goodness my sister had told me ahead of time that it might happen but I still felt nuts. Even after you get home for the first few weeks if you feel down at times, have mood swings, or just cry at nothing. Don't feel bad, it's ok. Your not a bad mother, you love your baby. But your body has to get adjusted to living without all those hormons it's been pumping during pregnancy!

I had to go to the OR after giving birth...this is why I have such a lovely hat on :-)

Some people do have a more severe case and it becomes postpartum depression. If you feel like you can't care for your child or you stay feeling down for  over 2-3 weeks you may be past just the baby blues. It would definitely be something you'd want to tell your OB/GYN about. If you've ever been depressed or have a family history, you are more at risk.

But the baby blues, it's normal and "this too shall pass". I've read up to 80% of new moms experience this. So go ahead, it's ok to cry :-)

Did you have an experience with the baby blues?

Fast Food Friday: Bacon Ranch Chicken. 2-3 Meals in one!

Here is finally a recipe instead of just pop it in the microwave. It's still a very easy recipe that would be great for new moms. All you have to do is stick everything in the crockpot and let it go....well besides cooking the noodles. It also made us 3 meals altogether. I will show you how to turn it in to a different second meal.

I guess the picture doesn't look appetizine but it looks different in person. It's a good recipe :-)

Bacon Ranch Crock Pot Chicken

Ingredients

4 Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Packets of Ranch Dressing Mix
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
4 Tbs of Bacon Bits (I used more)
1 Cup Sour Cream (I used light sour cream)

Instructions
Place 4 Chicken Breasts in crockpot
Mix all other ingredients in a separate bowl
Pour on top of chicken. Make sure it covers all pieces of chicken.
Let cook 3-4 hours on high. (mine cooked 4 to 4.5 hours)
After it's finished shred and break up the chicken with a fork.
Serve over noodles such as egg noddles or any shaped pasta (cook pasta separately)

The Next Night...

 

 

We cooked some more noodles because I didn't have enough left over from the first night.

Placed a layer of noodles in the bottom of the casserole dish.

Sprinkled some cheddar cheese.

Spread out all the bacon ranch chicken we had left over for the next layer.

Then spread more cheese over the top layer.

Place in the oven and just heat it up until the cheese melts...and voila! If you want the top a little more done, turn on the broil for a few minutes after it heats up.

New Meal with a slightly different taste. I think it was actually more flavorful and ranch tasting the second night!

 

 

 

 

 

Fast Food Friday: Beef Roast Au jus

Ahhh that title sounds fancy don't it...Beef roast au jus. Well sorry to disappoint you but it's once again a fast and simple meal that only takes the microwave, so it is perfect for new moms that have a newborn! I'm not claiming it's the healthiest being that it is a prepackaged meal but I will say it is good! I've ate it multiple times and I really enjoy it!

Hormel Beef Roast Au Jus

 

Only takes a few minutes in the microwave and voila! it's done. You can also cook it in the over but it takes a lot longer!

 

1 Serving = 180 calories

1/2 of package = 270 calories

 

 

Steamfresh Brown Rice

 

It was terrible! ahh I will never buy it again. Very simple to cook, pop in the microwave a few minutes. Not appetizing though. So you can try it but I would suggest you pick another side such as Steamfresh Super Sweet Corn...that does taste good!

 

1 Serving = 150 calories

 

 

Mott's Natural Applesauce

 

 

1 Cup = 50 calories

 

Toast

1 Slice = 60 calories

 

 

 

Total Calories: 530

 

 

**Fast Food Friday is geared towards brand new moms! I know with a newborn that first month it's sometimes hard to get much done besides caring for your baby! And if your like me, you are tired, worn out and don't feel like doing much besides taking care of your baby anyways! You need some fast meals with little clean up. The meals I share are meals I've eaten myself and they are truly proven fast!

 

How To Paint Your Pumpkins!

Well I had been meaning to paint my pumpkins but I finally got around to it. Jason's grandma wanted to babysit Kaley so it gave me a few hours to get it done :-) Here is the step by step for painting your pumpkin.

 

How To Paint Your Pumpkin

 

{ Supplies }

 

Paintbrushes

Something to trace the letters that has a sharp or hard edge (I used a mechanical pencil)

Paint (I used the cheap acrylic paint from walmart)

Ribbon (if you want to add a bow)

Paper towels

Scissors

Tape

 

1. Started on http://www.dafont.com and found a fount that I liked. They have tons! They even have fonts specific to halloween. You download and install them. It's ver simple. Click "help" on there page and it will tell you how to do it.

2. Use a word processor to type what you want and increase the font size

3. Print and cut either the letters out of the word as a whole.

4. Tape the word or letter to the pumkin.

5. I tried different methods the easy way I found was to trace the outline of the letters with my zebra mechanical pencil, the metal in was good for tracing it. It left slight visible lines on the pumpkins so you could trace them.

6. Trace the letters with a sharpie and then paint your letters or you can skip the sharpie and just paint your letters in.

7. Add a bow and Voila! Cool looking pumpkins!

** TIP **

Have a damp paper towel handy, if you make a mistake wipe it immediately with the wet paper towel and it will come right off.

 

Did you paint a pumpkin this year? Show us!

 

P.S. I know that my english on my Thomas pumpkin is wrong. It should be Thomases per the internet....put it's a little too late to correct it now...I never was the best at English :-)

I never thought it would be me... Infantino Sash Mei Tai

Infantino Sash Mei Tai Baby Carrier

 

 

This is one of those things I never thought I would do...wear my baby! I always thought it looked weird. You know how sometimes when you say "oh I'll never do that!" Then eventually you end up doing it! Well that is what happened to me!

 

I decided to order a baby carrier. I figured that way I could tote my baby around the house while I do stuff and maybe go walking with her in it...it is carrying extra weight so it adds to your workout! I didn't want to invest a lot of money being that I didn't know if I'd even like it. I liked the tie or cloth look. The Moby looked way to confusing and also expensive. Someone told me about the Sash Mei Tai so I looked it up. I loved that it holds like a normal standard carrier but then you also have the tied on look. I ordered it from Walmart originally but then found it in Babies R Us while I was browsing and I was able to use a 20% off coupon so I got it cheaper. It was only $27.99 plus tax! I thought it was a great deal...and now I know it was worth it!



 

My review of the carrier. I love it! It is very easy to put on and can be done by yourself. It ties twice. It can be worn multiple ways, front carry, hip carry, and back carry! The front carry is the only carry you can put a newborn in due to not being able to hold there head up. You modify the front carry once they are older (see the picture on the box). It is very comfortable and the top straps are nice and padded! It also feels very secure! I'm very satified with the carrier I picked and the price was excellent in my opinion! Kaley loves to be held so this way I can hold her but also keep my hands free! Multitasking at it's finest!

 

Loaded Up For Our 2 Mile Walk This Morning

 

Kaley's review of the Mei Tai...LOVE. She absolutely loves it, or at least I think so! This morning she was awake, I put her in the carrier...gone. Sleeping sooo good! We went on a 2 mile walk, not a peep out of her! It's so sweet looking down at her in it, she looks so sweet and peaceful! Actually today she had been up most of the morning. So this afternoon I needed to do some stuff around the house and get ready for my doctors appt, she wanted to be fussy and not take a nap...so I put her in the carrier, bopped a little and walked around the house, once again...gone! I've got her in it right now as we speak! See picture below :-)

Kaley sleeping so good while I blog and email.

ZzZzZz....



Do you have a favorite carrier?

 



Teaching Your Baby To Sign

A lot of new parents ask different questions and research topics on how to create an environment that stimulates the best learning atmosphere for their baby. In my experience as a teacher, and with a BA in Child Development/Psychology, I have learned that babies learn the absolute most they will ever learn in a lifetime between ages birth to 4 years old! To me, that is incredible! And wow... what pressure that puts on us parents!

One of the topics parents sometimes research is the “terrible twos” stage. Everyone has heard of it and no one wants their child to misbehave that severely, especially in public! For some it’s embarrassing, to me it’s honestly a part of their growing up and learning how to respond emotionally. (Although, I haven’t hit that stage yet with my son – granted, he is only 6.5months old!) With that said, I have found that starting early with teaching sign language to your baby helps to eliminate a lot of those biting, kicking, hitting, spitting (etc.) behaviors in the 2 year old stage that we all dread! This is because all of a sudden they know how to communicate their needs! A lot of these behaviors are done out of frustration and many parents aren’t aware of that. “Experts” recommend beginning sign language around 8 months; however I say the earlier the better! Why not start as soon as you can and that way you already have the hang of it yourself, plus they may even pick up on it earlier than the “experts” say!
http://www.articlesbase.com/babies-articles/the-advantages-of-sign-language-for-babies-6248499.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_2167190_teach-baby-sign-language.html

I personally have been teaching signs to my son since he was 4months old. He is only 6.5 months old and already consistently signs “all done” and “more” during meal times! We are still working on them during playtime, but I have no doubt that he will be signing during those times very soon!

If you want to teach your baby sign language, you must be consistent yourself. Use the signs as often as possible while saying the word with it. And then provide the action right after. For example: If you are feeding cereal to your baby, in between a few bites sign “more” while saying the word and then give more to your baby. Also if you use “all done” take the item away as soon as you sign/say it.  Here is a great book with flash cards that will help you learn the signs, but is hardback so it makes for a great book for your baby to play with too! http://www.amazon.com/Simple-First-Words-Lets-Sign/dp/B005FOIHWO Locally, it is sold at Ollies!

Good Luck Signing! I'd love to hear about your signing adventures!

Blogging and Less Stress...

I was reading in my AllYou magazine and ran across something interesting!

 

 

"New mothers who publish and read blogs stress less about parenting than moms who dont, a recent study shows. Being part of an online community makes mommy bloggers feel better connected overall."

 

{ Via AllYou November 16th 2012 from Maternal and Child Health Journal }

 

So include this blog on your reading list and please share any other good mommy blogs you find along the way!

 

Not Just For Jack-O-Lanterns Anymore!

Pumpkins are no longer just for jack-o-lanterns! They can make beautiful classy decorations! So why not go out, get you a pumpkin, and jazz them up a little bit! So here are some pumpkin ideas for both moms and kids I found through pinterest!

 

For The Moms

 

{ via pinterest from preppyandpinknc.blogspot.com }

 

 

 { from bhg.com}

 

 

 { from bhg.com }

 

 

{ via pinterest from preppyandpinknc.blogspot.com }

 



 

{ via pinterest from shannonberrey.com }



 

{ from marthastewart.com }

 

 

{ via pinterest from southernliving.com }

 

 

{ from bhg.com }

 

For the Kids

 

{ from bhg.com }

 

{ from bhg.com }

 

{ via pinterest from goodhousekeeping.com }

 

 

{ from bhg.com }

 

Click HERE for instructions on how to make the pumpkins shown above and more from bhg.com!

Click HERE for instructions on how to make the pumpkins from shannonberrey.com

Click HERE for instructions and templates to make the pumpkin from southernliving.com

 

 

Did you make a unique pumpkin this year? We'd love to see it!

 

Add Carolina Moms On Facebook

Click HERE

 

Awesome Deal At Gymboree: Free Bodysuit!

My sister just messaged me this deal! If you sign up, they immediately email you with a code to get a free bodysuit and free shipping with any merchandise valued at $10 or more!! Be sure to check out there fall sale going on right now & clearance area where everything is an extra 50% off! You can get some great deals and you can't beat free!

Free bodysuit with $10 purchase + Free Shipping!

Click HERE to sign up for the offer!

 

Fast Food Friday

When your a new mom you need fast food...and I don't mean burger king! I mean food you can get ready very quickly...let's say less than 10 minutes! Especially in the first 2 weeks! You sure don't feel like doing alot and this meal is super easy! So here is an idea for new moms!

 

Jack Daniels Beef Brisket

Very Tasty! I would definitely eat again! It's not a 5 Star meal or anything but for popping it in the microwave to heat it up. It was pretty good and I definitely enjoyed it :-) It comes fully cooked so that is why it is so quick to get ready! You can find it in the refridgerated section at Food Lion.

Green Giant Broccoli & Cheese Sauce

 

 

My Meal

 

Jack Daniels Beef Brisket (2-3 Minutes in the Microwave to heat)

1 Serving =220 Calories

Green Giant Broccoli & Cheese (5 1/2 minutes in the Microwave)

1 Serving = 60 Calories

Toast with Parkay Spray Butter

1 Serving = 60

 

Total Calories = 340

 

Me and my husband split the brisket and I ate about half of the broccoli so my total calories were 465 calories. Still great and I was full by the end of the meal!

 

I know most people probably aren't wild over meals like this, they want home cooked meals and something that has been slaved over in the kitchen. But right now...for me, this is what works! With a newborn your time is limited. I never knew how limited until I had one! I want something fast and easy. Everytime we eat it always seems that's when Kaley wants to start getting upset lol.

 

Do you have any super fast meals? I'd love to hear about them!