Our little (although not so little anymore) is on the move…the official move..she is a real crawler! In this post, I mentioned that she was doing a glorified worm. Today however, she made it official and actually began the crawling movement. And like any good parent, I was so excited about her crawling, that I failed to get it on video or camera…awesome! She has already found the cd/DVD shelves and torn them apart! We are in for a rude awakening…is it time to start baby proofing yet?
We have been very intentional with the way we have been raising Mikayla. We have tried to buy as little new stuff as possible and recycle old stuff instead (in other words we have made or borrowed as much stuff as possible). Part of this is because we are what some people would refer to as “cheap”, but most of it is we saw how quickly children cycle through toys and clothes, leaving them in excellent condition when they were through. We couldn’t justify buying brand new stuff when we could borrow from family and friends items that were gently used.
We have also been using cloth diapers since Mikayla was around 1-2 months old. Despite the fact that they are super cute and cheaper than disposables in the long run, they are much easier on the environment than disposables. I have loved every minute of it!
Speaking of “green” things, when we found out we were pregnant we decided that we would make our own baby food. Call us crazy, but we knew we could make it work. It began as a money saver, and has now turned into much more. We make our own food because we feel it is healthier for our daughter. Making your own baby food is easy as 1-2-3 (and maybe 4).
When I first began making my own baby food I searched the internet high and low for advice, recipes and tips, and of course talked to some friends who were doing the same. Here are some helpful websites and books I have found.
Mikayla even seems to think it tastes pretty good!
Not much has been going on in the Kickert world. We have been staying busy working, playing with our darling baby and just enjoying life. Random thought – I can tell I am getting older because “life” ends for me between 9-10pm. How sad is that? Here are some quick updates on what has been going on:
I think that is it for now.
Spicy Peanut Soup
Heat 2 TBS of OLIVE OIL in a large pot. Once it’s to temperature add 1 large ONION finely chopped along with 1 TBS of minced GARLIC. Cook for 3 minutes.
Add 2 teaspoons CHILI POWDER and cook for 1 minute more.
Add 2 RED BELL PEPPERS finely chopped along with 2 large CARROTS, 2 medium POTATOES and 4 CELERY stalks (all finely chopped. Cook for another 4 minutes stirring occasionally.… See More
Add 3.5-4 cups VEGETABLE STOCK (depending on how thick you like your soup, 6 tablespoons (a little over 1/3 cup) CRUNCHY PEANUT BUTTER and 8 ounces of CORN. Stir thoroughly
Season with SALT, BLACK PEPPER, CURRY, and CHILIS.
Heat to a boil, then simmer 20 minutes until all vegetables are tender. Serve with chopped unsalted roasted PEANUTS as a garnish and RICE on the side.
I love Ben for many reasons, but one of the things I love about my husband is he will do things with/for me that he hates. On Thursday, Ben ASKED me if I wanted to decorate the Christmas tree. I emphasize the word “asked” because if you know Ben at all you know that he is not a huge fan of the Christmas season (i.e. music, decorations, etc). The fact that he brought up the tree showed me just how much he loves me. It was a perfect evening encompassed with many things I love:
Shrimp Scampi Recipe for Two (courtesy of Ben Kickert)
Preheat oven to 450
Peel and Devein 1/2 pound shrimp, wash and place in single layer in small corningware.
In small sauce pan combine 1/3 cup butter, 1/4 cup white wine/sherry (I did half and half), 1 tablespoon of lime or lemon juice, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, parsley, salt and pepper and/or ground grains of paradise, onion powder, oregano (listed in descending order of amount).
Heat mixture until butter is completely melted. Pour mixture over shrimp (cover so 95% of the shrimp is covered, but allow some edges to protrude).
Sprinkle Cajan Seasoning over shrimp and bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes or until shrimp is pinkish-white and opaque.
Place on top rack and broil for a few moments until mixture begins to boil.
Enjoy.
We serve with french bread, steamed broccoli and garlic/olive oil or parmesan pasta. It makes a great meal!
This is a follow up post to this one about breastfeeding. These are some tips and suggestions that were helpful to me when I was starting out. I hope they can help someone else out as well.
Most importantly though is to relax and try to enjoy yourself. It is hard at first when you are in so much pain and so exhausted, but it does get easier. Before each feeding I make sure I am comfortable, have some supportive cushions (i.e. pillows, Boppie), entertainment (i.e. computer, book, someone to talk to) and a hungry, but not starving child! Nursing has been one of the best decisions I ever made, and even though we have had some struggles I wouldn’t change it for anything. The bond I share with Mikayla is like no other bond in the world.
Any of you other experienced moms have more tips/advice/must haves to add to the list?
Disclaimer: This post is going to include some personal information about breastfeeding my daughter. If for some reason that causes you some issues, please don’t read any further. Thanks!
When I first found out I was pregnant I immediately knew that I wanted to try and breastfeed, for multiple reasons. Here are a few:
Now you know my reasons, let’s begin with the journey of breastfeeding my daughter. The journey began within the first half hour of Mikayla’s life, her first latch. I was on cloud nine, I had a healthy daughter who was eager to eat. That eagerness continued for the first 24 hours. She was eating regularly (according to the nurses, a little more than some newborns) and it appeared things were going smoothly. And then it happened, the pain started. Some women might tell you that it all comes naturally and is a beautiful thing. They are lying!! Breastfeeding is a beautiful thing, but it is also a learning process for both mom and baby.
While in the hospital Mikayla started to bring up her lower lip when latching on, which caused some tenderness on my breasts. This only got worse the more she would latch on. I was very sore by the time we left the hospital. By the time we got home and struggled with it for a few days I was ready to quit. I was laying on the bed in tears because my breasts hurt so bad. To all you ladies out there, don’t be fooled, it hurts like crazy those first few weeks. I don’t think people want to talk about the pain, but I wish they had (I like to be prepared and don’t feel like I was for this aspect of mommy hood). If you can get past week two it gets better, and by week six it’s bearable! I digress though, back to the tears in bed. Ben was so supportive and was willing to do anything he could to help, but let’s be honest Mikayla wasn’t sucking on his breast every two hours for an hour at a time. No rest for the weary. If I was going to do this breastfeeding thing I had to persevere. I decided to use a lifeline and phone a friend. I called our friend Michelle and asked her to come over for a little Breastfeeding 101. She gave me some pointers, visuals, and encouragement and was on her way. If she had not come to my house that night I may have given up. Thanks Michelle for your help!
Travel down the road a few weeks to my six month check up with the OBGYN. I was placed back on birth control and all seemed well in the breastfeeding world. I was pumping once or twice a day to start building up a supply and Mikayla was growing at a consistent rate. However, after this visit, my milk started gradually decreasing and we couldn’t figure out why. We thought maybe it had something to do with pumping were uncertain. Mikayla was leaving feedings not 100% satisfied, the ounces I was pumping were decreasing and I began to get concerned. At her four month check up she had dropped to the 10 percentile in weight. RED FLAG! The doctor wasn’t overly concerned, he recommended a few things and off we were. Oh and he wanted to increase the amount we were feeding her from 4 oz a feeding to 6 or 7. This was not good news for a mom who was barely pumping a total of three ounces per session.
His suggestions included a few things. One – supplement with formula. Nothing against all those mom’s that use formula because it is a great thing, but I had my heart set on exclusively breastfeeding. (I realize that some mom’s just can’t nurse and I totally get that, but this far in we had no troubles so I wanted to press on until I couldn’t do it any longer). To me this would be a last resort. Two – increase my pumping sessions (just what I wanted to hear 😉 ). Three – take some fenugreek tablets a couple of times a day. We opted to begin with the latter option. After a week or two we were not noticing any significant change in my milk production and our freezer supply was getting dimmer and dimmer. Mikayla was eating a significant amount more than I was producing. Next came meltdown number two. I remember sitting on the couch one night trying to nurse Mikayla and there just wasn’t any milk there. I lost it. After all, I am her mom and I should be able to provide for her, but I just couldn’t. Ben got a bottle and while I fed it to her I was crying and contemplating what to do. If you know me at all, you know I have a little stubborn streak in me and once again giving up was not an option.
After another call to our pediatrician, a change in my birth control (turns out my OBGYN put me on the wrong type and this was causing a decrease in my milk production), more frequent pumping sessions, an increase of fenugreek tablets, and the occasional supplemental feeding with formula we were on our way. At Mikayla’s six month check up we were back on the weight check and I was producing just enough milk to feed her daily We are six months in and we are trucking along. I manage to nurse her at every feeding I am with her and pump at least five times a day to produce the milk needed for two bottles a day, but it is worth it in the end. Oh and I have a constant odor of maple syrup that follows me everywhere due to the Fenugreek tablets I am taking! We have overcome a couple of obstacles along the way and I am sure there will be more to come, but we are happily breastfeeding.
With all this being said, all you mom’s out there struggling with breastfeeding: Don’t give up!
Here are some pictures of my little cutey with Leg Warmers on. Her hat is from one of the cutest Etsy sites around, Briar Claire. This month for EACH and EVERY HAT they sell, briar.claire will be donating one hat to a children’s cancer hospital. These photos will double as the sitting up ones I never got posted! Enjoy!
My favorite!!
**FYI – The leg warmers are actually from Target. They don’t stay up nearly as well as BabyLegs.
Well folks I have entered the craze…the craze of Baby Legs. If you know me even remotely you know I tend to shy away from crazes. I was never a fan of Grey’s Anatomy, Ugg’s, The Office or other like fads…on purpose. However, I just can’t get over how cute Mikayla looks in leg warmers (I don’t have a picture at the moment, but will try and post one soon). They can even double as arm warmers if her coat falls into a river, but that is a different story entirely!
Kim at Dirty Diaper Laundry is hosting a giveaway for this amazing wardrobe addition. Check it out here. On second thought, don’t because I want to win!
That’s right ladies and gentlemen, Mikayla is now on her way to sitting up. She can sit on her own (when helped up) for almost thirty seconds! I tried to take a video today to post, but I wasn’t able to properly capture it before the camera died. If you haven’t seen our baby girl in awhile, she has changed so much. We just rounded the five month corner and are working towards six. She is laughing each day now, especially when her daddy plays with her. She loves him so much! I know people say it often, but they change so much each day. One day she was just laying on the ground, and then the next sitting up…overnight! It is so much fun to watch her grow and change so much. We head in for her six month check up on October 29. Stay tuned for updates on her progress.
On a side note – Mikayla has just started showing signs of dandruff. I am not sure if that is what it is, but I am also not sure what to do about it. Cradle cap? Remedies? Any thoughts?
Here are some pictures of Mikayla chilling in her crib while we packed!
Standing in her crib
While in Chicago for Ben’s grandpa’s funeral we got to meet and hang out with Chase, Mikayla’s third cousin. Here are some pictures. Keep in mind that Chase is two weeks older…
Mikayla wasn't too thrilled with him at first.
They weren't really holding hands, Ben staged this photo op.
Not sure what is going on here, but they seem entertained.
Ben and Luke (Chase's older brother) hanging out after a fruitless attempt of fishing.
