Wondefully GREEN!

Rogelio wanted my 'pancakes' for breakfast, but I wanted eggs... and of course you can't forget the green smoothy! Graciella eats like a bird. Nibble here nibble there, handful on the floor and in her hair. So not much makes it's way to my sweet pea's tummy. I started making these smoothies after receiving one of the best Christmas gift ever. My Ninja Blender. Graciella slurps up her fruits and veggies in these tasty smoothies and I am one happy mama. Even when she randomly grabs the straw making it splash out everywhere. :p I've been making them just about every single day and am happy to say that this healthy life style has landed me 16 lbs below my pre-pregnancy weight. Who could argue with that?!

Yesterday at whole foods I found their strawberries to be on sale, and they were HUGE. Lovely, sweet, GIANT strawberries in the dead of winter. Yes please!

So our smoothy of the day of course needed to have strawberries.

   

4 Giant strawberries, handful of fresh blueberries, 2 ripe banana's and 2 handfuls of mixed greens (baby spinach, baby kale & green chard today)

Then comes the mixers. We use this Siggi's probiotic drinkable yogurt in vanilla. I really enjoy all of the siggi's brand yogurts, but this is my favorite for smoothies. It's creamy and delicious and great for your tummy's health. I didn't have any almond milk today 'cause I was lazy and didn't make any yet this week. So we went to the next best thing. Super Natural brand cream top organic whole milk. Non-homoginized = all the good fats aren't destroyed. Organic & hormone free = healthy milk from healthy cows. Then of course we have to have our Chia seeds! Full of fiber, omega fatty acid's and the list just goes on and on for how great these things are for you! We have these in every single smoothy.

Look at all that goodness!

Can't forget the ice! I love my drinks ICE COLD.

For the main course we have scrambled 'green' eggs. Pastured eggs, spinach, kale, green & red peppers, broccoli, celery and sliced avocado on top. For my gluten free pancakes I throw 2 ripe banana's in the baby bullet/food processor with cinnamon, vanilla extract, walnuts (or pecans, whichever I have on hand) flax seeds, hemp seeds (totally optional) and a few eggs. (2 eggs for each banana usually works best) I never really do any measuring, but they always come out delicious! Sometimes I even add some rolled oats to the mix!

What are some of your favorite healthy go-to breakfast's for your family? I'd love to hear about them! :)

Well hello there little blog that I have neglected so. It's been a while. Do you even remember who I am? Life's been crazy. I'm sure you understand. Lets get reacquainted and become friends again. I'd like to share my life with you, once more.

My baby doesn't look so much like a baby anymore. Her hair is longer and starting to curl. Her eyes are wider and curious about everything they see. Her voice is stronger and she chats all day long. Her little leg rolls are disappearing with each new step she takes. She's becoming a toddler right before my very eyes and it's heartbreaking. Who knew a year could pass so quickly. Who knew a baby is only a baby for such a short while. Though I will always mourn this first year of her life, I am filled with joy and excitement for what is yet to come. My precious precious baby, you'll always be my baby. No matter your age.

 

A whole year

It's been a whole year. A whole year since I first laid eyes upon your tiny squirming body. Your little legs and arms waving around.. as if to say 'hi mom, I'm alive. I'm alive inside you. You've given me life'.

It all felt so much more REAL in that moment. My eyes filled with joyous tears and my heart skipped a beat. You WERE alive. You were moving. Your heart was beating. You were THERE.

I have loved you from the very first positive line on that little white stick and I could have never imagined how much my love for you could grow. I love you so much more today than I ever have loved anything in my entire life... but I know tomorrow I will love you even more than I do now. You're my precious baby girl. The love of my life. The light at the end of the tunnel, and the GRACE that God has sent down to me.

My dearest Graciella, you mean the world to me. Oh how I love you so.

4 Months!

I must have drifted off at some point because I opened my eyes one morning and my itty bitty 6.10lbs newborn was 16.12 pounder! I'm officially the mama of a four month old. FOUR MONTH OLD. Crazy. Where do the days go? Where oh where do they go? I've tried to find them. Searched the whole house. Still no clue.. But they are gone and this mama is emotional when it comes to realizing so many days have left us. But I'm not going to cry! I won't cry! Okay.. maybe just a few tears. She's growing so fast! I love every day with her and each and every day that she grows and learns and wonders, she just gets to be more fun to take care of. Seriously. I love being a mama so much, and Gracie truly is the perfect baby to me.

I bought some pj's at a garage sale today. Ya know, the cute zip up the front footie pajama's that are fuzzy and soft and just adorable as all get out - well, I couldn't buy 9 month because that's what she's in now - crazy I know. So I had to get the next size up. 12 MONTHS?! That can't be. Please tell me that's a mistake! They look HUGE. She'll never be that big, right? I couldn't believe it. How can my baby grow up on me like this?! I don't care what the tag says. She'll always be my little baby. Always always always.

Only a cuddle sesh could cure this heartache, today.

 

She's started sitting up this past month, without any help! She can't stay like this for long, but it's still a very big milestone for her! She has also found her feed and I can't keep her tiny fingers off her tiny toes. Love it.

 

We've made the switch to cloth diapers. I love them so much. You can't deny this cuteness.

 

She hasn't rolled over yet.. but she tries! It's just.. she gets distracted and gives up half way. Either that or her thighs are a little heavy. ;) I just wanna pinch them. How could you not wanna pinch them?

We are going strong into our 4th month of breastfeeding. Yes, all those cute adorable rolls are the result of only mama's milk. Can you believe it? So proud of us for making it this far with no end in sight. No solids in our immediate future. I've decided to wait till after her half birthday. Which of course is going to be a celebration! I've already got the whole day planned out..!

Since her 2 month appointment she's gained a little over 4 lbs and grown 3 inches. So I'm assuming that's where the term 'growing like a weed' comes from. She's also begun to really teeth now. You can find a stream of drool rolling down her cute little chin at any given time during the day. Her collar is never dry anymore. And those fingers! They really only leave her mouth to nurse. Or shove a toy in there. Poor little lady. I can only imagine. So glad we don't remember the pain of teeth breaking through.

Now, to wrap things up.. some more baby cuteness for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Graciella's 3 month update!

''My dearest, Graciella! You're three months old today! THREE MONTHS! I can't believe it. Some say the third month mark is like graduating from a '4th trimester' and I believe it. You've grown and learned so much and are now comfortable outside of your mama's tummy and becoming such a curious and playful little girl. With every day that goes by, you become so much fun! I love making you giggle, smile and now LAUGH. Yes, you give out great big belly laughs and it just makes me so happy to see you so happy. You can grab things with both hands and shove them in your mouth now, which is your new favorite thing in the world. Especially your crinkly soft books and taggies blankie. You love playing in the mirror with mommy, making funny faces & noises. That's when you laugh the most. You love being snuggled for naps but stretch out on your own at night in your bassinet. You're now sleeping through the night and wake up so happy and refreshed! You're growing so fast, my precious baby. I love you with all of my heart. You light up my life!''

My baby girl is three months old! Actually, she turned 3 months on the 6th of May but I have been so busy, especially being back at work and trying to keep up with house work, going to church and Mothers day + Rogelio's birthday just this past couple of days! I need a nap just thinking about it. ;p

Since she is three months, this month, we did not have a baby well visit for her. Her pediatrician asks to see baby's at 2 weeks, 2 months and then not again till 4 months. So, that being said, I do not have any accurate weights & measurements for you BUT I did try to weigh her on our home scale and came up with 15lbs 8oz! Graciella is still growing, and quite quickly at that! At her 2 month well visit she was only 12lbs 12.5oz.

She has to have grown length wise, because her 0-3 month jammies are too short for her now! *tear* time to move up to 3-6.. I can't believe the pile of clothes that no longer fit her. It's so sad, but I know she's healthy and growing so it's not all that bad. I just miss the itty bitty infant stage, which seems like it was SO LONG AGO. But, I will settle for this new and ever so fun infant stage that she has entered, where she interacts back with you, smiles when you talk to her and laughs when things are funny. Look funny, sound funny, feel funny. Everything is funny to her and I love it. She's also so alert and finds everything to be so fascinating. Her eyes just glow with wonder. I hope this sticks with her forever and she never stops being so curious and wanting to learn & explore.

She's sleeping through the night (from around 9 or 9:30pm till 7 or 7:30am) and on her pack and play co-sleeper, we had to remove the top bassinet that she was sleeping in because she is now too long for it! She now sleeps in the larger part of the pack and play, but still in our room. She's not I'm not ready for her to move to the crib in her own room yet.

She is still taking quite a few naps through the day, though they aren't always the same. Except for her morning & late afternoon nap. Those are almost like clockwork. Her morning nap is around 9am and lasts from about 45 minutes to 1 hour and her afternoon nap is around 4pm and lasts from around 2-3 hours. All other naps in between are shorter (about 30 minutes or so) and unpredictable. She will nap if we go for a ride in the car or after playing with me, on her play mat or in her jumper. She also dozes off after nursing often, still.

She's nursing every 2-3 hours (but we have those days still where she wants to nurse every hour!) and for about 10-15 minutes at a time (eating on only one side at each feeding). While I am at work she will (try) to have  three bottles. But sometimes she will refuse to eat till I get home hours later and over eat making her tummy upset and me sad for making her wait so long to nurse! It's horrible on my emotions but I have to work to make money.. I wish I didn't have to leave her at all though!

Her favorites this month: Mirrors, her play mat, her baby einstine jumparoo (even if her tootsies don't touch the ground yet!) taggies, lots o links, crinkly books and anything her tiny hands can grasp & shove in her mouth. Morning cartoons, movies, and music. Bath time is also still a favorite, but I doubt that will ever change! And last but not least, snuggling with mama. <3

This months dislikes: Her car seat. That got scratched off her dislikes list this month! She is now ever so calm when being placed in her car seat. So thankful for that! I hate hearing her cry. She still dislikes getting lotion on after a bath, getting dressed or anything going over her head. Getting woke up rather than waking up on her own. Being chilly, having it too quiet in the house when she wants to play, sitting still in church and not being able to pick something up because it's too heavy or odd shaped for her tiny hands.

She has gotten so good at grabbing, holding, reaching for and shoving things into her mouth! She's also quite the strong one as she can pull herself up into a seated position if you hold her hands and she will sit like that if she has pillows or a little support behind her. Another thing she likes is for you to hold her hands, and she will pull herself to stand up! I have a feeling she will be an early crawler... being as she's so strong and motivated to move! We will see, though. Every child is different. Who knows!

With each month that passes, her personality shines through more and more! I love being her mama so much and getting to watch her learn and grow every single day! <3

We are still going strong exclusively breastfeeding and I am so proud to have made it past the three month mark! We are still trying to work out kinks with her taking a bottle while I am at work, but we have no problem with her feeding while I am at home to nurse her. She loves her mama baby time, and I have to say I love it so much, too. It truly is the best bonding experiance and I am so happy that I chose to breastfeed, and didn't give up when the going got rough. I know she is getting the best and that's all the motivation I need to continue waking up at 4am to pump so she has milk while I'm away at work, or dealing with engorgement, sore nipples, or breastfeeding in public (I'm so shy and modest, this one is hard for me still!) But I will do my best, to continue to give her the best. I love my baby girl more than anything in the world.

Hope you enjoyed hearing about my baby girls third month of life! And as always, thanks for reading! xoxox

Three Month Favorites!

Bright Starts Lots Of Links, Birts Bees Unscented Baby Lotion, Bright Starts Activity Gym

Boon Grass Drying Rack, Rhino Toys Oball Rattle, Taggies Little Blanket, Sassy Crinkly Book

 Bright Starts Lots Of Links - These are great little things to have! I bought them while I was pregnant, and didn't open the package till about two or so weeks ago. Now, they are EVERYWHERE. Hanging from her play mat, attached to the handle of her car seat, in her swing and on her bouncy chair. Everywhere. She loves them. She'll bat at them and hit them, making noise which she loves. She also loves shoving them in her mouth (don't worry, they aren't nearly small enough to actually fit in there all the way or choke her). Some of them have bumps or textures on the side which is great for her sensory & teething. I also like to attach her toys to them so they are easy to reach and won't fall onto the floor and get yucky. I definitely recommend these. And if you do buy them, just go ahead and throw more than one bag in your cart!

Birts Bees Unscented Baby Lotion - Now, I'm usually a lover of Aveno, and I was loving the Aveno baby body wash & lotions for her first few weeks, but then out of the blue she developed these red rash like bumps all over her tummy area and face. Some on her back, too.. so I tried a couple different skin care products for sensitive skin, and finally ended up sticking with and loving this 99% natural baby lotion (in unscented). It's a lightweight lotion, which is great because it doesn't feel like it's smothering her skin and it soaks in really quickly. And the day after I used it on her for the first time, her rash like bumps were gone! (Also, the bodywash we finally settled on was Aquaphor baby wash & shampoo. LOVE IT. Just didn't think about adding it to the list till after I made the collage above.)

Bright Starts Activity Gym - I know there are a lot more gyms out there that are super expensive and fancy shmancy, but really all a baby needs is something stimulating to look out, possibly some cute music and toys to hand down for them to bat at, grab and play with. And this does it's job just fine. She loves laying on her mat, especially now that I have all of those  Bright Starts Lots Of Links hanging down from it with toys on the ends. She will play on this mat for as long as an hour some days. Kicking her feet & swinging away at the toys & links. She also love to catch a glimps of herself in it's mirror, which is attached by velcro on so you can change it's position depending on where baby is laying.

Boon Grass Drying Rack - I returned back to work at the end of last month, and since doing so we now have bottles to wash. Lots and lots of bottles. I had been exclusively breastfeeding her up until this point and had no use in using a bottle through out our day, before. Also, since returning, I have to pump regularly. This drying rack is perfect for all those small pump parts and bottle valves, nippls, caps, etc... And seriously, just LOOK at the thing. It's adorable! I love that you can buy extra 'trees' and such to attach if you need to. It's a great addition to our kitchen! Didn't mean for that to rhyme.. ;)

Rhino Toys Oball Rattle - There's not much to say about this toy except it's adorable and she loves it. Seriously. She loves that she can hold it with both hands, and of course that it rattles when she shakes it. It's also very soft and bends easily. I love that she can play with it herself and develop her fine motor skills in grabbing it on her own without getting frustrated like she does when she tries to grab other things that are much harder to grasp in her tiny hands. I am thinking about buying a few more in a variety of colors. Right now we only have the pink one. I know they also make them in all sizes. Perhaps a giant one is in our future.

Taggies Little Blanket - I received this at my baby shower from a co-worker of mine. I can not believe how something so simple can be so amazing. Graciella LOVES her taggies blankie! I almost always bring it with us if we are going to the store or for a longer car ride. It just keeps her so entertained. She grabs onto the little tags and shoves them in her mouth or rubs them between her fingers. I don't know what it is about those satin tags, but they've got her hooked.

Sassy Crinkly Book - You may recognize this little cute book from her Easter basket. I am definitely going to be purchasing a ton more of these. They are magnificent. The crinkly noise, the rattle & mirror inside, the fabric it's made of... all capture her interest. Often when I reach to pick up her crinkle book it is wet with slobber from her constantly chewing on it's corners, and more often then not, if she is on her play mat, you can hear the crinkle crinkle crinkle of this adorable little book. She never gets tired of it. I need to find some with words so I can read it to her while she plays with the pages.

What are some of your kiddos monthly favorites? Or what did your kiddo like at 3 months old? I'd love to hear about them. : )

Thanks for reading! xoxo

Got Milk?

I will be returning to work this upcoming week and in preparation, I have been pumping and freezing my milk so that once I do start to work, I don't have to stress as much about having enough milk for my daughter to drink while I am away - I have enough to stress over just leaving her for a whole morning several times a week!

I started to pump around 4-5 weeks postpartum, and only pumped a few times a week. Now I pump almost every day - once a day. I like to pump in the morning, because that seems to be when I have enough to feed her all she wants & still have milk leftover. It's also a nice quiet time where I can sneak away and get it done. I know if I wait till later on in the day, it just wont happen!

Here's my typical morning:

4:30 - 5am Gracie will start to toss, turn and make little noises while her eyes are still closed. So I will pull her from her co-sleeper and into bed with me where she will 'dream feed' a little till she's back in a deep sleep. 

5-5:30am I will place her back in the co-sleeper and make my way downstairs to get my pump station ready. I usually grab a banana and a bottle of water to eat & drink while I pump. (This is very important - pumping/nursing takes a lot out of you! Stay hydrated and keep those vitamins up!)  I also have my phone on hand and flip through pictures or video of my sweet little Gracie to get things moving along quicker. I only pump on the opposite side of which she just fed unless she ate less that morning, in which case I will start on the opposite side & end on the side she fed. (I rarely tandem pump) On a good morning I can get around 9+ oz and on a slower morning I will get around 4.5 - 6oz. 

5:15 - 5:45 I then pour the milk into a freezer bag, date & time it, then toss it in the freezer on it's side so it freezes flat. I use the Lansinoh Breastmilk Storage Bags and think they work quite well. I haven't had any problems with them spilling or not sealing all the way.

As for my pump, I use the Medela Pump In Style Advance and love it! It pumps so quickly - yet gently. I can get about 1oz per minute on a good morning, which is amazing because the sooner I finish, the sooner I can return to bed before Gracie wakes up for her day.

Now, my freezer is quite small so I needed a way to organize my milk in a way that it would be easy for my mother (she will be watching my Gracie for me) to just reach in and grab a bag to thaw out without having to go through the dates & make sure that the older milk got used first so none would go to waste or have to be thrown out.

So here is what I did (thank you pinterest!) 

I always make sure to freeze my milk on it's side in the bag rather than standing up, it just makes things easier and more condenced! 

I then took a gift bag from my baby shower & cut a slit in the side towards the bottom - lined the edges with some scotch tape & placed my milk storage bags inside, oldest first. 

 

 Once the bag was full, I continued to stack newer milk behind the bag, so as it empties, I can just place that pile inside in the same order it's already it. Easy peasy!

Happy Friday everyone, and as always, thanks for reading! xox