March 30, 2015 by Stephanie

All the Barf

When you start introducing solid foods to your kids, you worry about allergies and their reaction to it.

Well we had our first negative reaction to solids last night, at least we think. George did not respond well to the broccoli and cauliflower we had for dinner. We had thought they were good foods because they basically have little handles for him, but apparently everything else about them George was not a fan.

I woke up to George crying at about 1am. I figured he had just lost his pacy so I went in there to go searching for it. He has a glow in the dark pacy just for these occasions so I can find it without my glasses in the middle of the night. (He has a tendency to throw the pacy out of the crib so the glow in the dark quality is a must.)

Well I wasn’t able to find it, and I felt under his neck to see if he had rolled on top of it. Instead of finding a pacy, I stuck my hand in baby goo. I thought that George had just spit up some as he sometimes does so I turned on the light to find a burp cloth, but to my dismay I saw George swimming in green baby barf.

Seriously, it was like the scene out of Pitch Perfect where they all had fallen in the vomit. Thinking about the picture of it, I honestly don’t know where the bed of barf came from in his tiny body. So. Much. Of. It.

I woke up Tom because this was clearly a two-person clean up job. Tom stripped the baby and took him for a bath because it was all over George, and baby wipes just weren’t up for that challenge. I took the clothes and sheets and ran them under the sink to get the major chunks out.

Fortunately, we double up the sheets and mattress pads on George’s crib just for occasions like this. I was able to strip off a layer and have a clean sheet waiting for us. This was awesome that I didn’t have to try to wrangle a clean mattress pad and sheet on the crib mattress at 1:30 am. For other parents out there, if you don’t do this trick, I highly recommend the double sheet method! Now I can just worry about laundry tonight when I am much more awake.

We finally got him all cleaned up around 1:30, and George was just happy as a clam. He was so excited to have his parents up and thought it was play time. He was just giggling and laughing away. He had no fever and no diarrhea so there wasn’t much more we could do at this point. As soon as we laid him back in his crib, he was fast asleep again.

I, however, was paranoid for the next hour basically getting up every five minutes to make sure he wasn’t drowning in puke.

I probably fell asleep around 3am only to hear George coughing again.

You got it. He had thrown up again.

Luckily this time, he managed to keep it contained to just his onsie and just a little on the sheet. Wipes to the rescue this time! I changed him again though just so he didn’t have cold wet clothes to sleep in. I cuddled him up-wright on my chest in the rocker for about 30 minutes to make sure he was ok. Back to the crib, again fast asleep, around 3:30.

He threw up again after I nursed him this morning at 5:30, and it is the saddest thing to watch. Then he did it once at the babysitter, so now we are home trying to get Pedialite to stay down for him.

Needless to say, we will not be giving him broccoli or cauliflower again anytime soon.

Tom’s reaction to the barf: “Well George, that may not be the most someone in our family has puked, but it is surely the most per square oz. That was just all the barf.”

Crosby got up with us to make sure everything was ok. He sat patiently watching his boy get taken care of. He was such a caring big brother.

This was Tom’s conversation about Grace once we got back in bed.

Tom-“Oh I am sorry Grace. Don’t let us bother you.”

Me-“Did she even get up?”

Tom-“No…Well yes she did when you let them outside while I was washing George. Then her diva self just crawled back under the covers. And now she is hogging the bed like she can’t be bothered…. Come to think of it, we should have let the dogs clean that up.”

Me-“Eww gross. That’s all we need is all of them barfing.”

Tom-“Well at least the dogs clean it up.”

Me-“I guess. Anyway, can you please turn her because I surely do not need to sleep with Gracie butt in my face after all that.”

The conversations that happen in the wee hours of the morning…

The doctor has us monitoring George for now. They are worried about dehydration right now since he hasn’t kept anything down. So we’ll see how this afternoon goes with the prescribed Pedialite. Since he has been throwing up everything, they aren’t convinced that it was the broccoli and cauliflower. It may be a GI bug that he just needs to work out of his system. This is the first time he has been fully sick, so I am in full mom freak out mode knowing there isn’t much I can do besides watch to make sure he has wet diapers. Although besides the throwing up he is not acting sick.

I wish I felt like this when I was sick…

Now he is mocking me congratulating myself yesterday for his naps by protesting them vigorously today.

George this is a sick day, not a snow day. We must rest!

I feel like we have truly been inducted to the Parent Club now since we have been doused in baby barf. Ahh the glamorous life of parenthood.

March 26, 2015 by Stephanie

George-7 months

Weight: 15 lbs and 15 oz. He is in the 11th percentile for weight. His height is 25.75 inches, which is also the 11th percentile. His head circumference is 44.5, and is in the 80th percentile. He doesn’t look disproportionate, but his head is huge.

Health: He had an ear infection this month. He didn’t really seem any different or fussy, but we found it at his 6 month appointment. He just got the all clear yesterday! He had a really runny nose around that time too, but it hasn’t seem to bother him too much.

Diet: He is only nursing one time a day now. I said goodbye to the pump before our trip this last week. I don’t know how long I will breastfeed him for his morning feed, but it probably wont be much longer. He was still at 50% breastmilk until this past Monday. I am glad that I took the entire month to wean him off because it has meant I have had very minimal pain. I have had no engorgement by only cutting out a few minutes out every couple days. (It has been great wearing real bras and dresses this week since I didn’t have the pump attached to me at all!) This kid and food though. If you didn’t see on Instagram, he throws absolute fits when there is food around and he isn’t eating. We cannot eat in front of him and leave him out. It’s both funny and obnoxious at the same time. He will scream when we get to the end of a bottle or bowl of food. He knows that when we put an his SnapBib that it is time to eat and he starts grabbing at everything and whining until we have the food in front of him. So at least he has a good appetite. He has tried a lot of new things this month: bananas, cantaloupe, kiwi, apple, mango, pizza crust, ice cream, eggs, oatmeal, crackers, and tomatoes. He didn’t like the cantaloupe because it was too slippery, and he couldn’t keep it still. He liked it if I held it for him. The tomato however he did not like at all, but there are some adults that don’t like tomatoes so that wasn’t too surprising. He eats solid food three times a day: oatmeal for breakfast, veggie for lunch, veggie or fruit for dinner. He does purees a lot through the week, but he is getting better at holding the spoon on his own. He can’t figure out the dipping part so as soon as it is gone off the spoon he will drop it on the floor unless I am quick enough to catch it. We do a lot more exploring of solid solid food on the weekends, but he does have real oatmeal (not the baby stuff) every morning now. He prefers the purees because he knows he gets the food faster. He gets really frustrated if he sees the food in front of him and can’t figure out how to get it to his mouth. Plus I think he may just expect us to put it in his mouth still at this point. It is really fun watching him explore food. It is also making me rethink what we eat too so we ensure that he is eating healthy from the get go.

Clothes: We are mostly in 3-6 month clothes, but there are some 3 month and 6 month items he is in. He is still a size 2 diaper. He can fit into size 2 and 3 shoes depending on the brand.

Sleeping: This is still a work in progress for us. It seems like he changes every day. We are trying to get into a routine but again he can’t decide when to be awake and when to be asleep. We have found the key to getting him to take naps. We have to take one with him. Not ideal, but on the weekends we take full advantage of sleeping more through the day. He is doing better sleeping when we put him down at 7:30pm. For the past week he has stayed asleep until we wake him up for his 10pm feeding. Our problem now is that he either wakes up every couple hours during the night or will be up around 3am for the day. Either we have to feed him again or we bring him to bed with us to finish out the night. However, last night he slept through the entire night on his own for the first time in months! The night before he was up every 2 hours, so I will take any full night we can get. We do the same things each night, so I am not really sure why his behavior is so unpredictable. Also, we are able to have him sleep on his belly at home now, but that means he rolls in the crib. A couple nights ago I found him with his arm through the bars playing with the baby monitor cord.

Likes: Oogaa teethers! He actually likes a lot of his toys. One of his other favorites is a small blue stuffed elephant with bungee legs. He is grabbing things a lot better now so he actually turns wheels and shakes things. He is mesmerized by my hairdryer. He loves his feet. George loves seeing his dad come home. He also loves the two little girls that go to the same babysitter. He just giggles and smiles at them when we get there every day. So cute! He also likes pens. He holds them really well when he isn’t trying to eat them. He drew on paper for the first time this weekend.

Dislikes: Socks. He will pull them off as soon as I put them on. Ending a feeding session. He HATES when I try to wipe his face clean. He will throw back his head and yell in a rage at the wipe touching his face.

Milestones: He has rolled over from his back to his stomach just one time. He can hold a bottle on his own. He sits up really nicely. However, he wants to stand more than sit most of the time. In fact just yesterday, he was sitting on my lap facing me and he pulled himself up to a standing position by pulling on my jacket. He has no inclination to crawl but this kid wants to stand on his own! He also took his first big road trip to NC this past weekend. He met many new friends, and he was the best little wedding date.

Quirks: He is talking a lot more. I feel like everyday he has a new squeal. If he is sleep cranky, George will pull my hand to cover his face and put his hand over mine. He does this a lot in the car when I put his pacy back in. He just grabs my hand and holds it over his face. It looks like I am trying to smother him, but I swear it is his soothing mechanism. (and that I am not smothering him)

We parents are: doing ok. We have 3 more weeks until the Academy is over so we are going to be happy about that. I do feel a sense of freedom not having to pump anymore. I have sooooo much more time in my evenings now that I am not pumping at night or cleaning the bajillion pump parts. I have actually gotten to watch some of my TV shows live! It has completely changed our nights. Tom and I sat on the couch together last night (on a weeknight) for the first time in ages. This is a game changer.

The dogs are: tearing up our couch, but that is a story for another day. They are so sweet with George. I have found Crosby laying in front of the crib a couple times. My emotions couldn’t handle that sweetness. George thinks they are the funniest creatures. He just laughs and laughs at them. I just love watching them interact.

George’s personality is definitely coming out more and more. He is such a sweet sweet boy. Most of the time he is all smiles. It is so fun to watch him learn and grown every day. It is so hard to believe though that he is closer to being 1 than he is to being 0. Crazy!

March 25, 2015 by Stephanie

Fit for Me 12/52

This week I was a little lame, and there isn’t much to update on.

What I did last week:

Tuesday-30 minutes on the elliptical. Question: Does anyone out there experience their feet going numb when they are on the elliptical? Is this just me? How do I prevent this from happening? I can rarely go a full 30 minutes without them being asleep and sometimes in serious pain. Am I doing the elliptical wrong?

Impressed by:

My ability to carry a baby and a suitcase up a flight of stairs without injuring George or myself. Mommy muscles.

Struggled with:

Working out while on the road apparently, although I would say unloading and loading up my car every day counts as a workout!

Did I meet my goal from last week?

I did those stretches most mornings. I have to confess that I forgot some mornings. I am really going to try to do them more often. I also did not do an actual workout while on the road, but it was really hard to figure out with the timing and how to navigate it with George so I just didn’t.

What is my goal for next week?

To get back on a schedule with my workouts. With last week being wonky, I want to really try to focus again on this time. It shouldn’t be hard, but it is my goal none the less.

Fitness Thoughts:

I am reminded again that it is so easy to say no to a workout because of convenience. There are things that I could have done in the hotel room to make a workout possible, but I decided after a day’s worth of driving that I wanted to watch Once Upon A Time laying on the bed instead. While I think I should give myself some grace, I also know that I don’t want this ease of pushing a workout aside to become a regular thing. I know I have said it before, but every day is a commitment.

image via

Do you take time off workouts when you travel?Do your feet fall asleep on the elliptical?

March 24, 2015 by Stephanie

You Must Be Tripping

I really was tripping this weekend with George. We were on the road for five days. We traveled from Missouri to North Carolina for a friend’s wedding.

So what did I do to prepare to drive an almost 7 month old baby and myself across half the country?

I just though happy thoughts, and made a list.

Honestly, I just went in with very little expectations and tried to make the best plan that allowed for baby flexibility. Which is why we took 5 days to make this trip.

I thought of everything that needed to be in my baby trouble arsenal. I also went through George’s daily routine and thought about what we had to have (diapers, wipes, feeding items (which was a LOT), etc.)

One suitcase, one large Thirty-One bag, and a diaper bag later, I managed to get everything I need for both myself and George.

I also packed the bumbo, boppy, and the play mat in the trunk. They stayed in the trunk for the entire trip.

I knew I needed to plan our trip around George’s peak times, so we needed to be done driving every day around 5pm. I mapped out a good route (where granted we would have to make a lot of stops) but we wouldn’t do more than 7 hours of actual driving in a day.

We stopped every 2-3 hours so George could eat and get out of the car seat a little. I had the play mat set up in the back so we would get back there so George could play a little while I ate. Correction, I only got back there one time after I realized that I am a big person and should not be in my trunk area. It is a good thing I am nimble because I almost got stuck in my trunk space. I underestimated the height of my back seat headrests after realizing I could neither close or open the trunk door from the inside. So after that first time of climbing over the back seat, I just sat in the back seat while George played on the play mat. The suitcase and other bag fit in the front so I could free up the trunk space.

We got into a really good driving routine, and he really only got fussy for the last half hour each day. He was honestly much better than I even planned for. Also lucky for me, George does not mind my atrocious driving singing where I think I am a Broadway star. He slept through all my big numbers. I appreciated his willingness to be a good travel buddy!

I was also really nervous because I have the worst luck getting George to fall asleep. Tom always takes that duty, so to say I was just a little anxious was an understatement. But we managed pretty nicely. He naps well in the car so I wasn’t concerned there. He lived up to that expectation perfectly. He gets car coma just like me. And the night time sleeps, we just rolled with it. I don’t believe there was a night that he didn’t pass out around his normal bed time. I usually just let him lie there alone while I would do the dishes and do my nighttime routine, and he would pass out on his own! We did sleep in the same beds. I can’t figure out how to put the Pack and Play together by myself, nor did I want another big thing to carry so I didn’t mess with bringing it. We managed just fine co-sleeping in queen beds. He doesn’t roll yet so this was easy, and he wasn’t an obnoxious bed hog like our dogs. And for the record, it did not mess him up with his crib last night once we were home either. He actually went to sleep for me quicker than he has ever before in his life!

Another thing that helped was making stops along the way to visit friends. George got to meet so many people, and it was good for my soul too.

One of my biggest concerns initially was whether George would be mobile or not. I was not sure if he would be rolling or crawling at this point, so luckily neither of those milestones are ones that we have crossed yet. That definitely made things much easier since I was traveling by myself. I could just plop him on the middle of the bed with some Baby Einstein and be sure he wasn’t going to roll off. The game would have been dramatically different if he could roll…

George also made the best wedding date. However I am pretty sure he may have stole the show from the bride and groom. Sorry Emily and Terrance! Their wedding was just darling, and we were so happy to be there for their day. (Even if George tried stealing the limelight with his cuteness.) Although he was definitely a messy attendee. I had to apologize for the mess he made and take him home early because of his shenanigans. Just reiterates that babies are just tiny drunks.

So my basic tips for driving/traveling with a baby:

Bring every toy that they may have found favorable at one time, I guess within reason. I only brought hand toys that are easy in a carseat, but I had a whole grocery bag of them. Keep this bag close to you in the front seat. I would rotate toys every 10 minutes or so if he was getting too squirelly.
Plan to drive around nap times. George’s biggest nap time is in the morning so I drove until he woke back up, even if I desperately needed to pee, to make the most out of his sweet slumber. I also knew that we had to be done around 5 otherwise I would have a baby nightmare on my hands.
Plan for long stops. I don’t think there is a way to do a quick stop with a baby anyway, but it also helped that I planned for a little play time so he could stretch his limbs out of that car-seat. I think this truly helped keep him less fussy.
Try to keep them on somewhat of a normal schedule. We still went to bed at the same time he normally does (except the night of the wedding).
I brought my own bottle brush and soap to wash all the feeding items every night. This is definitely not something to bank on the hotel having, and it saved me from over-packing on the feeding accessories. I just brought enough to get me through one day.
I packed all of his outfits in ziplock bags. This was helpful because then I didn’t have to go digging for tiny socks.
Speaking of outfits, if I were to do this again, I would only put him in sleepers (footie pajamas) on the days we were driving. He wore sleepers two of the five days, and those were much easier stops than the other days where he was wearing socks and pants. Inevitably the socks ended up on the car floor, and it just takes more time to change a diaper with pants.
Take a wrap or baby carrier. I put George in this when we checked in and out of the hotel so I could carry the luggage easier. It was definitely work to carry him plus the suitcase, but I don’t think I would have been able to do it at all without the wrap.
Try to get a room on the first floor or make sure that the hotel has an elevator. Two out of the three hotels we stayed at we were on the second floor without an elevator. You can imagine the horror of carrying a baby and a large suitcase up the stairs. I made several trips like this. It is as awful as it sounds.
Be flexible and know when too much is too much. There were some stops that were a lot longer because I knew he needed it. We also didn’t stay at the wedding as long as I hoped (but probably longer than George wanted).
Have fun! It was the first time we traveled to unknown places with George so we took in the newness, and of course jumped on hotel beds. Making memories is important even with a baby!

I loved our five days together. It has been awhile since I have had this much quality time with George, so it was great to just hang out with him. He is at such a fun age that we could really enjoy our time. It really wasn’t as stressful as I had imagined!

Have you traveled with a baby? What are your traveling tips (baby or sans baby)? What is your favorite road-trip music? (Mine is clearly show tunes and anything Celine Dion. A good belting song is always a good route to go.)

March 20, 2015 by Stephanie

20th Season DWTS

I love this show.

Seriously obessed.

1000.5x1 image via

Other people may think that it has run it course, but I am genuinely sucked into every single season. It is my elusive dream to be famous one day to be on this show. That is the only reason I would want to be famous. Well that and to have someone do my hair everyday.

Here are my first takes on each of the couples:

Noah Galloway and Sharna-I cried every single moment of this dance. I cried because of what he was doing. I cried because of the sacrifices he has made. I cried because that could have been Tom. Noah is an Army veteran who was stationed at Ft. Campbell. He lost his left arm and leg during his service. His dance and partnership with Sharna is just beautiful. As Carrie Ann said, “He is redefining what it means to dance.”
Robert Herjavec and Kym-He was not as stiff as I thought he would be. He was really ecstatic and lively with his dance. He is also a big flirt with Kym, so that will be interesting and awkward to watch. He was a surprise for me.
Patti LaBelle and Artem-She was so emotional and thankful for the experience. Her dance was very touching to me. She is definitely bringing some soul to the show.
Riker Lynch and Allison-I am excited to see this partnership. I think Allison sometimes dancing so well and with staccato that it highlights her partner’s weaknesses more. I think that Riker is going to be able to match her energy and enthusiasm and seems to have some basic skills already down. They should be exciting to watch.
Nastia Liukin and Derek-Clearly this is my favorite team. I know there are a lot of Derek haters out there that think that he is just given who will naturally be winners, but I would disagree that this is not the case. He has had several that have not won including when he was partnered with Shawn Johnson during the All-Star season. He is a good choreographer and teacher who highlights his partner’s skills. I love him and y’all need to back off. Back to Nastia, I always love seeing what gymnasts can do on the dance floor, so this will be fun to watch them work together.
Charlotte McKinney and Keo-She seems fun, but I think she is going to talk about her boobs a lot. We didn’t really get to see how Keo works last year either, so I don’t really have much to say about this partnership yet.
Redfoo and Emma-I am excited to see what Emma does with someone closer to her energy. She has done really well with the older gentleman partners she has had, but I think we will be able to see much different choreography from her. And Redfoo I think will make any appearance worth watching. He is a little awkward right now, but he has the heart.
Michael Sam and Peta-They are probably my second favorite couple. I am a fan of Michael Sam’s because he use to be Mizzou football player. I have always been a Mizzou fan, but even more so now that I live down the street. He seems really fun, and Peta seems like a great match for him! I also am a Peta fan! I will say that he seemed a bit nervous and stocky the first go around, so hopefully he can relax a little. Traditionally football players have done really well on this show, so I hope for the best for this couple!
Willow Shields and Mark-I am glad Mark got another young one. I think it is forcing him to not think so much about himself in the choreography. Willow seems fun and like she has something to prove only being 14, which usually means that they fight hard for it. She should be fun to watch even if I am NOT a Mark fan.
Susanne Somers and Tony-Tony is one of my favorite choreographers so I always enjoy the relationships he builds. IT was funny when she introduced what she was known for she said Three’s Company and Thighmaster infomercials. I actually know her most from Step By Step. Anyone else? She seems spunky and likely will give us some comedic relief throughout the show.
Chris Soules and Witney-I still don’t know how I feel about the Bachelors coming off their show to DWTS. I do however love both Chris and Witney (not his fiance, although I love that Whitney too). He actually was a lot better dancer than I was bargaining for. He was a little awkward but he had a lot more charisma than I think we have seen. I also thought it was funny that Erin called him out for feeling nervous for dancing so close to Witney when he made out with every girl on the Bachelor.
Rumer Willis and Val-Arguably the best dance of the night. She is a little spitfire. I also love Val’s choreography so I am excited that he has someone moldable to work with. She was really good, but I think there are some walls that have to come down for her to really break out on this show.

I think this is a great cast with a wide variety of experiences and skill sets. (Although Tristan MacManus needs to come back!)

It should be fun to see what they have in store for the 20th season and their 10th year. I am sure all kind of surprises are in store.

They have also started a live stream on the ABC website. For an hour a day they showcase a couple’s practice. This is making me even more invested than ever before. I love seeing all sides of it. It is really interesting too because you see so much more here than they show in the clips. Love this idea! (My productivity doesn’t so much.)

What do you think? Do you watch DWTS? Who are your initial favorites? Are you a Derek hater?