Yesterday I took the girls over to my moms for a visit. Bella got to play with Ashlyn, Abby napped on Nana's couch, and I got to make a baby-free trip to Walmart! A good time was had by all.
Between dropping the girls off, going to Wally world, going back to the car for something I forgot, I probably made about four trips back and forth across the driveway without incident. When it was time to leave, my dad carried Bella to the car, and I had Abby's carseat, with the handle in the crook of my arm.
There was a patch of snow in front of my car, and I knew there was ice underneath it, so I decided to walk around it. My feet hit black ice, and down we went! I fell forward instead of backward, which was probably better. I landed on my knees, and poor Abby hit the ground with a "thunk!". The worst part (besides the fact that she got jarred so badly) was that my elbow went in the carrier.
Of course, Abby immediately started screaming. I got up and we hurried back in the house. I unbuckled Abby, laid her on a blanket, and looked her over. I was afraid my elbow had hit her really hard. But after checking her over, I picked her up and loved on her and she was fine. Thank goodness!
On the way home I called the pediatrician to let them know what happened. They said as long as she was acting normally that everything should be fine, and to call immediatly if she started vomiting or if her pupils became uneven in size.
The moral of this story...well, actually there are two. First, when you are carrying your baby to the car on an icy driveway, wear crampons. (you know, the spiky things that climbers wear on thier feet going up Everest).
And two, there are two phone numbers every mother should have on her cell phone speed dial: the pediatrician, and Poison Control.
Speaking of Poison Control, I'm a big fan. If you've never had to call them, thats great, but if you ever do they are wonderful. The first time I had to call was when Bella was about 1 1/2. We took a trip to Pigeon Forge. We had just checked in our hotel, and I was getting something out of my bag when I looked over and she was chewing on something! I grabbed her up and got her to spit it out- it was a pill, or rather half of one, because she'd already eaten a little of it. Luckily, it was one of those gel-coated tablets and I could still read part of the writing- it was Advil she'd found in the floor. But just to be safe I called the pediatrician and left a message on the answering service, then called Poison Control. They said to give her something to drink, and not give her any pain medications (tylenol, motrin, etc) for eight hours.
The pediatrican called back just after that and seconded this advice.
Needless to say we won't be staying in that hotel again. Ever.
Phone call #2 to poison control was about a month ago. Bella came through the house making a face and spitting stuff out. In her hand she had one of those little packets that come in shipped stuff and new coats, you know the ones that say THROW AWAY, DO NOT EAT in capital letters. Being the obedient consumer that I am, I had never opened one. They are full of tiny clear balls. Kenneth ran over to where she was and found several in the floor, it looked like she had spit most of them out. But I wasn't taking any chances, I called Poison Control.
Apparently the DO NOT EAT warning is because the little balls (which it turns out are silica) are not so much a poison as a choking hazard. The lady said if she was breathing okay that there shouldn't be a problem. Whew.
So, please put this number in your cell phone: Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Natural Gas!
I may have discovered the solution to the world's energy crisis: (drumroll please...) Abbigail Edmonds! Yes, it's true. She is a fabulous producer of natural gas!
The nurses put her on soy formula in the hospital due to some digestive issues. Okay, it was more than digestive issues, she had diarrhea and screamed for an entire night in the nursery. Anyway, soy formula is supposed to be a little easier on the digestive system. It even says right on the front of the container "for fussiness and gas". Good grief, I can hardly imagine if she was on regular formula!
Unfortunately, all the gas-production makes her one fussy baby. Like all moms, I wish there was a miracle cure for a gassy baby, but alas... So here is what we do to help:
1) burping. (duh). Unfortunately Abby is hard to burp. Sometimes you can pat her back
for the longest time to no avail. I also try sitting her up with her back and head very straight
up, and sometimes that will do it.
2) Mylicon. Shoot, I just put a dose of it in every bottle!
3) "rolling" her tummy. Hats off to my friend Vicky for telling me about this one, and it really
does seem to help: to do this, lay baby on her back. Bend her legs at the knee and "roll" her
legs clockwise, circling up over her belly. It's hard to do if baby is crying and tensed up. I've
found that if Abby is tensed up, if I take her ankles and just raise her legs up (like when you
change their diaper) she will usually relax them after a minute and I can "roll" them.
4) bottles: I use powdered formula, so mixing them with a spoon or butter knife seems to do
better than shaking them up, which puts so much air in. Also, if she isn't crying, I'll let it sit
5 or 10 minutes so some of the air can dissolve out.
Needless to say, I'm quite ready for her to outgrow this gassy phase!
The nurses put her on soy formula in the hospital due to some digestive issues. Okay, it was more than digestive issues, she had diarrhea and screamed for an entire night in the nursery. Anyway, soy formula is supposed to be a little easier on the digestive system. It even says right on the front of the container "for fussiness and gas". Good grief, I can hardly imagine if she was on regular formula!
Unfortunately, all the gas-production makes her one fussy baby. Like all moms, I wish there was a miracle cure for a gassy baby, but alas... So here is what we do to help:
1) burping. (duh). Unfortunately Abby is hard to burp. Sometimes you can pat her back
for the longest time to no avail. I also try sitting her up with her back and head very straight
up, and sometimes that will do it.
2) Mylicon. Shoot, I just put a dose of it in every bottle!
3) "rolling" her tummy. Hats off to my friend Vicky for telling me about this one, and it really
does seem to help: to do this, lay baby on her back. Bend her legs at the knee and "roll" her
legs clockwise, circling up over her belly. It's hard to do if baby is crying and tensed up. I've
found that if Abby is tensed up, if I take her ankles and just raise her legs up (like when you
change their diaper) she will usually relax them after a minute and I can "roll" them.
4) bottles: I use powdered formula, so mixing them with a spoon or butter knife seems to do
better than shaking them up, which puts so much air in. Also, if she isn't crying, I'll let it sit
5 or 10 minutes so some of the air can dissolve out.
Needless to say, I'm quite ready for her to outgrow this gassy phase!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Comfort Food!
Whenever the weather is cold and snowy, I crave comfort food! So today I'm having two of my favorites, Corn Chowder and Chocolate Chip Pie. Here are the recipes! Enjoy!
Corn Chowder : this recipe is definately not good when you are counting calories, but it sure is delicious. The half and half gives it a sweetness, while the crushed red pepper adds some spice.
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 lb butter (2 sticks)
5 tsp. chopped garlic
3 tsp salt
5 tsp crushed red pepper
1 bunch green onions
2 lbs peeled shrimp (or salad shrimp) *
48 oz creamed corn
2 quarts half and half
Melt butter. Add garlic and onion, saute. Add shrimp, crushed red pepper, salt, and green onion; cook till warm. Add half and half. Bring to a boil, reduce heat.
* my brother in law, Dave, is allergic to shrimp. So we substitute potatoes. Either way, it's yummy!
Also, this recipe makes a lot of chowder. Unless you have a very large crowd, half a recipe is plenty. I also reduce the crushed red pepper, I use about 1 1/2 tsp. for half a recipe. It just depends on how spicy you like things.
Now on to the best part of the meal, dessert!
Chocolate Chip Pie
1 frozen pie crust (you can make one from scratch if you're really motivated!)
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk chocolate morsels
1/2 cup semi sweet morsels
1/2 cup macadamia nuts, chopped (you can use any nut you prefer)
Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, combine sugar, flour, and butter, mix well. Add eggs, vanilla, morsels, and nuts. Pour into pie crust. Bake until firm in the middle, approximately 50 min. (my oven takes longer). Serve warm with ice cream, and coffee of course!
Variation: If you like peanut butter, use 1/2 cup chopped peanuts in place of the macadamia nuts. Also substitute 1/2 cup peanut butter morsels instead of the semi sweet morsels, and add 2 tablespoons of chunky peanut butter. (the peanut butter would go in with the sugar/flour/ butter mixture.)
Thursday, January 28, 2010
A day in the life...
I have three weeks left of maternity leave after this week, since I don't go back to work until Feb. 22. My twelve weeks off have flown by. So here is what a typical day is like for us while I'm home from work:
8:00a.m. Kenneth gets home from working third shift and going to the gym. Abby is sleeping in the pack n play beside our bed, Bella is propped up in bed beside me drinking her chocolate milk and watching cartoons. I am trying to pretend I'm still asleep!
8:30a.m. We get up! I move Abby (still sleeping!) to her swing in the living room. I go turn on my coffee maker. Kenneth plays with Bella a few minutes, then goes to bed.
10:30a.m. Snack time! Bella has a banana or yogurt or something healthy for a snack.
12:30 Rest time! Bella doesn't really nap anymore (not consistently anyway) so at 12:30 she has 'rest time'. We put her pillow and blankie on the couch, brush her teeth, turn on a cartoon, and she lays down for about an hour. This gives mommy a chance to eat lunch! - unless Abby is fussy, of course!
1:30 Bella has lunch. (she won't eat a big lunch earlier in the day).
4:30p.m. Start supper! Kenneth usually gets up around 5, and he's usually hungry so we eat around 5:30.
5:30p.m. Eat supper, do dishes.
6:30 I take a shower or bath!
7:00p.m. Bella's bath time! She has her bubble bath and plays with her bath toys. When she gets out,I wrap her in a towel on my lap and we sing a song. Then she has to run around the house naked. This is her new routine: she says, "I wanna show daddy naked!" So she runs into the living room and he says, "Bella, you're naked! Where are your clothes?" Then I get her dressed and comb out her hair.
8:45p.m. Bed time for Bella. We brush teeth, use the bathroom, gather up blankets, and I put her in bed. This is actually a process that lasts anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour before she actually goes to sleep...
10:30p.m. Abby has her last bottle of the day.
11:00 p.m. Abby goes to sleep, Mommy goes to sleep!
3:00a.m. Mommy hears a noise and wakes up- Bella is climbing into bed with me!
5:00 a.m. Abby wakes up for a bottle, eats, and goes back to sleep.
7:00a.m. Bella wakes up for chocolate milk and cartoons!
8:00a.m. Kenneth comes home, and the fun starts all over again!
Of course, all these times and events are subject to change! Our day isn't nearly so orderly in real life. In between all this there are dirty diapers, laundry, "potty" accidents, phone calls, dishes to wash, housework, and any number of unplanned events!
For instance, don't imagine that I've been sitting here at the computer calmly typing for twenty minutes. In the middle of this blog entry, Abby woke up hungry and wet. While I was changing her, Bella hollered that she need help to potty. Then Abby spits out her passy and I'm trying to figure out why there's blood on it while I tell Bella I'll be there in just a second! (Abby was hungry and had shoved her fist in her mouth; one of her nails was sharp and cut her little gums!) So finish changing the baby, help Bella potty, then feed and burp the baby, then finish the blog! Thats pretty much how we get things done around here! Boring, its not!
8:00a.m. Kenneth gets home from working third shift and going to the gym. Abby is sleeping in the pack n play beside our bed, Bella is propped up in bed beside me drinking her chocolate milk and watching cartoons. I am trying to pretend I'm still asleep!
8:30a.m. We get up! I move Abby (still sleeping!) to her swing in the living room. I go turn on my coffee maker. Kenneth plays with Bella a few minutes, then goes to bed.
10:30a.m. Snack time! Bella has a banana or yogurt or something healthy for a snack.
12:30 Rest time! Bella doesn't really nap anymore (not consistently anyway) so at 12:30 she has 'rest time'. We put her pillow and blankie on the couch, brush her teeth, turn on a cartoon, and she lays down for about an hour. This gives mommy a chance to eat lunch! - unless Abby is fussy, of course!
1:30 Bella has lunch. (she won't eat a big lunch earlier in the day).
4:30p.m. Start supper! Kenneth usually gets up around 5, and he's usually hungry so we eat around 5:30.
5:30p.m. Eat supper, do dishes.
6:30 I take a shower or bath!
7:00p.m. Bella's bath time! She has her bubble bath and plays with her bath toys. When she gets out,I wrap her in a towel on my lap and we sing a song. Then she has to run around the house naked. This is her new routine: she says, "I wanna show daddy naked!" So she runs into the living room and he says, "Bella, you're naked! Where are your clothes?" Then I get her dressed and comb out her hair.
8:45p.m. Bed time for Bella. We brush teeth, use the bathroom, gather up blankets, and I put her in bed. This is actually a process that lasts anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour before she actually goes to sleep...
10:30p.m. Abby has her last bottle of the day.
11:00 p.m. Abby goes to sleep, Mommy goes to sleep!
3:00a.m. Mommy hears a noise and wakes up- Bella is climbing into bed with me!
5:00 a.m. Abby wakes up for a bottle, eats, and goes back to sleep.
7:00a.m. Bella wakes up for chocolate milk and cartoons!
8:00a.m. Kenneth comes home, and the fun starts all over again!
Of course, all these times and events are subject to change! Our day isn't nearly so orderly in real life. In between all this there are dirty diapers, laundry, "potty" accidents, phone calls, dishes to wash, housework, and any number of unplanned events!
For instance, don't imagine that I've been sitting here at the computer calmly typing for twenty minutes. In the middle of this blog entry, Abby woke up hungry and wet. While I was changing her, Bella hollered that she need help to potty. Then Abby spits out her passy and I'm trying to figure out why there's blood on it while I tell Bella I'll be there in just a second! (Abby was hungry and had shoved her fist in her mouth; one of her nails was sharp and cut her little gums!) So finish changing the baby, help Bella potty, then feed and burp the baby, then finish the blog! Thats pretty much how we get things done around here! Boring, its not!
Friday, January 22, 2010
Cooking up some fun
Today my sister Rachel and her little girl, Ashlyn, spent the afternoon with us. We've been hanging out a lot while I've been on maternity leave. At first it was more of a necessity, since I needed help! But then we discovered that we actually like spending time together!
Just kidding.
Today we had the inaugural meeting of our new Friday Cooking and Coffee Club! We decided a few days ago to fix lunch and had so much fun doing it we decided to make it a monthly event. So while Ashlyn and Bella ran around the house playing (...playing just isn't a strong enough word...their combined force is about an F4 on the Fujita scale) we cooked!
After I made a quick run to the store for necessary ingredients (and Goldfish crackers for the girls) we made a pot of Zippy Potato Soup. It's kind of like loaded potato soup, you put in bacon, and cheese, and grate some carrots in for color. It also has some wierder ingredients like nutmeg and Worcestershire sauce. But it is fantastic! It's one of our family faves.
We tried a new dessert: Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Pie. Served warm with ice cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce. And a cup of coffee. Need I say more?
Anyhoo, a good time was had by all. Abby even contributed by keeping Aunt Rachel company while she cooked:
We are currently searching for a yummy dessert recipe to try next month (preferably made with chocolate!) so if you have a good one, let me know!
Just kidding.
Today we had the inaugural meeting of our new Friday Cooking and Coffee Club! We decided a few days ago to fix lunch and had so much fun doing it we decided to make it a monthly event. So while Ashlyn and Bella ran around the house playing (...playing just isn't a strong enough word...their combined force is about an F4 on the Fujita scale) we cooked!
After I made a quick run to the store for necessary ingredients (and Goldfish crackers for the girls) we made a pot of Zippy Potato Soup. It's kind of like loaded potato soup, you put in bacon, and cheese, and grate some carrots in for color. It also has some wierder ingredients like nutmeg and Worcestershire sauce. But it is fantastic! It's one of our family faves.
We tried a new dessert: Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Pie. Served warm with ice cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce. And a cup of coffee. Need I say more?
Anyhoo, a good time was had by all. Abby even contributed by keeping Aunt Rachel company while she cooked:
We are currently searching for a yummy dessert recipe to try next month (preferably made with chocolate!) so if you have a good one, let me know!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Six week check-up and shopping!
Today I went for my 6 week postpartum check-up with Dr. Tally-Horne. Oh, the joys of waiting in a cold room wearing nothing but paper... Anyway, she said everything looks fine and I am free to "resume normal activity".
Afterward I took advantage of the fact that my mom could watch the girls for a while, and went to do a little shopping! I stopped at Starbucks for a new coffee go-cup, since mine broke. And of course after purchasing it I had it filled with a double tall non-fat extra-hot caramel latte! It was yummy. (my coffee drinking has totally gotten out of hand lately. I just can't stop.)
Then to the mall. I went in Maurices and was thrilled to find three long skirts, two denim and one khaki! So I happily bought them all. And if you are wondering why I'm so excited about it, I have a challenge for you, girls: next time you are shopping, try to find skirts that are a)below the knee b)not skin tight, and c) not split up to mid-thigh. And there's one more catch- they have to be cute, too! I'm telling you, it isn't easy! So you can understand why I was so excited to find three all at once. And if you are wondering, yes, I wear skirts all the time, and no, I don't mind explaining why if you ask me. :-)
After my find at the mall, I headed to moms to get my little treasures.
Afterward I took advantage of the fact that my mom could watch the girls for a while, and went to do a little shopping! I stopped at Starbucks for a new coffee go-cup, since mine broke. And of course after purchasing it I had it filled with a double tall non-fat extra-hot caramel latte! It was yummy. (my coffee drinking has totally gotten out of hand lately. I just can't stop.)
Then to the mall. I went in Maurices and was thrilled to find three long skirts, two denim and one khaki! So I happily bought them all. And if you are wondering why I'm so excited about it, I have a challenge for you, girls: next time you are shopping, try to find skirts that are a)below the knee b)not skin tight, and c) not split up to mid-thigh. And there's one more catch- they have to be cute, too! I'm telling you, it isn't easy! So you can understand why I was so excited to find three all at once. And if you are wondering, yes, I wear skirts all the time, and no, I don't mind explaining why if you ask me. :-)
After my find at the mall, I headed to moms to get my little treasures.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Settling In
A lot of my patients who have three (or more!) kids have always told me it's harder to adjust to the second kid than the third. I was always doubtful of that, but now I believe it. Because Abby was a big adjustment! Of course, actually caring for her has been a breeze, because this time around I know what I'm doing! I can tell just by the way she cries whether she is hungry or her belly is hurting, etc. So that part is easier.
The challenge is trying to feed, change, rock her, etc. while chasing Arabella! And Bella takes a lot of chasing most days! She's not one of these kids who will sit in their room and play quietly. She is in to everything! And, of course, she's still little and needs help doing most things. So in the middle of giving Abby a bottle, I often have to stop and help Bella go to the potty or something like that.
In addition, Bella has gotten very attached to me since Abby arrived. I'm sure she feels a little insecure. So I've been trying to give her lots of attention and praise. We seem to have finally left 'the uglies' behind us for the most part, which is wonderful!
I'm continually amazed by the fact that these two beautiful little people were actually inside me! And yes, sometimes when Bella is being a handful, I wish I could shrink her down and put her back! Being a mom is the hardest, most wonderful, scariest, most amazing thing I have ever done. And I really hope I'm doing a good job.
The challenge is trying to feed, change, rock her, etc. while chasing Arabella! And Bella takes a lot of chasing most days! She's not one of these kids who will sit in their room and play quietly. She is in to everything! And, of course, she's still little and needs help doing most things. So in the middle of giving Abby a bottle, I often have to stop and help Bella go to the potty or something like that.
In addition, Bella has gotten very attached to me since Abby arrived. I'm sure she feels a little insecure. So I've been trying to give her lots of attention and praise. We seem to have finally left 'the uglies' behind us for the most part, which is wonderful!
I'm continually amazed by the fact that these two beautiful little people were actually inside me! And yes, sometimes when Bella is being a handful, I wish I could shrink her down and put her back! Being a mom is the hardest, most wonderful, scariest, most amazing thing I have ever done. And I really hope I'm doing a good job.
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