Monthly Archives: November 2016

Eleven Weeks Post Partum – The 411

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It has been 11 weeks since we welcomed Baby Girl into the world !

She is fat, fluffy, and such a delight. She can now hold her head up and keep it in line with her body when  being held upright.   She turns her head to look for me when she hears my voice.  She loves tummy time and at long last she enjoys her bath.

At current, she still averages 3 to 4 ounces of milk at a time. She drinks 14-28 ounces in a given day but on average, she drinks about 22 ounces a day.

The baby is laughing out loud now and coos when you talk to her and flashes the biggest smile.

I am beyond in love with her and am excited to spend Christmas with her.

Mommy News:

I am down 64 pounds since giving birth and will continue to work on my body.  I plan to walk a few miles a day on the beach and continue with a low carb high protein high fat diet.   

The feeling around my incision is starting to come back and it feels weird.

My milk supply has dropped quite a bit since the clogged ducts.  I have pumped only 10 oz the last several days.   I’m not going to stress about it.  She has been sleeping a lot over the past week and has been drinking about 14 oz total so she is still getting more breast milk than organic formula.  We are in DC for the holiday and I will spend more time trying to pump every other hour when we get back to try to get the supply up.   I also started taking the motilium again now that the clogged ducts are gone.

Grandmom News:

My mother is doing well.  Her wound is almost closed now !  Other than nausea, she feels pretty good.

Ten Weeks Post Partum – The 411

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Friday marked 10 weeks since I gave birth to the most perfect creature God every created.  My baby girl is growing by leaps and bounds.  She is now over 11 pounds !  She is truly my little chunk munk.  Her cheeks look inflated and she has tons of fat rolls.  I am constantly cleaning dust bunnies out of her fat rolls on her neck, legs, and under her arms.

At 10 weeks, my baby now laughs, giggles and smiles.  She also attempts to talk back when you are  talking to her… she coos and smiles !

The baby is still sleeping most of the day and night.  She awakes in 4-5 hour stretches to eat and get a diaper change.  She usually stays awake for no more than an hour or she goes right back to sleep after her tummy is full.  She drinks on average 3 oz of milk at a time.  She is still drinking breast milk and supplementing with Earth’s Best Organic Sensitivity Formula.  Because I had more clogged ducts, she has been drinking more formula this week than breast milk because my supply dropped and I didn’t take Motilium while the ducts were clogged because it causes worse pain.  It was my fault because I got busy and did not pump and then went to bed after pumping once and slept all night until the baby woke up at 5 am.  I woke up to pain !

My mom watched a bunch of Youtube videos and figured out how to assemble her Stokke Xplory stroller with the carrycot attachment.  It has been a bit cool except 2 days so I have not taken her out on the beach for a walk yet.  I went out yesterday for a quick jog and froze !

I have started back cooking and baking now that we are back at the condo and I have my kitchen stocked with all the gadgets I love.

Slow Cooker Whole Chicken & Gravy – Recipe

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Ingredients:

  • 1 small chicken, about 4lbs
  • 2 slices onion
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • cornstarch
  • chicken broth (optional)
Seasoning Mix:
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon seasoning salt (or to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon parsley
  • ½ teaspoon thyme
Directions:
  1. Combine all seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl.
  2. Rinse chicken with cold water and pat dry. Brush chicken with olive oil and rub seasoning into chicken.
  3. Roll up balls of foil and place in the bottom of the slow cooker with 2 thick slices of onion. Place chicken on foil, breast side up so it is slightly lifted off the bottom of the slow cooker.
  4. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours or high 4-5 hours. (165 degrees)
  5. Remove chicken and place on a small pan. Broil 3-4 minutes to crisp skin (optional). Rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Gravy:

  1. Remove foil and onion from slow cooker and turn onto high. If required, add broth to create about 2 cups of liquid.
  2. In a small bowl, combine 4 tablespoons cornstarch with 4 tablespoons water to create a slurry.
  3. Whisk about ⅔ of the cornstarch into the drippings/broth and let cook on high. Depending on the amount of liquid you may need to add more of the cornstarch slurry to reach desired consistency. Let cook at least 5 minutes before serving.
  4. Taste and season with salt & pepper.

Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake – Recipe

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marbled-pumpkin-cheesecake

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
  • 1/3 cup organic sweet cream butter, melted
  • 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
  • 3/4 cup white sugar, divided
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 large organic eggs
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl, mix together the crushed gingersnap cookies, pecans, and butter. Press into the bottom, and about 1 inch up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake crust 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Set aside to cool.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla just until smooth. Mix in eggs one at a time, blending well after each. Set aside 1 cup of the mixture. Blend 1/4 cup sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg into the remaining mixture.
  3. Spread the pumpkin flavored batter into the crust, and drop the plain batter by spoonfuls onto the top. Swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect.
  4. Bake 55 minutes in the preheated oven, or until filling is set. Run a knife around the edge of the pan. Allow to cool before removing pan rim. Chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

Pressure Cooker Pumpkin Crème Brulèe

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pumpkin-creme-brulee
Ingredients :
  • 6 organic large egg yolks
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups organic heavy cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • Pinch of kosher salt
  • 6 tablespoons superfine sugar
Directions:
  1. Add 1 cup of water to the pressure cooking pot and place the trivet in the bottom.
  2. In a large mixing bowl with a pouring spout, whisk together egg yolks, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, and vanilla.
  3. In a small saucepan, whisk together heavy cream, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Heat over medium heat until cream just begins to simmer.
  4. Whisking constantly, slowly pour the warmed cream mixture into the egg mixture whisking until well blended.
  5. Pour mixture into six custard cups, cover with foil, and place three on the trivet in pressure cooking pot. Add a second trivet and stack the remaining three cups.
  6. Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and set the timer for 6 minutes. When beep sounds, turn off pressure cooker and use a natural pressure release for 15 minutes and then do a quick pressure release to release any remaining pressure. When valve drops carefully remove lid.
  7. Carefully remove the cups to a wire rack to cool uncovered. When cool, refrigerate covered with plastic wrap for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
  8. When ready to serve, sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar evenly over the top of each custard. Working with one at a time, move the flame of the torch 2 inches above the surface of each custard in a circular motion to melt the sugar and form a crispy, caramelized topped.
Notes: Substitute 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves for 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice.

 

 

Nine Weeks Post Partum – The 411

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It has been two whole months since I gave birth to the most amazing baby girl ever !  It is still surreal to me.  I keep thinking I will wake up and realize it is a dream.

The baby smiles and coos at us when she is engaged.  She loves for me to sing to her and loves when you talk to her or read to her.  She is infatuated with lights.  Now she will laugh or giggle when you talk to her in high pitch voices.

We survived her first round of vaccinations.  My mom went with me to the appointment.  The baby HATED her vaccines !  The only one she enjoyed was the oral one.  She got a few injections in the leg and she screamed and got really mad.  It took me a minute to calm her down.  I gave her Tylenol and Motrin before we left the appointment and I gave it to her every four and six hours respectively for twenty four hours after the injections.

The baby has grown quite a bit over the past nine weeks. She is now 11 pounds and 22 inches long.

My Update:

I finally had my postpartum appointment and had to get a papsmear.  I am awaiting the results but everything else checked out. I am down 63 pounds.

My Mom:

My mother finally got off the wound vac and most of the medications she was taking.  She is feeling a lot better and has been placed on sick leave by her doctor until the end of the year.  Her stress levels due to cancer-related  PTSD was wearing on her and her vitals were not stable.   

My baby and my mom are basically twins.  I pulled up old photos of my mom and Baby Girl looks just like her.

My mom is entirely smitten with the baby.

 I am in the process of planning the baby’s Christening which will take place Christmas weekend on the beach.  We just ordered her custom made gown with a bonnet and a headband.  

Baby Gifts from Canada The 411

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We arrived at the condo at the beach, FINALLY, today and I went over to the concierge to pick up packages that had come.  

My friend, Nicole, in Ontario, started working on knitted blankets in our nursery colors (gray and tangerine) for the baby back in January when I went in for my transfer.

She made two tangerine and two gray blankets and she said she was working on a surprise gift. The theme for the baby’s room is African Safari. 

Nicole made this hand knitted hippo as a gift to match our safari themed nursery.

Eight Weeks Post Partum – The 411

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We have made it through eight weeks !  Eight weeks of amazing, unconditional love.  Eight weeks of figuring out schedules.  Eight weeks of trying to get adequate sleep.  Eight weeks of awe….

My daughter is pure perfection !  Well, sans the occasional witching hours lol.  Since changing her supplemental formula to Earth’s Best Organic Sensitivity, the gas, colic, and fussiness has subsided. I am still pumping exclusively.

My baby seems to love tummy time and has a really strong neck.  She holds her head up for quite a while and looks around.  My mom bought her a light thingy that reflects stars and the moon on the wall and ceiling.  She is infatuated with it !

She has started moving when she is in the bed.  She will move towards me when we nap. She loves body heat !   It is the cutest thing ever.  She just scoots back and over.

Another milestone we reached a few weeks ago that she is doing a lot more of is smiling and cooing.  She smiles so hard at us when we talk to her, especially in high pitched tones.

I am not looking forward to the baby’s vaccines  😦

Seven Weeks Postpartum- The 411

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photoshoot-at-7-weeks

My gorgeous girl (and I know no parent should ever boast about this type of thing, but I am completely objective !  lol)  is 7 weeks old.  This past week was a bit challenging due to a bit of colic.  I called her doctor and demanded to change her formula I am supplementing with to Earth’s Best Organic Sensitivity Formula and it has made ALL the difference !  The baby’s poop is normal now.  There is not a lot of trapped gas anymore and the baby is letting them rip ! (embarrassingly so !)

I am still exclusively pumping and I have not gotten another clogged duct (knock on wood) and I am pumping on average 5 to 7 ounces per pump.   I am still taking Motilium and will continue to do so. I am not yet sure how long I plan to continue pumping but I am hoping to continue until she is at least six months old.  Once we start her on homemade, organic food, I will more than likely stop pumping and only give her the Earth’s Best formula until she weans to organic whole milk.

Baby girl had her first professional photo shoot for a local photography studio this week.  Above is a sneak peek !

Mommy News:

My incision is completely closed now and it you can not even tell that I was cut open !  I am amazed at Dr. P’s work !  I wish she had suctioned the excess fat out and pulled that skin down then I would be A OKAY !  lol

I am feeling terrific and am down 54 pounds. I look great and am pleased with my body except my ass is gone!  Oh well… squats are on the menu now 🙂

Grandmomma / My Momma News:

My mother is doing a lot better.  She is still hooked up to wound vac and hopefully will be getting it off in the morning at the surgeon appointment.  We are headed to NYC on Monday so that I can vote and then the baby and I have doctor appointments this week too.  I have to check my post office box and then get a slice of pizza.  My mom was a bit sick for the past week so I took her to her PCP.  He determined that the infection was not 100% gone and he started giving her injection antibiotics.  She went back today for more blood work and she is now in the clear.

How your baby’s growing

Your baby’s brain is expanding in size and complexity. It will grow about 5 centimeters during the first three months.

You may notice short periods of time when your newborn is quiet and alert. This is prime time for learning. Use these calm intervals to get better acquainted with your baby – talk to her, sing to her, describe the pictures on the walls. She may not be able to add to your conversation just yet, but she’s absorbing language.

New textures, sights, and sounds are all learning opportunities. Even bath time becomes a laboratory for understanding the world around her.

Reaching out

Your baby’s hands should be mostly open now — ready to reach out to the world. In the early days of your baby’s life, grabbing was mostly automatic and instinctual and she couldn’t let go if she wanted to. Although she can’t really grab objects just yet, she can hold things placed in her hands. And, once she wraps her hands around something, she might not let go so easily. She’ll also begin to try and bat at objects, so keep potentially dangerous objects far from your little one’s reach. This means not holding hot liquids or sharp objects while you’re holding her.

Learning begins now

You may notice short periods of time when your newborn is quiet and alert. This is prime time for learning: Your baby’s brain will grow about 5 centimeters during her first three months!

Use these calm intervals to get better acquainted with your baby — talk to her, sing to her, describe the pictures on the walls. She may not be able to add to your conversation just yet, but she’s learning nonetheless.

New textures for her hands to feel and new sights and sounds (all in moderation) are all learning opportunities. Even bath time becomes a laboratory for understanding life.

Eyes can track objects

With both eyes now able to follow things consistently and well, your baby can track a moving object much better, something she may have been able to do for only brief periods since birth.

The stores are packed with developmental toys, but you’ll do just as well with everyday objects. Pass a rattle or a bright plastic ladle horizontally in front of her. Then try moving it up and down. This should attract your baby’s attention, though she probably won’t be able to smoothly follow things vertically for another three months and diagonally for another six months.

You can also play eyes-to-eyes by moving very close to her face and slowly nodding your head from side to side. Often her eyes will lock onto yours.

Remember, your baby is an individual

All babies are unique and meet milestones at their own pace. Developmental guidelines simply show what your baby has the potential to accomplish — if not right now, then soon. If your baby was premature, keep in mind that kids born early usually need a bit more time to meet their milestones. If you have any questions at all about your baby’s development, ask your healthcare provider.