My Diet Starts Monday. Oh wait. That's today.

My baby is three months old! That went fast. She is so freaking awesome. 

Sleeping a little better,

starting to laugh, tons of smiles. (Isn't she sweet? Lydia dressed her up as a snow baby in her fur vest.)

As for me.....I'm losing my hair by the handfuls, still mostly wearing yoga pants and Shane and I have yet to be on a date since Elise was born.
Or sleep in the same bed for that matter. (He snores. No way I'm letting him wake me or the baby up while she shares my room.)

But all that stuff will take care of it's self. Oh, except for one thing. I've got to lose this baby weight.

I'm doing ok with it I guess. I'm down 15 pounds from my last weigh-in before Elise was born. I had a pretty bad recovery so I expected it to be slow. But I really want to step things up now so that I don't lose ground during the holidays. I'm less concerned about pounds as fitting into my clothes again.

I've been reading some articles and blogs about long lasting weight loss. I know for sure I want to go the regular route of "Eat Less, Move More". But that's easier said than done with three kids, one being an infant. Some tips I've really liked are.....

1. Drink water like it's your job. 

2. Find a work out you love to do and do it. (Zumba!)

3. Plan your weekly splurge and wait for it. (Pizza and salad buffet with my family.)

4. Eat protein every breakfast. (Greek yogurt with a little granola. Yum.)

5. Write down your food choices and figure out your patterns. (Snacking from 3-5)

6. REWARD YOURSELF with non food things.

I love this last one, because, well, it's fun. In fact, I'm going to reward myself for the work I've already done AND provide myself a nice goal to work towards. 

I'm getting myself a pretty new dress in my pre-pregnancy size. My goal is to wear it for valentines day.

That gives me three months to get there. I'm pretty sure I can do it. But I'll have to really keep the holidays in check. 

I really love vintage clothing with a classic feel. Of course vintage clothes run small, so I've found some nice Shabby Apple dresses that fit the bill. I tend to stick to what works, so I get a lot from this site :) 

I like the high waisted look of the Zinger with the flattering arm length. Red heels and earrings would be very valentine appropriate. I'm not usually a bow gal, but it's in right now, so I'm willing to try it.

The El Capitan is so very tempting with it's (tummy hiding) peplum waist. That color is pretty fantastic. 

But the Ruby Tuesday is something I could wear to everything. 

What do you think? 

You can follow Shabby Apple on Instagram for awesome dress ideas and Facebook for GREAT deals!

Do you have any tips for weight loss after baby? How long did it take you guys to get back to your pre-baby weight? 

 

First Giggles

Never judge a mom trying to get their baby to laugh. They always sound nuts.

via instagram @natssentiments

Best Christmas Gifts for Baby

It's Christmas shopping time! I love that I pretty much can do all of my shopping online while I nurse the baby. Makes my life pretty easy.

I thought it'd be fun to share some of my favorite Christmas gifts this year. Starting with the cutest ones - gifts for baby! 

First up is the darling Jellycat plush collection. My sisters turned me on to these amazingly soft yet durable plush animals. It's the perfect first best friend for baby. I'm planning on getting the Bianca Kitty for baby Elise. But there are so many adorable choices, that could change. (Order them at Nordstrom.com and you get free shipping.)

Elise's "Big" gift is a Boa Stacking Rings with Sounds. It's from the Kushies Zolo toys line. I love that the rings each make a different animal noise. And it's adorable in the nursery. I figure if you're going to buy a toy, it should look cute on the shelf. 

I shop at Kushies a lot for baby gifts. They offer everything for baby/toddler from washable diapers, baby essentials, apparel, award-winning toys, bibs, bedding and more. And, their gift sets make great baby shower or new mother gifts. Elise is probably going to be getting a Blue Banana Carbag under the tree too. Something to keep her nice and toasty on our winter adventures. 

Look Look! By Peter Linenthal is the best book for babies, even newborns. The high contrast black and white pages are captivating to babies. I've read it to each of my babies, and even at 2 months old, Elise loves it. 

Everyone loves Sophie the Giraffe (my babies included) but Chan Pie Gnon is one of Sophie's more hipper friends. Just as chewy and squeaky, it's the perfect first stocking gift from Santa. 

My kids all wear Pediped. Elise is getting the shoes shown above in purple. Her feet aren't big enough for them yet, but you'll probably see then in lots of photos soon. They are just so comfortable, even my "I hate wearing shoes!" son likes them. Well, not these purple ones, but nice boy ones. Pediped now has a ladies line, Brian James! I know I would love a pair of insanely comfortable and stylish shoes for Christmas (Hint Hint). (And as a company they do some great community work. Check out their newest way to give back to schools.) They post good deals on the Pediped facebook page. 

I asked the kids what we should get the baby for Christmas and Collin yelled "A binky!". Elise does love her binkies. Well, at first she didn't want anything to do with them, but then I got a recommendation to try MAM pacifiers. They are designed and developed by pediatric dentists and orthodontists.  They offer a wide variety of pacifier sizes that suits baby's various developmental stages.  The anatomically correct pacifiers allows for healthy jaw and teeth development and ensure a maximum level of comfort for babies of all ages. Elise loves them and they calm her so quickly. This year she's getting a few more in her stocking. Along with a MAM mini teether to help her the moment her little teeth start coming in. Sign up for the “MAM Club” at mambaby.com to be the first to know on special promotions and new product introductions.

The Munchkin Nursery Projector and Sound System is a great baby room machine with all the frills. Sweet lullabies, pleasant white noise, a nightlight and a projector with three different different themes that can be projected anywhere in the room. Baby will love falling asleep to it's gentle glow and sounds. Great price at just over $20.

Lastly, I love the hand-stamped baby spoons I've been seeing on Etsy. And usually they run less than $10 a spoon. I think I may get one from Block and Hammer for my little sweetie. So cute, she'll actually use it and it becomes an heirloom. 

*****

These are my top pics for baby gifts. Next week I'll post my favorite pics for kids :) 

InstaMonday #47 - Fall is my Favorite

Fall is so great. Makes for some rad photos.

Daddy and daughter in the front lawn. 

Best photo ever? 

(I have a seriously good looking family.)

This is ONE day of leaves falling on our lawn. Shane had raked the day before. 

Added some extra highlights.

My hair dried this way!

Elise slept for three hours in a row one night!

(My grandma always sends a Pendleton blanket for each great grandchild. I love this one she picked out for my sweet girl.)

Missing Tennessee like mad. Autumn is so breathtaking there.

Though, this Autumn in Boise is pretty gorgeous as well.

Not all is good. The other day I walked into the living room....straight into a mommy intervention. 

Come on! It's just diet coke! 

Enjoy your fall!

via instagram @natssentiments

SOOOOO Sweet Saturday

Elise is 10 weeks old! Time for the traditional, fuzzy, 10 week photo!

Sooooo cute!

P.S. I have had several people refer to Elise as Elsie. Her name is Elise as in eh-LEASE or uh-LEASE. 

Not Elsie as in El-see. Big difference. :) Just think of Beethoven's "Fur Elise" and you've got it. 

Beware!

Halloween is in full swing at our house.

Trunk or Treat left us with more candy than we know what to do with. 

(I think we had the best trunk. The hanging spider sacs of doom are pretty creepy.)

Halloween is such a fun holiday. But I feel like I should warn you.....

Beware Witch Ellie! Her scream has been known to wake up an entire household at 2:30am!

Beware the Dragon Collin and his terrible glow stick! His thirst for candy knows no limits!

Beware the vampire Lydia! She can transform from a sweet seven year old to a moody 14 year old in a matter of seconds!

Happy Halloween from our family to yours!

photos via instagram @natssentiments

winner!

The winner of the Pink Blush Maternity giveaway is Christina.
Congrats! Email me and I will get you your prize.  

Best New Mommy Gifts - and what Mommy needs to get herself

Ah, gifting for the new mommy. If it's at the shower, you want something that gets the approprate "Ooooooo, so cute!" response. But when you want to bring something for a new mommy, you want to bring something useful or comforting. Something for the woman who just delivered a baby and thus, is in need of a little pampering. Here are some of my top new mommy gift ideas, straight from the mouth of a new mommy.  (Man. I'm tired. Babies are exhausting. I just had to throw that out there.)

• Something pretty to wear. That will fit. 

No one feels pretty right after giving birth. Your body is just, well, weird. Bring over something that will make a new mom feel pretty without having to struggle to fit into it. A fuzzy pair of socks, a soft new scarf or a cute cap to pull up that greasy hair. My friend brought me a thin cardigan in the hospital that fit over my nightgown. It was perfect. I LOVE these hair ties from Anthropologie. What a useful little splurge for $12. 

• Food. Well duh. 

Getting meals after baby is pretty much the best thing in the world. I recommend Bev's Macaroni and Cheese. Mainly cause it's awesome and the kids will eat it too. My next door neighbor brought over all the fixings for sandwiches. Guess what I ate for an entire week for lunch. (Tip....Find out when Grandma is leaving to head back home and bring meals then!) 

• NoseFrida - the snot sucker

Don't judge me, but the NoseFrida is freaking awesome. And totally gross. But not really all that gross once you've used it. Unless you've had a baby, you can not understand how horrible it is to see your baby stuffed up and not be able to help. The blue nasal aspirators are terrible and usually freak your baby into hysteria. With this, you actually use your own suction to remove snot from your baby, but I want to clarify, there is no way you will actually get snot in your mouth! I promise. And it's incredibly effective. Check out the Amazon reviews if you don't believe me. And it's super cheap too. Your new mommy friend will love you for this gift. ANYTHING that helps the baby from screaming. 

• Paper plates

Huh? Did she just say paper plates? Yep. This is a terrific new mom gift. Bringing dinners to a new mom is so helpful. Adding some paper plates to the delivery makes it perfect. A friend did this for me and every time I grabbed a plate I thought how grateful I was not to have to wash a dish. You can even use the Stephmodo tutorial on paper plate upgrade if you really want to go crazy. Maybe just bring over a couple boxes of cereal, some paper bowls and plastic spoons. Seriously, she'll love you.

• Bamboobies

Ouch. Nursing hurts in the beginning. Sore nipples and engorgement. Yuk. My aunt sent me a pair of Bamboobies washable nursing pads and they were like putting pillows in my bra. (Not like when I put actual pillows in my bra in junior high.) Soft, absorbent and subtle under clothes. These would be lovely for a nursing mom.

• A little bubble bath or homemade bath salts. 

And then hold that baby for an hour while she uses it. (If she had a c-section, then let her take a long shower. She can't take a bath. Bummer.) Tell her to wash her hair, dry it and put on fresh pjs. She will feel a million times better. (Especially if you get her this ubber fancy honey bath from Nordstrom. Yum.)

• Diapers and wipes. 

I couldn't leave those off the list. Every new mom is thrilled to get these. You just can't imagine how many a baby will go through. I recommend not getting newborn diapers, but getting size 1 or 2. A lot of moms never need newborn size. Or just ask what size they want. Personally, my tiny baby was in newborn diapers for a while. Not "fun" enough of a gift? Just make a diaper cake. I made a cowboy themed diaper cake and it was a huge hit.

• A Glossy new magazine

She doesn't want a book. She wants something mindless to look through while she nurses for countless hours a day. 

• A HUGE Diet Coke

Or whatever other drink she craves. Maybe a Dirty Diet Coke like this one from Little Miss Momma. The first thing I did when I was allowed to drive again was go get myself some carbonated relief. The first thing Shane brought me as a treat was a Starbucks hot chocolate. 

Now. What should you get yourself before you give birth? 

• Bronzer - With no sleep and going through delivery, you won't believe how much better you'll look with a little color. Add some lip gloss while you're at it. No one looks totally trashed with glossy lips. I like Mac Bronzer, but the Kohls brand "Flirt" bronzer is cheaper and still really nice. 
• The softest, lightest, most comfortable nightgown with buttons for nursing. Especially if you're having a c-section. They have often have really nice ones at T.J Max and Ross. 
• Get yourself a nursing night bra. You will not want to sleep without some support and some nursing pads in place. And you can wear this if you have to have a c-section.
• Black yoga pants. Buy them when you are about 5-6 months along. Then they'll fit post baby. pack them for the hospital. You'll LIVE in them for months. I have two pairs and I still wear them almost everyday.
• Slippers you will want to wear all day. (Personally, I wear mens Crocs (wider than womens) with fuzzy socks. The most comfortable thing ever, and I can wash the socks way easier than slippers.) 
• Make your favorite treat. Freeze them for baby blues emergencies. (I made scotcharoos.)

Now you're all set for making some new mom super happy :) 

Last Baby Syndrome (And having my tubes removed.)

I think I may have last baby syndrome. I'm not sure that's a documented thing, but it should be.

Elise is my last baby. For sure. I had my fallopian tubes removed during my c-section, so it's definite.

(A few people asked via email why I had my tubes removed. I'll answer that later in this post.)

Anyway, I'm very happy that we are done with having babies. I feel like my family is complete. But acknowledging that I will never go through these little moments again with a baby is emotional. It may just be that I am incredibly slept deprived. (Elise's longest sleep duration is 3 hours at night. But usually it's less than 2.) Also, I'm still getting boughts of baby blues, which seem to hover over like a gray gauze over my days. I'm happy and liking this new place in life, but I'm sad too.

Every time I put away something that Elise has out grown, I think, "I'll never have a baby wear this again." As she moves through these beginning milestones, I realize how this won't happen again.

I don't want the joy of raising Elise to be tinged with the sadness of "last baby syndrome". But maybe that's what every parent experiences with their last baby. We hold them so close as we desperately want the moment to last longer. I just didn't expect it to be so bittersweet. And I just started.

Does it better or last for the duration?

***************
In regard to having my tubes removed, I always planned on having my tubes "tied" after this baby. Shane and I came to that decision for many reasons. I have a hard time getting pregnant and very hard pregnancies. This would be my third c-section. And I turned 36 right after she was born. I did NOT want a surprise baby at age 43. And, most importantly, we felt like three kids was the perfect number for our family.

When I discussed this with my doctor, she recommended that if I was 100% sure that this would be our last baby, I should have my fallopian tubes completely removed. The reason behind this is to dramatically decrease my chances for developing Ovarian cancer, which has been found to develop in the F. Tubes.

I was a little nervous about going ahead with that procedure. My worry, was that Elise would be born with some problems and not survive. My doctor is not the most positive person and she filled my head constantly with all the issues that comes with having a baby later in life. (Again. I was only 35.) But I did worry that if something was wrong, I would have absolutely no way to add to our family. (Other than adoption of course.)

How I went about this was to sign all the wavers for the Tubal removal, but instructed the doctor not to go ahead until after the baby was born and confirmed stable. There was plenty of time after delivery to make this concession. At that time we would make the decision.

As it so happened, the doctor discovered that my uterus was so thin, that had I stayed pregnant for even a couple more days, it most likely would have burst. She told me that it was not safe for me to have any other children. This made the decision for the removal an obvious one.

Anyone else have their tubes completely removed? Or is this a newer option?

 

Such a good girl

Monday was a bad night with the baby and I forgot to turn on my alarm. The next morning Lydia woke me up to say her ride to school was here. I woke up in a panic. "Don't worry, I'm all ready to go. I love you mom." Then she quietly placed a note and breakfast on my bed before running out the door. She's seven years old. #love

via instagram @natssentiments