4 Months Of Fallon

Here we are again, another month has gone by. Fallon's 4 month check up was Monday and she's cruising along with her development and growing away. 13 lbs 14 oz, 25 inches of perfect baby girl. She was so brave getting her shots and only cried for about a second. We did learn that her knees are a little tight from her position in utero aka those long legs crunched up and her spending the last few weeks on her side. Luckily my sister is a PT so she's gong to show us some exercises to get those babies loosened up and we will be good to go. 

I think one of the best parts of motherhood is watching Fallon's personality come out a little more every day. I love finding the things that make her laugh so I can do them over and over and over again. Her gummy smile won't be all gummy for much longer because she's working on popping a tooth through. We transitioned from bedside cradle to crib this month and this swaddle has been our saving grace for making her feel comfortable in her own space. Naps are still spotty but I'll take them whenever and wherever they happen at this point. 

We started solids this week and oh man is it funny. Rice cereal was up first and she barely hesitated with the first bite then gobbled down the rest like she'd been doing it her whole life. I guess we're out of the running for parents of the year because we totally forgot to get baby spoons and ended up using a plastic one. Oops. We are now onto oatmeal and little miss piggy loves it. She's eating in her bumbo seat right now but we will have a shiny new high chair by this weekend for her to test drive. I can't even believe what a big girl she is already. I'm honestly not sad, just excited for all the fun things in store as she grows. 

In the beginning tummy time was no problem and Fallon actually seemed to enjoy it. And then one day she decided she hates it. It's been a struggle for a while but finally last week she was happy about it again and I caught her rolling over on camera! I figured out that if I put her down on her belly right by the dogs she will tolerate it much longer since she is focused on them and what they are doing. I'm pretty sure they will be her biggest motivation to crawl since she has become more and more interested in them lately. I just love watching their interactions and seeing Fallon reach out for them and giggle when they lick her face as she grabs their fur. 

Next month's update is going to feel like tomorrow!

Body After Baby

I had no plans whatsoever to do this post. I'm not opposed to putting it all out there at this point but this is a topic that can bring up negative feelings and emotions and that's not my intention with this blog. But my audience has spoken. This is what y'all wanted to hear about so here we go. 

When I got pregnant I was 28 years old and in good health. I walked about 3.5 miles several times a week with Ares and Chaos plus a few days of half hour strength training. I was and still am a vegetarian and whole heartedly believe in a eating well for your body but treating yourself in moderation. I'm 5 ft 4 in and my pre baby weight was 116 lbs. I was fortunate to be able to continue working out throughout my entire pregnancy, even doing HIIT cardio one or two days a week into my third trimester. I had developed an even bigger sweet tooth than I already had and definitely indulged more than I should have, but kept eating healthy for the most part. I was up to a 31 lb weight gain at 38 weeks but lost 3 lbs by the following week for a total of 28 lbs. My last weigh in was at 39 weeks and I delivered Fallon at 39 weeks, 6 days so 28 is the last number I have to go on.

I have no idea what determines the rate at which each woman loses baby weight or how quickly her body recovers. I'm sure genetics has a lot to do with it, probably the condition of your body during pregnancy and luck of the draw. Don't compare yourself to me or anyone else. After I delivered Fallon my belly started deflating like a basketball someone let the air out of. My uterus began contracting back down to its original size almost immediately. I wore this belly band under my clothes as soon as I was able to get dressed after giving birth, about 2 hours later. Maybe it helped, maybe not, but it definitely stopped the my organs are floating around inside my body feeling and I absolutely recommend it. I wore it for 2 weeks straight postpartum around my belly and then moved it to my hips for weeks 3-4. 

Fallon was born on a Wednesday and the first time I tried putting on anything but leggings was 4 days later when family was coming over. The pair of jean shorts I had worn until the last day of my pregnancy fit without a struggle but they were 1 size up from my normal size. The next day I wore a pair of pre baby jeans and they were snug, but not uncomfortably so. I didn't weight myself but I am fairly certain I lost all the baby weight within a week of delivery. I realize this sounds like I'm bragging and probably many of you are cursing the hell out of me right now. Please, please, please remember I am only giving all these details because I was asked to and I'm no better than any of you. This is just the way my body responded. 

The first time I weighed myself was actually on the scale at the pediatrician's office when Fallon was about 3 weeks old. I had lost all my baby weight and then some and even though I was pretty sure that was going to be the case by the way my clothes were fitting, it still seemed crazy. Breastfeeding takes a lot of calories but it doesn't make your body magically go back to the way it used to be. My hips are a little wider, the skin on my belly is a little stretched out and booty is not as perky as it once was. I've never had the most body confidence but strangely I am happier with my body now than I've ever been. 

I got the okay from my doctor to start walking Fallon in her stroller as soon as we got home. I was careful not to overdo it even though some people thought I was. I just knew that I needed to move as part of my healing process. At 4 weeks postpartum I was allowed to begin light pelvic floor exercises and then at my 6 week checkup I was cleared to resume my pre pregnancy workouts. Fallon will be 18 weeks old tomorrow and I currently weigh 114 lbs. I push her in the stroller or walk with her in my wrap several times a week up the big hills in our neighborhood or at the local park. When I have time I do half hour HIIT or strength workouts on YouTube but that may only happen 2-3 times a week. I eat my fruits, veggies, whole grains and protein but I also eat cheese fries, pizza and Halloween candy. 

I have less muscle tone than Ive had in a long time and sometimes that bothers me. I've had to get rid of several pairs of pants and tops because they no longer fit the shape of my post baby body. I see the loose skin on my tummy when I sit down and lift my shirt to nurse. My whole entire point to writing this, other than to answer the questions y'all have e-mailed me, is to say that I am perfectly imperfect just like you. I worked hard during my pregnancy so I deserve some credit there but mostly I hit the genetic lottery and just got plain lucky on losing the baby weight so quickly. I struggle with not being able to work harder post baby but my priority every day is Fallon. I struggle with recognizing my body in the mirror. I struggle with putting on a bikini and realizing it does't fit the way it used to. I struggle just like all of you. But my body protected and nourished my baby while she grew. I want to stay healthy for her but I also want to promote self confidence for her. 

My body after baby will never be the same. And that's okay. It might be better. It might not. But it's the one body I've got and it's my job to take care of it and love it the best that I can. Some days that's easy and some days it's hard and some days it's everything in between. I'm learning to push myself when I can and not sweat it when I can't. Having a baby changes your body in so many ways but the thing to remember is how incredible that is. 

A Spooky Surprise

We live in big neighborhood with lots of families who own pets. Some of the cats are free to roam outside their homes so it is not at all unusual to see them out and about. A few weeks ago when Chris came home from work in the morning he called me outside to see a cat hiding underneath our car. He said he had seen it wandering around several times over the last couple weeks but assumed it was someone's pet out for a stroll. But once he got a good look at it up close, it was clear this kitty was a stray. 

As you all know, we are both animal lovers to the core. When Chris said he wanted to try to catch and care for the cat my agreement came with no hesitation. If the cat was lost we wanted to find it's home and if not, we hoped to find it a new home. The cat was clearly starving, all skin and bones, and although clearly afraid it approached immediately when we brought out food. After being captured as gently as possible and put into a spare crate, we began mission nurse kitty back to health. 

We discovered the beautiful little calico was a she and since it was warm, felt comfortable leaving her in the garage for the first few days. She received water and food and time to get used to being off the streets. We also had to protect our resident cats in case she had fleas or any type of sickness/transmittable disease. We posted pictures on our neighborhood website but received zero response after a week and it is a very active community where many a lost pet is reunited with its family. It was clear she wasn't missing from a home nearby or no one was claiming her. She definitely did not have fleas and was showing us more and more of her sweet and loving personality each day so we brought her inside. Of course she had to stay in the crate when unattended until we made a trip to the vet and to allow Piper and Little O to get to know her scent. 

I knew at this point that not only were we going to find this little girl's home, if she ever had one, but she wasn't going to need to find a new one. She already had. Since it was a few weeks before Halloween and she's got those gorgeous haunting green eyes, we decided to name her Spooky and make her an official family member. A visit to the vet confirmed she's disease free and we got the all clear to introduce her to the rest of the crew. Today she is steadily gaining weight and strength and is so playful. The vet estimated her at about a year old but we will never really know her true age. The newest addition completely accepts Piper as the queen, O as her new nighttime romping buddy and all three dogs as teddy bears and is not afraid at all. She rubs up against Fallon, who in turn grabs her fur and tries to eat her, though she doesn't seem to mind, and snuggles with Chris or I when she's not busy exploring her new digs. We certainly did not plan on adding another furball to the mix but little Spooky literally showed up at our house and who were we to turn her away? Sometimes these things happen for a reason.

Fridays With Fallon

The day we were discharged from the hospital and able to go home as a family after Fallon was born was a Friday. I was holding Fallon that morning in the NICU and snapped a few pictures, one I captioned "Fridays with Fallon". A few weeks later my parents offered to hang with baby girl while Chris and I snuck out for our first date night since her arrival and Fridays was Fallon was born. It's now become a weekly thing, one night a week we can get together with family/friends and, well, hang out with Fallon.

Babies grow so freaking fast, you blink and no longer have a teensy newborn but a rolling, babbling, teething 17 week old. It's so nice that our families are able to watch her grow in real time and we all get to spend time together. We float houses so sometimes we host, sometimes my parents and sometimes my in-laws but it's extremely casual and no one is expected to reserve every single Friday night. As Fallon gets older and I am able to be away for longer, Chris and I will probably use a Friday here and there as date night and leave her with all her adoring fans. I am betting no one will complain. They might not even notice!

I'm sure we won't keep up with this forever as the little ones get older and have other things to do. But for now, we always look forward to Fridays and not just because it's the start of the weekend. Happy Friday friends!

Tips For Traveling With A Pint Sized Passenger

Some people told us traveling with a 3.5 month old baby was a little crazy. And some people said it was actually a good age for it. I guess it depends on a lot of different factors but it worked out really well for us. We already knew Fallon loves a crowd and has an adventurous personality so the hustle and bustle of travel was not a concern. But there were a few things we did that seemed to help everything go pretty smoothly. 

We flew out in afternoon both on the way down and on the way home. Originally we needed to fly down at this time due to Chris's work schedule but the more I thought about it, I realized it was a good idea anyway. Although Fallon isn't on much of a nap schedule, she does wake up and take a morning nap around the same time each day so I did not have to worry about switching that up or skipping the nap. If you can plan your flights so that you don't have to wake up the babe earlier than usual or miss a nap, it's probably best for everyone. 

Packing for a baby is basically just as involved for one day as it is for several. The only difference is the amount of clothing because you need all of the baby things regardless. I usually stress over trying to pack light to fly and make sure suitcases are not overweight. This time I was just focused on bringing everything I thought we would need for Fallon. We ended up with a big suitcase that was actually under 50lbs plus the diaper bag and a large tote as a carry on. I felt so prepared for any situation and I didn't forget anything like I think I would have if I was worried about overpacking. 

Sticking to the routine you have at home is not always easy on vacation. We keep a flexible schedule at home and replicated it the best we could while we were away. Babies cannot tell time so even if you can't get that part exact, keeping your sequence of events is still helpful. We woke up at Fallon's normal time every day, respected her morning nap, even if it was underneath a pool chair or covered up on the beach. We have this baby tub and it was so perfect for traveling since it folds flat. Just like at home we did our bedtime routine and Fallon got the cues it was time to go to sleep. We brought her rock n' play cradle as checked luggage and she slept in it right next to the bed just like we were at home.

We flew Delta so strollers and car seats fly free. The car seat came with us since we needed it for Fallon to ride from the airport to the hotel and then in the car we rented. We debated bringing the stroller but ended up deciding against it and I am so glad we did. It would have been a giant pain to add to our luggage and we wouldn't have needed it at all. Instead of a stroller I highly recommend bringing a wrap carrier like the Solly baby wrap. It doesn't take up much room in the diaper bag and I always have mine with me anyway. I used it to carry Fallon through the airport, nurse her in it on the planes, walking on the beach and at the wedding reception. The wedding and reception took place at the hotel we stayed at so after I took Fallon to the room for the bedtime routine I put her in my wrap and was able to go back and enjoy the reception well past her bedtime while she was fast asleep cuddled against me. 

And maybe my most important piece of advice: bring stain remover and plastic bags. Fallon had a few blowout including one on the plane on our way home. She was sitting on my lap. I would haven had to throw her clothes away and probably had my favorite jeans ruined if I didn't have both of these essentials. Yes, I walked through the airport with poop on my clothes but that stain came out and I didn't have to get rid of anything. Badge of motherhood. 

Happy Travels!

Mini Beach Vacay

Well helllooooo there! Sorry I've been a little MIA but ya know, life. When we found out our friends were planning a beach wedding in October I was still pregnant with Fallon. We didn't know how great of an idea it would be to travel with a baby as first time parents and Chris was starting a new job. But the chance to have a little beach getaway in the fall and see our friends get married could not be passed up. 

We flew down to Tampa Sunday afternoon and thankfully Fallon was pretty much a perfect passenger. We spent the next 2.5 days eating like food has no calories (I made french toast disappear), lounging poolside and dipping our toes into the ocean. Traveling with a 3 month old baby definitely was not the easiest, but honestly she gets an A+ for behavior and going with the flow. It absolutely was worth experiencing so many of her firsts as a family. 

Our friends tied the knot in a beautiful beach ceremony on Tuesday, barefoot and all, with the sun dropping from the sky as the reception started. Fallon wore her very first little black dress and danced with daddy and it was seriously the cutest! She also rocked a bikini like a total beach babe and was a little water baby hanging out in the pool. We had a blast on our first family vacation but even though we only spent a few days away we were ready and happy to come back home. 

Overall, Fallon was a fantastic tiny traveler. I'm sure it was a combination of her age, personality and my obsessive planning. If y'all are interested in a post about flying and traveling with an infant just drop me an e-mail. I'm certainly no expert but I do think we were pretty well prepared and that was most helpful to get max enjoyment out of our vacation. Now I'm off to tackle laundry piles and rid my house of the all the sand we somehow managed to bring home with us!

Happy Halloween weekend!

SAHM Guilt

Lately I am seeing the "mom guilt" subject popping up all over Instagram and many of the blogs I read. What exactly is mom guilt? Well, it probably means a little something different to everyone, but I understand it as that feeling that something you're doing or not doing is making you less of a mother, aka you're failing in some aspect of motherhood. And you feel bad about it. Really bad. 

I think on some levels all moms experience this mom guilt I speak of. But I wanted to specifically talk about it from a stay at home mom standpoint. Many of my friends are working moms and often feeling guilty about leaving their babies in someone's else care everyday, missing milestones or just not being around in case their kids need them. I might be able to avoid those feelings because I do stay home, but I have mom guilt too. And lots of it.

99% of the last 15 weeks I have spent with Fallon. She doesn't take long naps, if she naps at all, and she's a pretty high maintenance little girl. Many days I wear her in my wrap to get things accomplished around the house. Many days I get virtually nothing accomplished. Many days I literally beg her to sleep upstairs in her cradle for just a solid hour so that I can do something without her attached to me or worrying I'll wake her up. And this is where the guilt comes in. 

I feel guilty for wishing she would nap or counting down until her bed time or texting my husband to get his ass home to relieve me on an especially trying day. I think what kind of mother WANTS to get away from her baby? I feel selfish for wanting time to clean the house or blog let alone time just to relax by myself. I keep hearing things in my head like enjoy this time with her while she's little, she'll never be this age again, all the other things can wait because she is most important. Part of me knows that wanting a break from a baby I'm with 24/7 is perfectly normal and perfectly okay. It's healthy to have some time to myself and while caring for Fallon is the best job ever and most important thing I do in my life, it's not the only thing. I'm not just a mother, I'm a wife and a daughter, a sister and a friend. But of course the reason I'm writing this is because the other part of me still feels awful for wanting to put my baby down to vacuum, work out or eat with 2 hands. Maybe I should have Fallon on a better daily schedule, maybe I should try harder to get her to nap, maybe I should be spending more time playing with her instead of responding to texts. 

There is no one among my support group of my husband, family and friends that makes me feel like I'm not doing a good job as a mother. It's quite the contrary. I'm the one with the supermom complex. If I can't do it all myself I feel like I'm failing, because obviously I'm home all day so I should be able to right? What the hell am I doing all day anyway? Why can't I breastfeed, play with the dogs and fold the laundry all at the same time? Oh, that's right, I'm only HUMAN. Yet the guilt is there. 

I'm learning how to deal with it as I go, manage my time better on some days and just wave the white flag on others and be okay with that. I don't think the mom guilt ever goes away though. No matter how much other people tell us we really are doing a great job, no matter how many times we look in the mirror and tell ourselves we totally got this, I don't think any of us ever have a full day without having a moment of guilt. It comes with the territory. But hey, at least we're all in this together right? Next time a wave of the mom guilt hits, just remember there's another mom out there feeling just as guilty for the same reason you are. Feel it, get over it and get on with it. The next mom guilt moment is right around the corner and you gotta get those supermom moments in there while you can!