Tag Archives: sweet

Happy (belated) Halloween!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

You have to forgive us, Emmett had shots on Wednesday (4 of them!) and on Thursday he had a fever. Since the fever went over 101, day care called me and needed Seamus or I to come get Emmett. We ended up spending the day cuddling on the couch, reading some books (the same 2 over and over again). Once Emmett had some Tylenol, his fever went down and he was fine. He was still a bit cranky but nothing some momma cuddles and love can’t handle.

I had planned on stopping for Halloween candy on my lunch (yeah, I like to plan ahead), but since I went right home we ended up not turning our lights on and just got Emmett dressed up in his costume for some adorable pics. We tossed around the idea of not even getting him a costume, since we wouldn’t be going out, but in the end, we felt we had to. We needed to have pictures, plus the costume was inexpensive, we really had no reason not to get it.

So it was after much deliberation, that we decided Emmett would be….

happy-halloween-8

Captain America!

happy-halloween-1 happy-halloween-10 happy-halloween-9

This costume was perfect for us and for Emmett! The reason this costume is so fitting is because when I was still pregnant with Emmett we watched the movie Captain America, for some reason Seamus started calling him Captain Doodah. Somehow, that turned into calling Emmett, Baby Doodah (while in my belly), which led to me naming my blog that, so see, it is perfect! If you’re interested in buying your own Captain America Costume, you can buy it here.

happy-halloween-7 happy-halloween-5 happy-halloween-4 happy-halloween-3 happy-halloween-2 happy-halloweenIsn’t that the cutest Captain America you’ve ever seen? I love this kid!

Your turn!

What were you or your kids for Halloween?

Dear Emmett – 13 Months,

You are 13 months old! Can you believe that? 13 whole months and we are well on our way into your second year!

We’ve been busy since your last birthday! You are more active than ever, and you keep becoming more and more fun. You are exploring and getting into everything and it makes for some pretty exciting play times.

You’re a lucky little boy! Your daddy and I decided to take our dining room, make it baby safe and turn it into your playroom. We cleared out all of our stuff that was in there (we were mainly using it for storage), bought a baby fence and got some foam flooring (from your paternal grandparents) and now it is a toddler’s paradise. You have all sorts of toys in there now too, legos, fisher-price people, wooden blocks, shape sorters, a little table and chairs (from your maternal grandparents), crayons and paper, etc. We need to get some bins to keep the toys in, because as of now things are kind of strewn all over the place but you love being in there as long as we’re in there with you. I’m happy that we could make you so happy!

13-months-3

You are also firmly in the walking stage, and actually you are nearly running. Shortly after your first birthday you began slowly walking more than crawling. You’d stand yourself up, take a few steps and then plop down. As the month progressed, you became more and more of a pro and now you hardly ever crawl. The only time is if you’ve fallen and are trying to chase us, you will often chase after us in a speedy little crawl.

13-months-2

We bought you your first pair of shoes. I wanted to make sure we got you shoes that had soft soles with some rubber on the bottom because your feet aren’t fully formed and I didn’t want hard rubber soles inhibiting that. The most notorious for those types of bottoms is the PediPed brand, but we needed something kind of quick and ended up finding a cute pair at Babies R Us, in their Koala Kids line. They’re adorable, and the first time I put them on you was one of the funniest things I’ve seen in a long time. They don’t bother you too much now, but you still take them off almost every morning on the car ride to day care. Silly boy!

13-months-6

I’m so excited to say that you have mastered the signs we’ve taught you thus far. We taught you milk, water, more and all done and you can do them all and use them frequently. You were doing milk really early on, you’d know it was time to nurse and you’d start to clench your little fist, which is your version of milk. However, you’ve slowly but surely began using it whenever you are actually wanting milk, not just when I ask you. You also know that when you’re thirsty and don’t want milk, that you can ask for water. When we are all sitting down to dinner and you’ve finished everything that you want on your tray, you will make the sign for more and we will give it to you. It is really awesome! You’re slowly beginning to gain the ability to communicate with us and it is just so fun.

13-months-4

You continue to make your different sounds but more and more they are beginning to actually sound like the words we speak. When I ask you if you’re all done, you will wave your hands (the sign for all done) and make a sound that sounds like “alld.” I wouldn’t say it is a formal word yet, more of a mimic of what I said but you are definitely getting closer.

13-months-5

You and food get along great! You love eating and for the most part continue to eat anything we give you. You do go in spurts where you’ll only eat soft foods, but I believe that’s because you’re growing some of your back teeth (poor guy).

Right now, I’d say your favorite toy is a toss up between your fisher-price farm (that your aunt, uncle and cousin got you) and your legos. With the farm house, you love opening and closing the doors and hearing the animal sounds they make. You also love moo’ing yourself, I’ll show you the cow and go “Mooooooo” and you’ll mimic me. It’s adorable! When you’re done playing with the farm, you like to leave the doors open and if I close them you open them back up. Such a cutie! In regards to the legos, anytime that your dad or I build something, you love to grab it and take it apart. You’ve also begun trying to get them to stick together, you’ll bang bang bang and then sometimes they’ll stick and sometimes they won’t. When they do, you get the BIGGEST smile on your face.

13-months

You love cuddling up with your big brown monkey blanket, it pretty much goes everywhere with us. You’re also really into cuddling up this stuffed monkey that plays music that I got as a gift from some of my staff in Rochester. I love it when you lay your head down on his belly and curl up, it is the sweetest thing.

I just cannot believe you’re 13 months, I love you and can’t wait to see what the next month will bring us.

13-months-1To see all of the Dear Emmett’s, click here.

 

5 Tips I wish I’d Know as a New Mom

Life as a new mom, can very difficult but You Can Be Better Prepared.

When you’re pregnant for the first time, and the days, weeks and months are slooowly creeping by, you are left wondering, am I prepared for this?

Oh momma, you’re prepared, but there are some additional things that other mommies may not have shared with you.

I had so many people say that mom’s don’t always share what actually happens after having a baby because they don’t want to scare women away. I say, to hell with that! Nothing would have scared me away from having a baby, but if I had known then, what I know now, my experience as a brand new mom might have been bit smoother.

5 Real Life Tips for New Moms - Baby Doodah(1)

Your Love for Your Newborn Will Grow and Change as a New Mom.

I’ve loved Emmett from the moment I knew I was pregnant. I felt him grow and move and kick inside the womb and there was an instant connection to him once he was born. However, I struggled in the beginning because when he was first in my arms, I felt affection for him but my heart wasn’t bursting with love right off the bat. There was nothing wrong with me, and there is nothing wrong with you, if you should feel this way.

This new, beautiful little bundle is coming in and changing your life completely, it doesn’t mean you don’t care for him (or her) or that you wouldn’t do anything for them, it simply means you need time to adjust. You have too much else going on in your life, that you don’t need to put added pressure on yourself to feel any differently than how you’re feeling.

Postpartum Depression (PPD) Isn’t a Joke!

Obviously, I knew going into having a baby that there was a chance that I would feel mopey or sad, but I completely underestimated how mopey and sad I’d actually feel. No one shares how bad it can be. Not one single other mom said to me, watch out for how you’re feeling after you have Emmett. Sure, I’d read about it, and my OB-GYN had mentioned it but I was in no way prepared for the swing of hormones that were racing through me. All of which, lead me to feel sad and ready to kill myself one minute and so undeniably blissful the next. I thought something was seriously wrong with me, that nothing would ever feel right again, which is probably why I had so many issues with #1. Thank goodness for my doctor, Seamus and a dear close friend, reminded me of what was going on in my body, and allowed me to cry to them without a lick of judgement. They only ever wanted me to feel better and I did, eventually.

5 REAL LIFE Tips for New Moms - Baby Doodah

 Breastfeeding Isn’t Easy, but You CAN Do It!

In the midst of dealing with the beginnings of my PPD, I was trying to get my newborn son to latch and nurse and gain weight. I knew before having Emmett that I would breastfeed him, but in the back of my mind I knew there was always formula if I needed it. I regret thinking this way, I should have never entertained the idea that formula existed and that my son might drink it, I believe this is what led to most of my trouble with breastfeeding, because I was always so willing to just give up.

Emmett’s first night was a tough one, he was latching but not really sucking because he’d fall asleep at my breast. The next night, was the night he went through his cluster feeds, he’d wake up and cry every 2 hours or so to eat. I was exhausted and just wanted to sleep, I almost admitted defeat and allowed him to be fed formula. Once again, thank goodness for Seamus, he gently pushed and encouraged me to keep doing what I was doing, reminding me that the next night would be easier and he was right. Each subsequent night got easier and easier, and now we’re old pros (yes, Emmett is still breastfed today at 13 months old).

I encourage you to reach out to support groups, lacation consultants and friends who have breastfed. Surround yourself with people who will support your desires, not belittle them or make you feel crazy for wanting to give your child the very VERY best, despite the extra effort it takes in the beginning.

Breastfeeding Will Likely Hurt in the Beginning but Your Body is Made to Adjust.

As with anything worth doing, it requires extra effort and perseverance. The first several times that Emmett would latch, it was wrong, but I didn’t know it was wrong. His mouth wasn’t open wide enough, which leads to a shallow latch and potentially cracked nipples. Thankfully our hospital had lactation consultants on duty 7 days a week, who were very VERY helpful. They watched Emmett latch, showed me what he was doing wrong and how to fix it, they shared the phrase, “shove with love,” which basically means that once you have the baby’s mouth open wide enough and your nipple inserted, to gently shove the baby on until you feel him latch. It worked like a charm and it was because of these women that I had such success.

The other thing is, it hurt a lot, in the beginning, but with patience and lots and lots of Medela Lanolin (I recommend you buy this now, if you plan to breastfeed), I healed and breastfeeding became a pleasurable time for me and my baby to spend together.

You will bleed lots and lots and LOTS!

Again, one of those things that people had mentioned to me but never quite stressed how bad it would be. The hospital gives you pads that resemble adult diapers, but in the first few days, even those you’ll soak through quickly. Most hospitals will load you up with pads before you walk out their door, but once you run out of those you’re probably wondering what you should buy next. I went with Stayfree Ultra Thin Overnight Pads and they worked perfectly! They weren’t the bulky pillows from the hospital, but they still soaked up so much blood, I never worried whether I was going to overflow it, which is a huge accomplishment considering how much comes out of you at a time.

There you have it, my top 5 things I wished I’d known before delivering Emmett. My goal isn’t to scare you, but to share what REALLY happens after birth, so that you’re prepared and can stop PPD in its tracks.

Your turn!

What tips do you wish you’d had before becoming a new mom?

Any questions you have that I can help you work through?

signature

Picture Post – 2

This has been a tough week! My brain is mush and I don’t think I have the brainpower to write a full post, so instead I’ll share the pictures I mentioned last week. My father-in-law took these and I’m excited to share them with all of you!

Check out these beautiful pictures, my father-in-law has some amazing talent!

picture picture-2 picture-3 picture-4

I love these with the Buffalo Bisons‘ baseball hat!! My brother and his girlfriend got that for Emmett, he looks like such a stud!

picture-5 picture-6

The dads and their babies.

picture-7

Grandma and Emmett

picture-8 picture-9 picture-10 picture-11

Is there a single face that he makes, that isn’t purely adorable!?picture-12 picture-13

picture-14

And of course, a picture of my father-in-law’s baby, Seamus. 😉

In case you’ve forgotten, I still have a giveaway going on! Check it out, here.

Your turn!

How’s your week been going?

Happy First Birthday, Emmett!

I think if I were a one year old, I would have been really happy with how Emmett spent his first birthday.

72513-10

When my niece celebrated her first birthday back in May, my sister had commented how she wished she had taken the day off just to spend it with her. I made a mental note of this comment. I know me and I know how much it means to me to be with the ones I love on their special days, so I took off July 23rd, as did Seamus. We made no real concrete plans, we didn’t want to, we wanted to go with the flow of the day and in the end it was simply perfect.

72513-8

Emmett woke up at his normal weekend time, around 6 am and we spent a little time cuddling in bed (our normal weekend routine, described here). After awhile, Seamus was still tired and I wanted to go get breakfast, so Emmett and I headed out to get bagels at Bagel Jay’s an awesome local bagel restaurant, while Seamus tried to nap longer. Emmett and I ate there, I wanted to just be alone with my baby boy before our day really got going. He was wonderful, just smiley and loving, I was so happy.

72513-2

We got home and while daddy ate his breakfast, I got Emmett dressed in his birthday shirt. It had his name, a train and a 1 on it. It was a hand-me-down but it was perfect for his special day. Don’t worry, we’ll be getting him his own for his birthday party in August.

72513-1

Not that a one year old can make their own decisions, but I wanted Emmett to dictate how the day went to the best of his abilities, meaning that he’d nap when he wanted to and we’d go out for lunch when he woke up, we’d play with the toys he chose, read if he decided he wanted to be curled up in our laps, I didn’t care. I wanted the day to be about him (and our memories of his birth).

72513-3

We played and he practiced walking all morning long. By the time nap time had rolled around he’d been so active that he was pooped, he nursed and fell fast a sleep for a nice long nap. He woke up with a squeal (of delight) on the monitor. I went in to find him sitting up in the corner of his crib, playing with his pacifier and blanket, just smiling away. I know that he’s only one and likely had no idea that it was his birthday, but he sure acted like it was a special day, maybe it was just being home with Seamus and I.

72513-6

Before we headed out for lunch, Seamus gave Emmett his first present from us (he’ll get more at his party in August), a set of Duplo Legos. Oh my goodness, this child is in love with them! We spent so much time just opening the package and examining every block. We’d then stack them up and Emmett would knock them down, it was a blast.

72513--7

At lunch, we had a happy, silly boy. I got a ton of great pictures, as you can see below. He always seems to really enjoy himself when we go out, I think it’s because he has new scenery to look at. We don’t give Emmett a lot of sweets, typically the sweetest thing he eats is fruit but we let him splurge, since it was his birthday. He had his very first Cone Head sundae at Friendly’s and he loved it SO much!

72513-9

Seamus and I decided that for as long as Emmett will tolerate it, we will take him to Friendly’s for his birthday. I think it might be the first tradition we’ll be making as a family, you have NO idea how excited this makes me. Along with my love of reminiscing, comes my love of traditions, I’m sure you can understand why.

72513-4

The rest of the evening was spent playing with his new Legos and going outside for a bit.

See! Doesn’t it sound like THE perfect first birthday?

Question of the day:

How did you spend your children’s first birthdays?

Day of Birth Memories

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.

Day of Birth Memories - Hospital

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.

72313-1

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.

72313-3

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.

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.

72313-5

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.

What I Ate Wednesday #1

One of my favorite blogs, Peas and Crayons does a weekly post all about the food and drinks that she had throughout the day. I’ve been meaning to join in on the fun for a few weeks but every time I think to take pictures of my food or make a post, Wednesday has passed. However, I have remembered to write a post this week, I know you’re thrilled. 😉 If you are interested in doing your own “What I Ate Wednesday” post, check out her blog for all the details, everyone is welcome!

Onto my day…

Wednesdays tend to be a bit hectic because I work from home, but this one was even more crazy because we had to follow Seamus to the car dealership so he could take it in to be repaired AND I had to get home to work. Some weeks are better than others, it really depends on Emmett’s mood and whether he’s more or less content to sit and play by himself. This was a good week! He was curious over everything and I was able to give him a toy and he’d sit and examine it while I worked. Some weeks he’s really clingy and I can’t even walk away for a second without him freaking out, those are the weeks that I work with a baby on my lap. I’ll let you in on a little secret, I’m glad this was a good week because I had a lot going on that needed to get done.

First up, our breakfast:

WIAW6I had two hard boiled eggs, some plain yogurt (that was a Farmer’s Market find) and some fresh strawberries.

Let me tell you about this yogurt, it’s amazing! It’s from a local farm called First Light Farm & Creamery  and tastes so yummy. I often get their Chevre but this past weekend the gentlemen selling his wares suggested their plain yogurt, I figured I’d give it a try since I was going to be buying some at Wegmans the next day anyhow. I’m so glad I did, and will likely continue for weeks to come. When the guy from first light was describing the yogurt, he said it was naturally sweet, but I was skeptical. I was thinking, how can plain yogurt be sweet? Well, I don’t have an answer for the how but it is! It is just ever so slightly sweet and pairs perfectly with the fresh fruit I also picked up at the market. Seriously though, if you live in Buffalo go, to the Bidwell Farmer’s Market and get yourself some of this yogurt.

Emmett went down for his usual morning nap and I charged right into my work and got a ton accomplished, but while plowing through I needed a pick me up. I had one of my favorite new(ish) snacks, a green smoothie!

WIAW5 WIAW3

In this afternoon’s smoothie there was a handful (or 2) of baby spinach, a cup of frozen strawberries, a frozen banana, frozen nectarines, a cup of almond milk and a splash of water, just so it was wet enough to blend well.

It was a really productive morning. I love that feeling you get when you accomplish everything you set out to do.

When naptime was over, I went into Emmett’s room to get him and this is what I saw.

WIAW2

…fluffy nap hair, I adore it!

Emmett is still nursing, so after he had some milk we sat down to have lunch together. In the future I’ll be sure to get pictures of what he is eating but it was pretty similar to my plate.

photo (13)

Lunch was a Wasa cracker with First Light Farm & Creamery garlic and dill chevre smeared on it, along with a couple more hard boiled eggs, yes I had four hard boiled eggs today, but when you’re busy you’ll grab whatever you can out of the fridge that is healthy and filling. I also had some delicious watermelon, that had the perfect flavor.

Emmett was still in a great mood, so he played and I got more work done and before we knew it, it was time to go pick up Seamus and take him to get his car. Car repairs suck and are so expensive, but at least we know he’s safe.

Once home again, Seamus made dinner while Emmett played and I tried to get a bit more work done. I know I mentioned before that Emmett was in a great mood, but here’s proof.

WIAW-7He was so content to just hang out near me and play. I love when he’s like this because I know he’s confident enough to be independent and play but also that he loves me and wants to be near because there are a million other places he could play, but he chose one nearest me.

Dinner tonight was a Polish feast (alright, not really a feast but it was Polish food). We had Polish sausage and pierogis from Redlinski’s. Seamus did an awesome job throwing it together and it was delicious but sadly I devoured it before I could get a picture, sorry.

Phew! What a busy day, but a really good one too.

What was your favorite part of the day?

 

Copyright © 2013 Baby Doodah // Designed By Bumble + Buzz Design