Last night C woke up at 3:30 and could not, would not fall back sleep until about 5:30. Needless to say, Hubby G and I were a bit slower than usual in getting up this morning.
C however, was not.
He was so ridiculously happy this morning- like it was the GREATEST DAY IN THE WORLD! I mean, I love a happy baby, but it was just so perplexing. How was he not tired?? He wasn't just normal happy either- usually in the morning he wakes up and is convinced he's starving and then once he's fed he's a happy guy. This morning I hadn't even fed him yet an he was still smiling and clapping and even giving kisses- which he doesn't do all that often under any circumstances.
I'm glad he started the day off so well, an now I'm really hoping for a full night's rest tonight- fingers crossed!
5.27.2012
"Extended" Breastfeeding
Alright. I'm not here to stir up any more of the ridiculous controversy over the TIME magazine cover. It just so happens that Baby C turned 1 at the end of last month and since I'm "still" nursing, I've found myself in the particular category of "extended" breastfeeding with quite coincidental timing to the TIME cover.
I type "extended" in quotes because it seems a bit silly that nursing past a year is even considered extended. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics,
I didn't necessarily plan on breastfeeding past 1 year. It just happened. Which is totally crazy considering what a struggle I had with breastfeeding to begin with. It has not been an easy road, yet, at the same time, it feels like the right thing to continue with. I can't argue with the fact that C has been incredibly healthy through his first year of life, and with the risk of jinxing it: he's not had a single ear infection.
In the months leading up to C's first birthday, I thought about starting the weaning process, but nursing was just working for us...why change something that was going so well? Last week was the first time that a hint of C naturally weaning came into the picture. He's been eating more and more real food and at daycare he just started to seem uninterested in his lunch-time bottle. So I told them to go ahead and skip it. I brought the extra bottle the next day just in case he seemed to need it, but he transitioned to 2 bottles at daycare instead of the usual 3 like it was nothing. And in doing so, I transitioned down to two pumping sessions a day at work instead of 3.
He's been drinking some whole, organic, cow's milk from a sippy cup too. The problem is that he loves to just play with the sippy cup, so he mostly just gets milk all over the place. It's a balance that we're figuring out, but not stressing about.
If there's one trait of mine that I will totally own and proudly proclaim, it's my ability to just. be. mellow.
It's not often that I stress out. About anything. I'm a go-with-the-flow, easy-going gal. Which is probably why I worked full-time all the way up until the day before my due-date and then two days after my due date I woke up and casually declared, "I think I'm going to have a baby today". And then I did. Seriously, it happened just like that.
So we're going to continue breastfeeding for now. For how long? We'll just take it a day at a time and figure it out as we go!
I type "extended" in quotes because it seems a bit silly that nursing past a year is even considered extended. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics,
"It is recommended that breastfeeding continue for at least 12 months, and thereafter for as long as mutually desired"Hear that? AT LEAST 12 months. As in minimum. Why on earth would exceeding the very minimal recommendation be considered extended?
I didn't necessarily plan on breastfeeding past 1 year. It just happened. Which is totally crazy considering what a struggle I had with breastfeeding to begin with. It has not been an easy road, yet, at the same time, it feels like the right thing to continue with. I can't argue with the fact that C has been incredibly healthy through his first year of life, and with the risk of jinxing it: he's not had a single ear infection.
In the months leading up to C's first birthday, I thought about starting the weaning process, but nursing was just working for us...why change something that was going so well? Last week was the first time that a hint of C naturally weaning came into the picture. He's been eating more and more real food and at daycare he just started to seem uninterested in his lunch-time bottle. So I told them to go ahead and skip it. I brought the extra bottle the next day just in case he seemed to need it, but he transitioned to 2 bottles at daycare instead of the usual 3 like it was nothing. And in doing so, I transitioned down to two pumping sessions a day at work instead of 3.
He's been drinking some whole, organic, cow's milk from a sippy cup too. The problem is that he loves to just play with the sippy cup, so he mostly just gets milk all over the place. It's a balance that we're figuring out, but not stressing about.
If there's one trait of mine that I will totally own and proudly proclaim, it's my ability to just. be. mellow.
It's not often that I stress out. About anything. I'm a go-with-the-flow, easy-going gal. Which is probably why I worked full-time all the way up until the day before my due-date and then two days after my due date I woke up and casually declared, "I think I'm going to have a baby today". And then I did. Seriously, it happened just like that.
So we're going to continue breastfeeding for now. For how long? We'll just take it a day at a time and figure it out as we go!
5.25.2012
Taco Ring
Laura asked for the recipe for the Taco Ring I photographed as part of my Every Waking Hour Photo Project on May 17th, so I figured I'd share it here with everyone since it's one of my favorites!
This recipe has a lot of things going for it:
What more could you ask for!?
Ingredients:
Optional Ingredients:
Directions:
Preheat the oven according to the directions on the crescent roll package. Brown the ground beef and then drain. Then add the taco seasoning along with 1-2 tablespoons of water. In the same pot (because I like to have as few dishes as possible!), mix in the can of refried beans (straight from the can- you don't have to do any heating here) and any of the optional ingredients that you want to bake into your taco ring- except for the cheese. Stir it all up so that it's mixed well. Ta-da! You have your filling.
If you really hate doing dishes like me, cover a round pizza pan with tin foil. This step is merely out of laziness. I just cover it in tin foil so that when we're done I can throw it away instead of washing the pan. So that's totally up to you. Next, arrange the crescent rolls in a circle on the pan. You know how crescent rolls are triangle shaped? You want to arrange them so that all of the points are facing out and the bases of the triangles overlap. Kind of like a big sunshine. The tips of the triangles should hang over the edge of your pan.
Now, spread your filling on your crescent roll circle. All the way around where those triangle bases are overlapped. Spread the filling out evenly around the whole circle and then top with your shredded cheese. Then, take each of the triangle tips and fold them over the filling and press the tip onto the base of the triangle so it wraps the filling into a ring.
Throw it in the over according to the time on the crescent roll package, but add a few minutes (usually 3-5. you want the crescent rolls to be golden brown). The total bake time is usually less than 20 minutes.
Done! Seriously. That's it. Just top with sour cream and whatever else you want! If you're serving this for company and want to be extra impressive, you can display all your cold toppings (sour cream, lettuce, whatever else) in small bowls in the middle of the ring.
This recipe has a lot of things going for it:
- It looks impressive.
- It's super easy.
- It's quick.
- It's delicious.
What more could you ask for!?
Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 pkg taco seasoning
- 1 can of refried beans
- 2 cans of crescent rolls
- 2 cups of shredded cheese
- Sour cream
Optional Ingredients:
- Chopped onion
- 1 can of diced tomatoes with chiles
- Anything else you want baked into your taco ring!
- Anything else you want to top your taco ring with!
Directions:
Preheat the oven according to the directions on the crescent roll package. Brown the ground beef and then drain. Then add the taco seasoning along with 1-2 tablespoons of water. In the same pot (because I like to have as few dishes as possible!), mix in the can of refried beans (straight from the can- you don't have to do any heating here) and any of the optional ingredients that you want to bake into your taco ring- except for the cheese. Stir it all up so that it's mixed well. Ta-da! You have your filling.
If you really hate doing dishes like me, cover a round pizza pan with tin foil. This step is merely out of laziness. I just cover it in tin foil so that when we're done I can throw it away instead of washing the pan. So that's totally up to you. Next, arrange the crescent rolls in a circle on the pan. You know how crescent rolls are triangle shaped? You want to arrange them so that all of the points are facing out and the bases of the triangles overlap. Kind of like a big sunshine. The tips of the triangles should hang over the edge of your pan.
Now, spread your filling on your crescent roll circle. All the way around where those triangle bases are overlapped. Spread the filling out evenly around the whole circle and then top with your shredded cheese. Then, take each of the triangle tips and fold them over the filling and press the tip onto the base of the triangle so it wraps the filling into a ring.
Throw it in the over according to the time on the crescent roll package, but add a few minutes (usually 3-5. you want the crescent rolls to be golden brown). The total bake time is usually less than 20 minutes.
Done! Seriously. That's it. Just top with sour cream and whatever else you want! If you're serving this for company and want to be extra impressive, you can display all your cold toppings (sour cream, lettuce, whatever else) in small bowls in the middle of the ring.
5.23.2012
Every Waking Hour: Thursday, May 17th
For the "rules" of the Every Waking Hour Photo Project that I created, check out this post!
Here are my photos from the Every Waking Hour Photo Project that I did on Thursday, May 17th:
-7:00AM-
I had woken up at 6:30 am, helped to make lunches for Hubby G and I, and got my pump parts ready. At this point, I was brushing my teeth and I was still in my pj's.
-8:00AM-
Baby C was up, fed, changed, and dressed and I was just finishing getting ready. C loves playing with these blocks, so they work well to keep him occupied while I finish up a few things in the morning.
-9:00AM-
C was now at daycare and I was at my desk at work! This is part of my cube wall, with a friendly reminder to try to make a thank you call every day. I work with literally hundreds of volunteers, so there is no shortage of people for me to thank for all of their hard work!
-10:00AM-
Pumping at work. This was the first day that I transitioned down to two pumping sessions instead of three.
-11:00AM-
Back at my desk, this cute little guy keeps me company. A gift from Hubby G awhile back.
-12:00PM-
Still at my desk. I've got this sticker at my desk reminding me of my recent accomplishment of finishing the Fifth Third River Bank Run 25k! I've actually had this sticker for months now, but I refused to put it out on display until I actually completed the race.
-1:00PM-
What's left of my lunch. Hubby G makes my lunch for me every morning except Wednesdays. What a guy!
-2:00PM-
Heading into a conference call meeting. Necessary items include: clipboard, chocolate, and silly putty.
-3:00PM-
Still meeting. Chocolate gone. Wrapper reads: The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.
-4:00PM-
Somewhat on a whim, I decide this is going to happen. Today. Hubby G has been asking me since my birthday in January to make an appointment and get my hair cut because he likes my hair short. I like it short too, but I also like it long. And I've just been procrastinating making an appointment. Today feels like a good day. Pantene Beautiful Lengths is a program similar to Locks of Love where you can donate your hair to be made into wigs for cancer patients. Pantene Beautiful Lengths works directly with the American Cancer Society to have the wigs distributed to American Cancer Society wig banks across the country. People undergoing cancer treatment who are in need of a wig can get one completely free of charge at those wig banks.
-5:00PM-
That just happened. A good 10+ inches of my hair chopped off!
-6:00PM-
Back at home with my new short 'do! Lovin' it!
-7:00PM-
Baby C playing with his tow truck while I make dinner
-8:00PM-
Dinner! One of my specialties: taco ring. It looks impressive and is SUPER easy to make. Extra bonus points: it's delicious.
-9:00PM-
Snuggling with C at close range before putting him in his crib for the night.
-10:00PM-
Relaxing on the couch and watching TV before bed.
-11:00PM-
Last image before falling asleep! Our dog Colby loves to sleep under the bed (we call it the Colby Cave) and looking over the edge of the bed, this is all I can see of him.
Whew! That's it! I really liked doing this project. I'll probably do it again in a couple of months...or maybe make it a once-a-month routine? We'll see!
5.22.2012
Writer's Block
I realized today that I’m struggling with finding things to blog about lately because I just don’t feel like my day to day life is really interesting enough to write about.
In truth, my day to day life isn’t some crazy adventure. BUT, that doesn’t mean I have nothing to write about. Like this past weekend we were actually pretty busy and did a variety of different things, but I still felt like I had nothing to write about.
Here’s the thing I’m realizing: I can write about anything.
I know. This is a crazy revelation right? DUH.
I think I just needed to tell myself that and know that it’s ok if I’m not always writing about something exciting. Let’s be honest, it’s not like I have hundreds of people reading this blog or anything and I really just keep it up because it’s something I enjoy.
So, for what feels like the millionth time saying this, I hope to start blogging more.
Even if it’s just the day to day stuff.
In truth, my day to day life isn’t some crazy adventure. BUT, that doesn’t mean I have nothing to write about. Like this past weekend we were actually pretty busy and did a variety of different things, but I still felt like I had nothing to write about.
Here’s the thing I’m realizing: I can write about anything.
I know. This is a crazy revelation right? DUH.
I think I just needed to tell myself that and know that it’s ok if I’m not always writing about something exciting. Let’s be honest, it’s not like I have hundreds of people reading this blog or anything and I really just keep it up because it’s something I enjoy.
So, for what feels like the millionth time saying this, I hope to start blogging more.
Even if it’s just the day to day stuff.
5.15.2012
Announcing: Every Waking Hour Photo Project
Last October I tried to do the October Photo Challenge. And it was all good until about mid-way through and then I totally fell off the wagon.
I LOVE the idea of a photo-a-day challenge, but I just can’t seem to stick with it. So I’m making my own challenge and I’m asking anyone who’s interested to join in!
Here’s how the Every Waking Hour Photo Project will work:
- Pick a day and commit to taking a photo at the top of every hour (1:00, 2:00, 3:00, etc.) during all hours that you’re awake.
- No cheating. Take a picture right at the top of the hour (or as close as possible) even if you’re not doing anything “exciting”. This is real life! Set yourself an alarm if needed...I know I’ll need it.
- Only exception to the above rule: wait to snap your picture if it’s for safety reasons (i.e. you’re driving. Or operating heavy equipment. Or doing something else that would be unsafe to multi-task during). Take your photo when it’s safe and then just resume the top of the hour rule for the next photo.
- If for some reason you have to sway from the “top of the hour” rule, (safety reasons or otherwise) just ‘fess up to it.
- You can pick any day to do the project. You can do it multiple days if you want. That part is totally open and up to you. Just try to pick a day where you will actually be able to take a photo at the top of every hour.
- If you take part, please tag back here! I made a fancy little button that's living over on the right side of my page now that you can put up on your blog if you've got one. Or pin that button to your Pinterest board. Also, please leave a comment with your info over on my new Every Waking Hour page. That way everyone can see who is participating!
- If you’re sharing your photos on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, or anything else, please tag your photos with #EveryWakingHour so that we can easily find them!
That’s it! Pretty straight-forward, easy, and low on the long-term commitment. I’m planning on taking my photos this Thursday, May 17th. I’ll be sharing as instantly as possible on Instagram (username is @savvyandsweet), but I’ll also post the whole group here later!
As mentioned above, if you're planning on participating, please leave a comment on the Every Waking Hour page I've made and let me know what date you’re doing/did the project and leave me a link with your blog/instagram/pinterest whatever-the-heck-else-you-use so that I can check it out!
5.14.2012
2012 Goal #1: COMPLETE
#1 on my 2012 Goals list that I made back in January is now complete: I ran in a race!
On Saturday I completed the Fifth Third River Bank Run 25k. I ran the whole 15.5 miles without walking. Waaaaaay back in December I decided that I wanted to run in this race and started following the training program. Even added a whole dedicated tab here on the blog with the training schedule I was following. For the first few months I stuck to the training program really well, but then I started to fall off the wagon a bit. I got back on track, but not as well as I had been from the get go. Then in the last month, I came down with a cold that just won't quit, so things were rough going. I did a 12.5 mile run last weekend and it felt AWFUL. I got caught in the rain and my nose wouldn't quit running, and I walked at least a mile of it. Things started looking up toward the end of this past week though, and I was determined to complete this goal.
Saturday morning I woke up bright and early, had a bowl of cereal, got my running clothes on, and woke up Baby C to feed him before I left. He went back to sleep with a full belly and a dry diaper and I kissed Hubby G goodbye before I headed out the door. I was meeting a couple of my co-workers who were also running the 25k for the first time and since the River Bank Run is the biggest 25k road race in the entire country, we wanted to meet early to walk to the start line and stash our gear. Hubby G and Baby C planned to come down a little later so that they could see me finish.
The start line was crazy. Check it out:
I can't even see the actual start line from this photo. In the middle of the picture you can see that yellow 9:30 sign- that indicates the pace group for people who want to run a 9:30 min/mile pace. There's official pace groups like that starting for those speedsters who want to run 7 minute miles all the way up to 12 minute mile pacers. I lined up at the back of the 9:30 group, just in front of the 10:00 group.
When the race actually started, it probably took me a good minute to actually make it up to the start line. I thought that I would be tripping all over people, but the crowd actually spread out pretty well considering how many runners there were. The first 5 miles flew by. It was just so exciting to be in such a big race and be around so many other runners! After that, I settled into a good pace and just enjoyed it. I was wearing my iPhone in my armband so that I could listen to music, but I didn't but my headphones in at the start because I just wanted to take it all in. I ended up not ever even using them at all the whole time because I was just really enjoying soaking in every second of the race!
At the halfway point I slowed down quite a bit. I wasn't feeling bad or anything, my body just knew I needed to slow down if I was going to finish this thing. My goal from the start was just to finish. I would even be ok with it if I had to walk some, but I wanted to finish. I kept my slow but steady pace up and continued on.
By mile 13 I was getting pretty darn tired. But I also knew I was almost done! Around that time is when you're back downtown on the race route, so that helped to motivate me- I like having the urban scenery to distract me. The last mile was awesome. I had a couple co-workers cheering for me like crazy at that last mile marker, and that was a huge help. The last half mile was really amazing- both sides of the street are filled with big crowds of people cheering everyone on- it was exhilarating! I made it across the finish line and as soon as I stopped running and started walking, my legs felt like jelly. I knew that if I had stopped to walk earlier in the race, I definitely wouldn't have started running again based on how my legs felt after I crossed that finish line! Hubby G and Baby C caught my attention as they were waiting for me at the finish line. It was so awesome to see them. I had to keep moving around so that my legs wouldn't cramp up, so we made our way to the tent where I had stowed me gear before the race and I got some water, Powerade, and some other snacks to refuel.
Here's C and I post-race. I let him wear my medal :) Like my head band? I thought it was perfect for me and it made me chuckle!
I actually felt pretty good for the rest of the day after the race. I expected to get a headache (which happens to me frequently after a long run) and feel generally crummy, but I didn't get a headache at all and I actually felt pretty good, all things considered! I mean, I was walking around like an old lady because my hips were so sore, but other than that, it was all good- I barely even had any blisters on my toes!
I don't know if I'll ever run the 25k again, but I'm really glad I finally accomplished this goal. It feels good!
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