Half Birthday Update!

Milo is the big 6 months today! Here are some things about him:

• He's sleeping well through the night with only 1-2 feedings.
• He loves to chew on absolutely anything. Especially plastic cups.
• He is a rolly-polly kid now! I think I've seen him go 3 or 4 consecutive rolls just today. 
• He always is willing to taste new things. He loves ketchup. We haven't really found a fruit he loves but we'll keep up the search.
• He is definitely in 6-9 month or just 9 month clothes and fits in some 12 month stuff. 
• He's getting really good at sitting up on his own! 
• His highchair is definitely a great chill zone.
• He is super interested in the animals and we can't wait to take him to the zoo this summer. 

We took some super cute pictures of him for his half birthday. He's seriously photogenic.

I'll upload more as I get them edited.

As for the holidays, we were busier than cuss but had a really great few weeks spending some much needed time with our family. Milo has been a real trooper with all these non-routine days and random naps but hopefully we'll get back into the swing of things soon.

Milo slept all through the night on Christmas Eve Eve and it was a Christmas MIRACLE! (He's done it before, but it's been a while.)

-----
So I did write that on his actual half birthday but you know... Whatever. Now it's nearly midnight, Milo's been awake for about an hour and wouldn't stop crying in his sleep for 2 hours before that and I've tried a trillion things to try and get him back to sleep. I guess this is what we get for straying from normalcy for so long.

The moral of this story is STICK TO THE ROUTINE: GET HIM TO BED ON TIME.
I said he was a trooper? More like we both were. And now I'm paying for it in lost sleep and streams of mental swear words.

Send prayers that we can get back to things or else someone will soon be consumed in the belly of unhealthy eating and uncontrollable laziness. (that would be me.)

On Formula Feeding: MY STORY

I've been sitting on this thought for maybe a month now and it's been weighing heavily. Bear with me.

Yes, I feed my child formula.
No, he won't die because of it.
Yes, he still loves me.
No, I'm not against breastfeeding.

It really all started in the hospital when multiple lactation consultants and nurses came and shoved my hours-old baby's face into my boob while he just continued to scream. He would suck for maybe 30 seconds and then fall off and continue to cry. They tried sugar water, nipple shields, every position imaginable, all pillows, no pillows, he was checked for tongue-tied, all to no avail. Our second night there, they left him with me in the middle of the night to try and nurse without help. After so long trying to get it to work, I guess they just thought we had to muddle through it alone. We tried and fell asleep and then tried and then slept back and forth for maybe 5 hours. It wasn't pretty. At maybe 4 in the morning, we gave up and gave him a bottle.

I had to continue to tell myself it was okay as long as he was eating. It was hard. I was beyond exhausted and so was Milo.

When we got home, I kept trying to nurse and he kept falling off all the time but we got up to maybe 20 minutes of nursing at a certain point, after my milk came in. He ate and was still hungry. So we had no choice but to continue to supplement.

Long story short, I kept trying to nurse, we kept having to supplement. We bought the wrong formula which made him constipated and even less comfortable nursing until he just wouldn't even try anymore, just scream at my boob for however long till I just gave up and fed him from a bottle.

My heart broke. I knew all the benefits of nursing and I really wanted the best for him. I sobbed over it. I prayed about it. I fretted over it for weeks. And I had to just come to one conclusion, really.

I know what you're thinking. "UH, PUMPING?" and yeah. I tried that too. But honestly, I'd rather spend time playing and taking care of Milo than confined to a pump for however long only to get less than enough for even one feeding. It just wasn't worth it.

So I only have a few things to say on the topic generally.

WHY should it matter how I feed my child? Why do I feel so awful every time someone says anything on the subject, no matter how offensive they're being, even if they're not being offensive at all? I shouldn't have to feel the need to defend myself for making sure my baby is being fed. That's ridiculous. With all the hype of breastfeeding and negativity associated with formula, it just makes moms who are trying so hard to do their best feel so needlessly guilty.

And although there are trillions of benefits to breastfeeding, formula feeding has it's perks too. I can easily let someone else feed Milo if I'm unavailable. I get to sleep a little longer sometimes because Sean can take him for a shift. I can leave Milo with a babysitter without worrying if I've pumped enough. I don't feel like my eating habits need to be altered if he's having a gassy day (also known as I can more easily pinpoint why he's having tummy trouble).

Go ahead, breastfeed in public if you're so inclined. Pump exclusively. Nurse privately. Formula feed from birth. WHATEVER. Seriously, you shouldn't have to explain how you feed your kid as long as they're being loved and cared for. Isn't that all that really matters when they're all grown up? I don't think I know a single person who is mad at their parent for feeding them a certain way when they were an infant. That would just be a waste of so much time and energy.

I still have sad days where I wish I was nursing. I do miss breastfeeding sometimes even though it hurt way more than I ever imagined and was just so difficult. But I do feel better about things now that I can just focus on being a mom and making both of us happy rather than how uncomfortable we both are. I try really hard not to get offended when people bring up the fact that I'm not nursing, but it's really difficult. Even if they don't mean anything by it, it sort of feels like an attack sometimes. I know plenty of breastfeeders who aren't judging me but it's still not the easiest thing to talk about.

And I keep saying that I'll try harder with the next baby but I'm not going to be mad at myself or my baby if it still just doesn't work. If that's how it must be for us to have a happier life, then that's what's going to happen.

And we will both be better for it.

As I was writing this, I found a really great blog that helps people in my situation feel less alone:
http://www.fearlessformulafeeder.com/
It's so nice to know I'm not on my own in this because it sure feels like it.

Thanks for reading. I'm so happy to get it off my chest.
Love, Miss Ellen

P.S. -  MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!! I'll post about Milo's first holidays once things settle down. We've still got family in town and have been seriously busy the past few weeks.

Update: I Should've Known...

So remember how I built this whole plan to get healthy? And how that was only a few days ago?

And then also remember how I'm pretty sure Milo started teething immediately after I posted it?

Yeah. So I'm in a fun place. I'm still trying to keep to my plan as best I can but it's not terribly easy when Milo is waking up more times per night and earlier in the morning. The day after I posted, Milo woke up at 5:30 am. So painfully early. I did get a lot done (4 loads of laundry including all his clothes, all our sheets, and all the blankets, 1 load of dishes, vacuumed the top 2 floors, went grocery shopping, still tried to exercise and eat right, made chicken and dumplings for dinner, and had our friends over for lunch), but I'm really feeling it today.

Milo is currently down for his first nap and I'm probably going to do a short workout but I don't know if this headache plus being crazy tired is really going to help.

And on teething... It's really great. All the shouting and fussing and waking up at night... it's all just so fun. NOT. Guys, teeth are the worst.

It's fine. Really. But it's definitely not easy or fun. Luckily, Milo is a trooper and will still laugh and be cute even when he's in pain.

So I'm gonna go ahead and eat my breakfast and do some exercise. Probably.

Love, Miss Ellen

Healthy Ellen 2016: My Postpartum Goals

Hey, you guys!
So I, like a good portion of postpartum moms I'm sure, have been feeling particularly lumpy and gross since Milo was born. And I've been feeling awful about how lazy I've become about it. So naturally, I took to pinterest for answers. Turns out, 4 is to 4 1/2 months is when your body is in peak condition to get back in shape. So I'm feeling a little bit better about things.

But it really doesn't help that I haven't lost ANY baby weight. That's right. I weighed less right after Milo was born, of course, but over the past few months, I've somehow managed to gain it all back. I don't feel any larger, so I'm hoping a chunk of that weight, no matter how small it might be, is in hidden muscle from all the stairs I've been climbing and the 16 pound baby I've been carrying around lately. However, I'm definitely ready for this mom-pooch to go and for the diastasis recti to recover (for those who aren't familiar with the term, it's that thing where your ab muscles aren't exactly touching any more).

SO.

The goal: flat tummy, under 140 pounds. I don't need fancy muscles or whatever, I just want to feel as close to regular again. I don't need to fit into my old clothes because new clothes are also nice. And a lot of my clothes are from a period of my life when I didn't exactly understand fashion but was working towards it. Anyway... Until, of course, I reach that goal and somehow magically we're ready to have another baby. Which I'm sure is going to happen seeing as how my goal is 12+ pounds away and it takes forever to shed baby weight (according to my research).

The plan: exercise and healthier eating.

Easy enough to say, but it's pretty vague if you think about it. So I scoured pinterest for a postnatal workout that would fit my schedule, ability, and desired results and this is what I came up with.

Exercise Routine
Daily during Milo's morning nap, I'm going to complete this routine:

• 20 ski-squats (squats with a ski-style jump between each)
• 25 pelvic lifts (also known as bridges)
• 30 second plank 
• 5 pushups (so few because I hate pushups)
• 20 clamshells per side (something my physical therapist wanted me to do to help hip pain during pregnancy and could still help now)
• 20 weighted squats
• All while wearing a belly-bandit type girdle thing. 

It kind of looks like a lot but it can all be done in like 20 minutes. Then I figured I could fit little bursts of exercise in while I'm playing with Milo. Here's some of the things I can do then:

• Bridges with baby on tummy
• Squats while holding baby (instead of weight)
• Sitting twists while holding baby
• Baby lifts (while laying down)
• Plank over baby

Healthy Eating

Eating healthy is one of the biggest challenges in my life. I love eating healthy foods, the problem is I don't like cooking or they take too much time to make or we don't have fresh fruit and veg because I don't know how to eat them in their peak ripe times... It's all a mess. But I'm going to make a serious effort because even if it's just breakfast and lunch that are somewhat healthy, it's better than eating a can of pringles, a can of coke, and some fruit snacks for any meal.

Here are my "mostly healthy" lunch ideas in case, you know... someone needs some ideas:

• steamed broccoli and shrimp
• lasagna roll (a lasagna noodle with pasta sauce and cheese, all rolled up)
• tuna sandwich
• hard boiled eggs and avocado
• chef salad
• smoothies
• banana and egg pancakes (because if you mix 2 eggs and 1 banana, it apparently makes a good batter. It's worth a shot, right?)
• tortilla pizza (with or without pepperoni)
• peanut butter and bananas (as is or on a sandwich)
• baked Italian chicken (chicken breast with Italian seasonings, tomato, and mozzarella)
• baked chicken flautas (shredded chicken wrapped in a tortilla and baked, serve with guac, sour cream, and salsa)
• fried eggs and wheat toast
• baked potato (with healthier options like broccoli or just salt and pepper. but still a little butter to soften it up. What? I said "mostly healthy".)
• avocado slices with salsa and homemade tortilla chips
• turkey or ham sandwich and some healthy chip alternative once I find one.

Daily Routine

And if that's not enough, I've also set a better schedule for myself because waking up when Milo does makes my day a little more rough because then I don't know when to shower. Showering is an important part of a good day, in my mind. Night showers never go over well for me and my hair...

• I wake up at 6:15 and jump in the shower before Sean and get ready for the day (mostly in exercise clothes so I can get the workout in easier). 
• Milo usually wakes up when Sean's in the shower between 6:30 and 7, so I get him up and dressed and fed. While he plays, I'll eat breakfast.
• During his morning nap I'll exercise and do some chores (i.e. load some laundry, put dishes in the dishwasher, pick up stuff in a room)
• Put on grown-up regular clothes. Or not. Depending on the plans for the rest of the day... some days yoga pants are a perfectly acceptable outfit. Especially the days I don't plan on going anywhere or seeing anyone.
• During Milo's midday nap, cook and eat lunch. No more top ramen, easy mac, corn dogs, frozen burritos, etc. Unless, of course, it's some occasion where these foods are acceptable (for example, starving and haven't gone to the store yet.)

I'm posting this as a 2016 goal but I'm trying not to make it a resolution because we all know what happens to most resolutions. And I really tried to build it to fit my lifestyle so I wouldn't be so tempted to fall away from it, like nearly every other exercise plan I've ever had. And I'm not opposed to changing up the work out, so we'll see how things go. I've only done it for a couple days, so it's not fool-proof, but I do feel better since starting it. Now to keep it up! 

In sharing this and all the ideas I have, I'm hoping I'll better be able to stick to it because it's out in the world and I know a few other new moms read this and it might help them. You're welcome to try it out with me and change up a few things, whatever works for your schedule, body type, etc. If you want to do something similar, let me know and we can work on our goals together and share progress and stuff! I'm all for giving support to other moms doing their best! And, honestly, without Sean's cousin's wife being a friend who's doing a lot of mom-stuff at the same time as me and giving me advice, I don't think I'd feel as good about things as I do (Thanks, Kember!!!). It's good to have people in your court and I'm always happy to be one of those people. 

Love, Miss Ellen

p.s. CONGRATS to my brother and sister-in-law on their sweet little girl, Aurora Grace! I can't wait for her and Milo to be best friends! (Guys! I'm finally an aunt!)

Minnesota Milo: The Story and Tips for Travel

Buckle in. This is gonna be a long one.

Yesterday we got back from a fun weekend trip to Minnesota! Our friends got married on Saturday and we decided to take the trip. We knew traveling with a babe would be a challenge, especially after accidentally booking a 7 hour layover, but we did our research and I prepared prepared PREPARED.

I wrote out list after list after list to make sure everything got packed and we got everything done that needed to be done (I'll share these on a second blogpost for those of you wanting some tips). I'm a pro list-maker so it was great. I'll just go through how we did things and give tips along the way. Ready?

        good.

Security & First Flight

We started out our first morning of travel with an upset Milo. For some reason he wouldn't eat. He ate as much as he could (without screaming...) and then took a nap while we finished packing up and getting ready. We got to the airport early and found a parking spot.

Tip #1: Sean had Milo in the Moby which was perfect because then he could do everything with both hands. If you have any hands-free baby carrier USE THAT. It was so non-bulky and everything went more smoothly.

We checked our bag and our carseat, which I was told would be better with a garbage bag but they had one for us. When we go again, it would be nice to have a carseat cover so we could stow some more blankets or coats.

I was sure security was going to be a nightmare but the line went quickly and we got to go through the simple metal detector and Sean only had his hands checked and that was it, simple pimple. We grabbed our stuff and went to feed Milo.

Tip #2: Talk to your doctor before you go! They will probably have some good ideas for you or (like ours did) give you the 'okay' and dosage for some sleepy medicine. 

Milo was well asleep for the first 3 flights, but the last one came at an odd time so we couldn't give him the sleepy meds for it. It was definitely more of a struggle, but Milo is an honest-to-goodness trooper.

The Layover

We got to Denver at about 1:30 and ate lunch then set up camp near our gate. We found an open spot by the window and laid out a blanket for Milo to roll around on and we got out his toys. He took 2 naps at the airport (one with me and one with Sean) and it was just fine. We watched some Netflix, ate some food, and read some books. It was honestly not as bad as I thought. 

Naps rock

The camping spot

Tip #3: Check your layover time BEFORE YOU BOOK.  This is probably an obvious one, but sometimes it just goes under the radar. If you only have the option of a layover, try to choose the shortest one. My ideal layover would be about 6 hours after your first take-off (because that's how long sleepy meds last). It was good to have some time to feed and play with him though.

Tip #4: Pack good distractor toys! and enough food (if you formula feed). Check out my list-post! It was seriously a lifesaver having Milo's favorite toys. 

Tip #5 (for formula feeders specifically): Make sure you have food prepared before you board. If your plane was anything like ours, there won't be enough room to properly portion and mix food. 

Tip #6: If you have a baby, you can board first. Do that. This might just be obvious, but listen for the first boarders and go with them. Get comfy before the single business man comes and sits next to you and looks disappointed that there's a baby next to him (because that happened on 100% of our flights). This.

Flight #2 was just fine and we got to Minnesota safely. Sean's parents were there just in time to pick us up. MSP was so much easier to navigate and find all our stuff than SLC... but it's fine. We made it, all is well.

The Stay

I really do love Minnesota and would love to live there someday. We stayed with Sean's parents for our trip. They had a pack n' play ready for Milo to sleep and an air mattress for us and we were all comfortable. Milo's sleep schedule was a little weird, but he still got enough naps and always slept through the night (with only 2 night-feedings the whole trip). He even slept through all the noises because he was just in the dining room while the rest of us were around the corner watching TV. I'm just really impressed with that boy. As are his grandparents.

 Milo and Grandpa

Reading with Grandma

We left Milo with them while we went to our friend's wedding and he was just fine and got to bed without any worries. I'm never really worried about him because he's a good baby. We had tons of fun at the wedding and got to catch up with some good friends and dance to our hearts' content. My voice was gone and my knee hurt by the end of the night, but it was well worth it. And my legs would be killing if they weren't already being regularly exercised by the stairs. 

 Sean dancing with the groom

Family photo!

We had a family/friend get-together on Sunday night and it was nice seeing more people and finally meeting Miss Parker (Milo's future girlfriend ;) )

The lovebirds

Monday we were in Mankato and hung out with Bloom while Missy was in school and then I got a haircut by our friend Kate (Yeah, my stylist is in Minnesota). The rest of the day was just relaxing and getting re-packed.  

Going Home

Tuesday, we headed for home. This was probably the hardest day of it all. Bloom took us to the airport (with a Hardee's pitstop) and we got there nice and early. Security was fine - about as easy as it was earlier - and we found our gate. Our flight was delayed an hour, Milo ate and fell asleep, we boarded, I watched a movie on the flight, it was not bad. The layover that time was only a couple hours. We all ate, we played a little, and then prepared for boarding. This time though, because of the hour delay, we couldn't give Milo any sleepy juice. 

Tip #7: Wait to feed until takeoff if your baby is awake. This was one I wish we had paid better attention to for the last flight. He ate before we took off in an attempt to get him asleep before take-off but that was in vain. Save the food for take-off. I think if we had done that, he would've fallen asleep at the right time anyway. It's fine.

We boarded while Milo was tired and he fell asleep pretty easily without any help. However, people on our plane who were on a delayed flight from Houston made us late and Milo woke up. So basically, that flight was the worst. We got to Salt Lake eventually and got off the plane. We went and waited for our luggage for forever, then eventually had to go find our carseat at some other baggage claim thing and Sean went to get the car because it was freezing out. 

20 minutes later, Sean called. The car wouldn't start. So not only did we have to deal with a distressed baby for the past 2 hours, but now we were trapped. Plus my phone was dying. So. Sean eventually found a help phone and someone came and gave us a jump and we were all good. 

One more problem. A flight from LA to Paris had a bomb threat and was diverted to SLC. Yeah. So Milo and I waited out in the freezing cold for like 10 minutes while Sean had to come around again. We got home, took care of  business and all of us crashed hard. There was no midnight feeding, no bathroom trips... In fact, I'm pretty sure I didn't even roll over until like 7. Milo slept in until 8:30 and we're just readjusting and putting things away today. 

Tomorrow, Milo gets his 4 month shots and Sean has his first eye doctor appointment. Then we're not doing ANYTHING until Thanksgiving. And even then, we'll stay relatively close to home. 

See you again in July, Minnesota!

Thanks for reading! Check out my packing/to do lists and ideas HERE.

Love, Miss Ellen 

Travel Lists!

1: Make one of your carry-ons an all-inclusive diaper bag. We used an Oakley backpack like this one:

Here's what was in it:

• 12 diapers - We also bought a pack of diapers while we were there so we were sure not to run out.
• 1 pack of wipes 
• 2 receiver blankets - we use these for changing pads and burp cloths, whatever is needed at the time. 
• 2 burp cloths
• 3 Dr. Brown's 9 oz bottles
• 1 sectioned formula rubbermaid - enough for 8 oz. of formula per section with 3 sections. These are at Baby's R' Us.
• nursing cover - just in case. Or if you use that. 
• bink/bottle wipes
• 1 first aid tote with
• 3 spare ziplocs of 2 sizes
• 2 spare binks
• diaper rash cream
• lotion 
• 2 bibs
• toys in a ziploc - We had:
• Sophie la girafe
• Dr. Seuss books/Veggies with Wedgies book
• Elephant crinkle toy
• chain toys
• Mickey crinkle book
• swaddle blanket
• plushy Blanket (the one with baseballs from the pictures)
• spare outfits/jammies
• Tip: If traveling in cold weather, find long sleeve/pants onesies with easy access to diapers. These were the best outfits.

2: We also had a carry-on backpack with things for Mom & Dad:

• ipad/ipod (charged) and laptop - these were all easy access for the security check. 
• chargers - wrapped and in a ziploc
• earbuds - these were in with the chargers, also wrapped/stowed
• gum and chapstick
• book - I'm reading Why Not Me by Mindy Kaling
• list book - I'm a list freak. Plus it was helpful for when I was repacking so I didn't miss anything and leave it there.
• baby's birth certificate - we were told they might want to check it like they do adult ID's but they didn't. It was still good to have just in case they did.
• wallet - this also needs to be easy access for them to check your ID or in case you need money or something.
• any additional information - we needed to bring some extra paper work and we kept it in the list book so it was easy to find. 
• any other entertainment items

3: Then we checked a suitcase:

• Mom and Dad
• any specific outfits needed - dresses, ties, etc.
• enough underwear and socks for the trip - all in ziploc bags with the air pushed out
• 1 pair (or 2) pants per adult
• enough shirts to last the trip
• 1 hat for all (including baby)
• 1 spare pair shoes per adult
• any jewelry or other accessories (scarves, belts, etc.)
• Bathroom - in a travel bag
• toothbrushes for all/travel toothpaste
• make-up 
• combs/brushes and hair products
• deoderants
• q-tips
• other necessities - you know you... pack it.
• Baby
• jacket and 3 pairs pants - in a ziploc
• onesies - enough for 2 per day, be sure to pay attention to the weather (in a ziploc)
• socks - in a sandwich bag
• swaddle wrap - or not if your baby is too old to swaddle
• shoes - or not. 

I always love coming home to a clean house, no matter how long I'm gone. It takes the stress from the trip and makes it easier because there's one less thing you have to do. 

To Do list:

• clean
• vacuum and sweep floors
• dust and pick up trash
• keep up on dishes and laundry
• put away all that crap that's just around - turns out, having a baby is automatic stuff everywhere always
• make sure there's enough food for animals
• also make sure there's someone to care for the animals!
• pack! - I do this gradually over the course of a couple days so that if I remember something, there's still time to put it in. 
• load up the entertainment - make sure you have all the music, games, and movies you could want. You can always delete things later.
• take care of yourself! - I made sure to have my nails done, everything shaved, washed, and trimmed before we left.
• take care of the baby! - duh. just duh. but I also had to make sure Milo's nails were trimmed before we left and that we got his face rash under control before we left.
• talk to your doctor - they can tell you things you might not know that could help ease travel (i.e. the dosage for benadryl, what to do to take care of rashes, etc.
• double check and triple check - airports have almost nothing for babies so be prepared.
• make a game-plan for travel day - When will you leave? Where will naps be? Who will get ready first? Who's going to carry what? 

Here are some tricks I use when packing:

• If you can't already tell, I LOVE ziplocs. I always label them and then sit on them to get the air out before closing. Everything is organized and easy to fit.
• If you have any travel totes (first aid totes, travel kits, etc.) use them. Again, things are organized and easy to find.
• Wrap the cords and put them in a ziploc - cords are the worst and the less you have to hassle getting them out to be checked or used, the better.
• Make sure your electronics are easy access so getting them out and shoving them back in is quick and easy during security check.
• Make your tee shirts into burritos. Here's how:

• Put your shirt on the floor front side down and fold the bottom under about 3 inches.
• Fold the arms over on the top, like you would to fold it regularly.
• Roll the shirt up from the neck down.
• Flip the folded part of the shirt over the burrito.
• Pack.

Good Luck and Happy Travels!

Love, Miss Ellen

Halloween Story

This is a truly true story.

One year for Halloween, I went as a tired housewife. I had a bathrobe, curlers, a baby doll, slippers, make-up bags under my eyes, the full package. It was cold cold out and wet, so I put bags over my slippers to keep them dry (which pretty much defeated the purpose of them). 

I am proud to say that a number of years later, I am a housewife and I am NOTHING like that (besides, of course the tired part. Once you've lost so much sleep as a new mom, it's almost nearly impossible to get back. The "sleep when your baby sleeps" thing is harder than you'd think). I rarely wear my bathrobe, my slippers are shoes enough and I only wear them to do tasks, the baby doll is an actual baby, I don't wear curlers (because duh. short hair. Also, it's already curly enough.), and the bags under my eyes are well hidden by a special cream I put on every day (that and mascara are my only make-up usually). 

Anyway. I'm just super excited for the day Sean and I get to take Milo out trick-or-treating. This year, we're staying in and handing out candy and making sure Milo gets to bed on time... Super festive. Sean and I went to a fun Halloween dinner party yesterday and we dressed up as Bob and Linda from Bob's Burgers. No one know who we were.. but Sean dyed his mustache and I dyed my hair, so It was still fun. 

Happy Halloween!!!

Love, Miss Ellen