Tag Archives: mommy blogs

What I Ate Wednesday – #3

Posted on July 31 by Jillian416 • 0 Comments

Has it really already been 3 weeks!? Time is moving WAY too quickly, it can slow down any moment now. Thanks.

Anyway, back to the regularly scheduled What I Ate Wednesday!

Emmett and I got up and started eating early today, well earlier than we usually do on a Wednesday. Since I don’t need to shower before I start working, I’ll typically get our breakfasts ready and sit down to my work computer and get some stuff done while we eat. Today’s breakfast for me, was rolled oats, with First Light Farm and Creamery (I swear I have no affiliation with them, I just seriously love their stuff) plain yogurt, strawberries, blueberries and cinnamon.

It was just alright. I love oatmeal and I love this yogurt but together they didn’t go so well. Maybe if I had added some honey or cinnamon directly to the oatmeal, instead of just sprinkled on top, it would have made a difference. Either way, it was so filling!

For the remainder of the day, until dinner, I just did snacks. I wasn’t in the mood for a big, heavy or warm meals. My first snack was the rest of my Wegmans guacamole and some Trader Joe’s cut organic carrots.

That stuff is seriously good! I’ve been eating it on top of my salad in place of salad dressing and it’s been hitting the spot. If you live near a Wegmans and haven’t tried their guac, I highly recommend that you do!

Oh and with that, I also had a cup of coffee. I know that sounds disgusting but I didn’t have them together, it was one right after the other, so completely NOT disgusting

My next snack happened to occur right around lunch time, so I got Emmett’s meal together and then mine and we sat down with the grub. I had blueberry and cinnamon goats cheese with some Wasa crackers and a delicious locally grown peach. Mmmm

The picture doesn’t do the goat cheese justice, it is really really delicious but I think you’ll just have to trust me on this one. Remember, looks can be deceiving!

And here’s that lovely peach I mentioned earlier…

Dinner was nothing fancy, typically week night dinners aren’t. Evenings are just such a whirlwind of spending time with Emmett, making dinner, doing laundry, eating dinner, bath and finally bed, so we try and keep it on the easy side. Tonight’s meal consisted of a Trader Joe’s chicken burger on a mini-Kaiser bun, french fries and some blueberries (not pictured).

Now your turn!

What were your eats on this beautiful hump day?

Filed Under: Daily Updates, Food & Recipes, What I Ate Wednesday

Weekend Fun and a Couple Videos!

Posted on July 29 by Jillian416 • 0 Comments

We had a lot of weekend fun in the Baby Doodah! household this weekend. It was one of those weekends that we’ll all look back on and think, “remember that weekend when…”

Almost every Saturday, after the morning has passed me by, I regret not getting out of bed sooner and getting the day started. I mean, I get out of bed early for work, why wouldn’t I want to get up early so that I can enjoy the day the way that I want to. This Saturday (and Sunday, but we’ll get to that in a second), I did exactly that.

I had a really hard time wrangling myself in from buying all the fruit at the farmer’s market. It all looked so so good, bright, colorful and delicious (I wish I had gotten pictures, bad blogger!). We ended up with plums, peaches, cherries, garlic and dill chevre (from my favorite dairy, First Light Farm & Creamery) and fresh garlic and herb sausage. The plums and peaches are out of this world and you all know how I feel about First Light and their products.

The rest of the afternoon was spent napping, playing and cuddling until dinner time. We went to Outback Steakhouse for dinner because Seamus was in the mood for beef and I really didn’t care where we went. Sadly, the meal was pretty disappointing on all fronts. Seamus’ steak was bland, Emmett wasn’t a fan of his mashed potatoes and my salad was nothing fancy (it tasted decent though).

After dinner we spent some time at Party City shopping for party decorations! Emmett’s first birthday party is this coming Saturday, I can’t wait! I’ll share his theme and everything else birthday party related after the party happens. 😉

I worked hard to keep the same attitude about getting up early, as I did on Saturday and it worked. We did spend some time in bed cuddling but not quite as long as normal. Emmett ate breakfast and I showered and we both headed to Wegmans for some groceries. It was one of the most pleasant shopping experiences I’ve ever had. There weren’t many people there and all of the shelves were full and neat. I’m pretty sure I’ll be making this a Sunday morning ritual!

Once home, we unpacked the groceries and let Emmett roam free while we did. He started to act tired so I attempted to put him down for his late morning/early afternoon nap, but it didn’t work. He fought it and started throwing a tantrum so I decided to can the idea, at least for now. Instead, I grabbed Seamus and we started cleaning up our dining room.

Emmett helping momma sweep.

We have decided that we want to turn the dining room into a playroom for Emmett, that way he will have a place where all of his toys can live (I will kind of get my living room back) and it will be a safe place for him to play. At the time we were just using it to store boxes and items that hadn’t yet made it to the basement, but the cleaning needed to be done. I don’t think there are many people who enjoy cleaning or organizing but we sucked it up and went to work. Within about an hour everything was stored and the room was swept, perfect for playing (or rearranging furniture).

Emmett started showing his fatigue again by getting mad at everything, so I knew it was imperative that he get his little bootie to sleep. With just a few snuggles and a bunch of hugs, he fell fast asleep for nearly 3 hours. Woohoo!! Free momma time! I actually used that time to make some updates to the blog, I added some new widgets and plug-ins, so if things are looking different to you, you’re not crazy, a few things have changed.

He woke up in a fantastic mood, which is always a wonderful thing. We got him up and changed and ready to play some more. Seamus and I both wanted to get out of the house but didn’t want to spend a lot of money, we decided a trip to Anderson’s would be perfect. Seriously, could my day get any better!? I wasn’t in the mood for any big ice cream dish so I settled on a vanilla milkshake and it really hit the spot.

A few weeks ago I had purchased Emmett a baby pool but had yet to fill it up, I decided since the day had been so perfect so far, I’d do it before we left for ice cream. Seamus stayed in to make us dinner (I am so lucky!), while E and I went out to play. At first he wasn’t happy about it but once he got used to the water he kept splashing and chasing his toys. I had so much fun watching him and got a great video of him being simply adorable.

I couldn’t have asked for a more wonderful, perfect, special, lovely day!

Question of the Day:

What kind of weekend fun did you have?

Filed Under: Daily Updates, Family

First Birthday Video

Posted on July 26 by Jillian416 • 0 Comments

Happy Friday everyone!

I’m so glad the weekend is here and I get to spend time with my guys, but tonight I am tired and just going to make a quick post before relaxing on the couch with some TV.

We took this video on Emmett’s actual first birthday, when we were at Friendly’s.

Don’t worry, he wasn’t hurt by the straw, it had just tickled him.

I’ll share more this weekend, but today was such an AMAZING day!

Question of the day:

How did you spend your Friday?

Filed Under: Daily Updates, Emmett's Birthday, Family

Munchkin Meals #1

Posted on July 25 by Jillian416 • 2 Comments

Since I’m not the only one who eats in my house, I thought I’d start a new series, titled Munchkin Meals. I got this idea from another of my favorite blogs, A Health Slice of Life, she blogs about all the different Munchkin Meals she serves her daughter, check it out.

Emmett loves eating and on most days will eat anything we give him, it might take him awhile to get to everything, but he’ll try it at least once. I truly believe that we did so much good by having him follow the Baby Led Weaning approach.

For breakfast, Emmett had some toast with sunflower, blueberries and half of a banana.

He has had a banana for almost every breakfast since he’s started eating solid food and he just doesn’t get sick of it. He takes after me, I love, bananas and eat one almost every morning too.

Lunch consisted of, a sunflower butter and jelly sandwich, plums, blueberries and yogurt. I kind of overdid it with this Munchkin Meal, I made way too much. Sometimes I get carried away, trying to be creative and including every possible healthy food item, that I make too much. The beauty is that Emmett just stops eating when he’s full, so even if I make too much he never stuffs himself. I love this since it’s something I struggle with often.

And I have to rave about the jelly on the sandwich, my mother-in-law makes it by hand and it is just so so delicious! This particular one is Strawberry, but we’ve had mixed berry and apricot too and all were equally yummy, plus Emmett loves it.

It looks like someone really enjoyed his lunch, huh?!

For dinner my little munchkin had, salmon, Israeli couscous, blueberries and some garlic naan.

He loved it all! I’m telling you he’s a really fantastic eater.

Now your turn…

What fun meals have you been feeding your Munchkin?

Filed Under: Daily Updates, Family, Food & Fitness, Munchkin Meals

Day of Birth Memories

Posted on July 23 by Jillian416 • 0 Comments

365 days have passed since I gave birth to my sweet little boy, though it feels like mere minutes. Your day of birth was one of the most important days of my life.

I know so many people warn you that the first year (and each subsequent year) goes so quickly, but you just don’t understand until you experience it for yourself. I believe, for the most part, I took my time working hard to absorb every special moment, but I’m sure I still missed things or certain actions passed me by without noticing. It’s just so hard and until there is a means to slow down time or to travel BACK in time, we’re left with only memories.

This was Sunday night, 7/22/12. We had gone in that evening to begin the induction.

I’m a really sentimental person with everything in my life. I love sitting down with just about anyone and reviewing all the memories that each of us can remember from a particular situation. Something about doing that really warms my heart and puts a smile on my face, so over the next few days you will see a series of birthday posts made for Emmett. These are for his benefit, so when he’s older he can read through them but also for me, because I love reliving everything I experienced the day he was born and the days/weeks after.

During the C-section

Emmett has grown from a tiny baby who needed me (or Seamus) for everything to a toddler who is fairly independent. It blows my mind that something so small can change and grow so much, in only 365 days.

The very first moment I got to touch my boy.

I remember the way his soft cheek felt against mine and I remember thinking, I don’t think I’ve ever felt anything this soft. I do not regret having a C-section, it was what was best for Emmett and myself but I often wish that we’d been able to go naturally. We would have then had the time after birth for immediate bonding. The hospital was fantastic about ensuring he got to me within an hour, so that he could start nursing, so I truly cannot complain.

The fist time I held him in my arms.

Because the hospital was so quick to bring him to me once I was in the recovery room, his rooting reflex kicked in and he immediately started looking for my nipple. It amazed me, that a baby less than 2 hours old, had the ability to do something so important. He needed help latching but he somehow, instinctively, knew what to do. Once he drank a little colostrum, he fell into a deep, comfortable sleep. He knew he was safe and warm, back with his momma.

The best days of my life are ahead of us, and I had no idea!

Happy Birthday, Emmett!!

More to come…

You can read all about Emmett’s first days of life here.

Filed Under: Emmett's Birthday, Emmett's First Days, Family

Guest Post: Traveling With a Loving, Happy Family

Posted on July 22 by Jillian416 • 0 Comments

I’d like to introduce Kendra Thornton, she will be doing some guest posts on my blog from time to time. Kendra is a travel advocate, TV spokesperson, PR businesswoman, proud wife and mama of 3. She’s a long time travel expert who has been packing her bags and traveling the world since she was 3 months old! She’s found her utmost desire in life is right in her own home. She has mixed her excitement for travel by bringing the taste of authentic cuisine to her own home with some of her unique recipes and sharing some of her personal traveling tips. You can follow Kendra on Twitter here or visit her website Thorton Public Relations.

I love my family, and I love to travel, but I will be the first to admit that the two do not always go together at first glance! When you are trying to make the plane while hauling a crying toddler or you need to deal with another chorus of “are we there yet?” from the back of the car, you may want to tear out your hair, but listen to these tips instead!

Tip 1: Eat Before the Amusement Park

Everyone knows that the food at the amusement park is terribly expensive, and on top of that, it is not good for you. Take a moment to eat a good breakfast before you go in. To prevent nausea, leave the fast rides for later in the day and spend the morning seeing the sights and opting for the smaller, slower rides. This ensures that you can see the park without worrying about finding food that your child needs to eat.

I use Gogobot to always check their reviews for family-friendly hotels. When we went to Florida, I scanned through their list of Orlando hotels and found a great spot that had both a quiet hours policy at night and a free continental breakfast for kids.

Tip 2: Buy Some Bottles of Water at the Airport

Children can get dehydrated and cranky about it without even knowing, and this can be a problem on the flights. If you are getting ready to board a long flight, make sure that you pick up a few bottles of water at the airport after you go through security. This can help ensure that you and your family are comfortable during the flight.

[photo credit]

Tip 3: Wash Your Hands, A Lot!

When you go traveling, you are going to be confronted with a lot of germs that are foreign to you. Teach your kids to keep their hands away from their faces, and encourage them to wash their hands whenever they get a chance to. Bring along a bit of lotion to prevent chapped skin, but washing your hands with antibacterial soap can keep everyone much healthier. There was an SCA survey conducted that found 40% of adults do not wash their hands after sneezing, coughing and leaving restrooms!

Tip 4: Audio Books

If you have a lot of driving or dead time to deal with, make sure that you download some audio books onto your phone, your media player or your iPad. An audio book will not trigger any sort of nausea or headache from the motion of the car, and you will discover that it can help your children stay entertained for hours.

Tip 5: Consider a Red Eye Flight

Red eye flights may seem a little extreme, but they can be fantastic for your kids. Keep your kids up until the flight is ready to take off; in many cases, they’ll love the late night treat! Then they can sleep through the discomfort of the flight and they will wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when you get to your location.

Traveling with kids can be a little trying, but the memories that you make are typically worth it! Take a moment to think about what you need to do to keep your family happy!

Filed Under: Family, Guest Posts, Traveling

Life is Good!

Posted on July 21 by Jillian416 • 0 Comments

Anyone who knows me, knows that I’ve struggled with depression and anxiety for several years. The best way to combat the yucky feelings is to venture outdoors for some exercise and sun, I did exactly that this morning!

Most Sunday mornings start out the same way in our house, Emmett lets us know he’s awake by yelling a little bit, I head in, change his diaper and nurse him and then we head back into our bed for some cuddles. I seriously dread the day when Emmett decides he no longer is interested in the cuddles. This time is one of my absolute favorites! It allows Seamus and I to gradually wake up, plus we get to cuddle our sweet boy. We then usually progress into breakfast, getting Emmett dressed and play time but I wanted to try something different today.

I work full-time outside the home, so I struggle almost daily to find time to workout. Last night, as I’m drifting off, it hit me, why not workout while Emmett is eating breakfast and getting dressed, then I’m not missing out on time with him AND I’m getting a workout in. I let Seamus in on my plans and he was A-OK with it, so out the door I went after, our ultimate cuddle session.

I did about 6 miles on my bike and I made sure that I hit some serious inclines so that I got a good burn. I felt amazing! It was sunny and warm, but not humid, it just felt great to be out there moving.

And in case you’re one of those skeptics that think there is nothing beautiful in Buffalo, then you’ve never ventured into the city. There are gorgeous old homes, lakes, trails, views, etc., to look at while you move along. The picture below doesn’t do the scene justice, we have a beautiful little lake about a mile from my house where they rent out rowboats. At night they chain them all together in the center, every morning I pass it going to work and I just envision the stunning pictures that could be made with a better camera than my iPhone.

I also want to mention, that if you live in Buffalo, or even if you don’t and are looking for somewhere to donate, consider the Buffalo Zoo. They currently have a campaign going on to try and build a new habitat for the Polar Bears and they need the help of our community to do so.

On my way home I swung by Starbucks and grabed an iced coffee, because really, is there anything better in the world than Starbucks iced coffee? I think not.

Venti Iced Americano with a shot of Vanilla and splash of cream, please! Thank you!

I took my water bottle in with me so that I could chug some of that while I waited for my coffee.

Once home, I walk in the door and get the biggest smile from my little boy. Whether he missed me or not, I have no idea, but there is no doubt of the love he has towards me. It makes me so so blissfully happy seeing him smile! I had some breakfast while I cooled down and hung out with E-dog.