Merry Christmas

So I missed an update on the 15th Week...I had every intention of doing it, just not enough time.  So let's do reverse chronological order of the events since that's how the blog posts would be if I completed them in time.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Aidan definitely has some generous and loving family members!  He received a walker, a jumparoo, a playmat along with awesome penguin onesies, books, a blue glass sphere, miscellaneous toys, and silver dollars.  I think we'll start expanding the house next week so we have a place to store everything!  He loves his new toys, though Mr. 95th percentile is too short for the walker.  All in time, though...he has plenty of other toys to keep him busy (and worn out, extra cranky, and fighting sleep.)  Mom also made a really neat stocking - one side is John Deere (AJ) and one side is penguins (me, of course).  I can't imagine next year...and I think the givers were more excited than Aidan, but that's a good thing.  It's better to give than to receive or so "they" say. :) 


The Sixteenth Week

So this week is another transition week.  The fourteenth week was the transition of me going back to work.  The sixteenth week is the transition of having to deal with Aidan's sleep regression by ourselves and making it through the day with little sleep.  Hello Caffeine! and patience...  So apparently between the 3rd and 4th month, sleep regression can start to occur.  Google it.  For parents who experience this, it can make you frown, but it's just another stage that you think We can get through this, and we can.  Sooooo, we (well, Diana moreso than AJ) pulled sweet, little Aidan into the bed on Tuesday night.  Aidan didn't make a peep, and he did not stir when my alarm went off at 3:15AM.  I, of course, too, the bait and just KNEW that the entire week would be this way. 

Nope, AJ arrived home at 1:30 AM one night (out working), and Aidan woke up do to the dogs barking.  He was wet, so we changed him.  He was cranky and fussy, so we soothed him.  He might have been hungry, so I fed him.  While I enjoy nursing him, 2:15 am is a little late (or early) for me.  However, I laid on my side to allow Aidan to feed and fell asleep, and I can only assume he finished his meal and went to sleep since he had a content look on his face at 3:15 am.  Finally, another night, Aidan woke up periodicially; it seems he could not get settled.  Can I make it on 4 hours of sleep? Yes.  Do I want to? No.  But I wouldn't trade any sleep in the world for my sweet, baby boy.  I just drink more caffeine, and I was disappointed I had to jump off the no-caffeine wagon, but hey, gotta trudge through the day somehow!

The plus side to having mom watching Aidan as opposed to my wonderful Memaw is mom can send me pictures and texts through out the day.  I love seeing him randomly through out the day, though I do have a background on my computer that has 15-20 pictures of Aidan in a collage. 

 Mom tends to put Aidan in matching outfits, where Memaw chose clothes on a functional basis.  I did love to come home and see how Memaw dressed Aidan and hear why she decided to onesie on the outside of the pants. :) 
Going to work has become easier, though by Fridays, I am worn out and I am about out of fresh pumped breast milk.  It seems I have a hungry monster on my hands.  I pump 10-12 ounces in the morning and 15-18 ounces at work.  However, Aidan requires 30 ounces while I am away, so I have had to pull a little from the freezer stash.  But I think due to attending the company Christmas party and AJ taking Aidan to Hampton that I didn't have enough weekend extra milk to help the work week milk operation.  We shall see...

In other news, I did donate 65 oz of breastmilk to a mom and baby in need.  The mom wants her baby to have breastmilk due to allergic reactions to formula and her not being able to produce milk because of medication for lupus.  I felt so blessed that I could make this donation.  I still have 100+ oz of milk in the freezer, so Aidan would be taken care of if I were sick for a few days.

Towards the end of this week, Aidan has giggled and laughed a lot more frequently, and it melts my heart.  I love the noise of his giggles.  On Friday, my day off, Aidan and I sat in the living room, and he only had on a diaper.  I was blowing raspberries on his stomach, and he started laughing...so of course, I continued.  Then AJ was undressing Aidan on Saturday, and Aidan turned to his side and made it difficult to undress (purposefully if you ask me!).  So AJ would tug at the sleeve, and Aidan would giggle.  Oh my, love you so much baby boy.

The Fifteenth Week

This was Memaw's 2nd week of watching Aidan...she said the first week was exhausting, so I'm sure she is glad I had 4 day work weeks!  I was sad to see Memaw go because I love visiting with her and seeing her spending so much time with Aidan.  Memaw says that Aidan rolled unassisted (and without encouragement) from front to back!  Then he fussed and fussed because he did not want to be on his stomach, but he couldn't roll back over or even onto his side.  He'll learn.   He continues to enjoy his bath, but he is learning how to splash more and more.  If you don't want to get wet, then don't bathe Aidan!  He is so happy in his bath and gives the best smiles!

Aidan is still trying to master his jumparoo, which was an early Christmas present from Grammy and granddaddy (my parents).  He likes to sit in it, move a little, and yell at the toys attached.  Then he fusses and wants nothing to do with it.  I'm sure he'll love it one day, just like the swing, but not today.  December 17th, I attended my work Christmas party, and I had my first beer in almost a whole year, in fact, 51 weeks!  I had Bud Select 55 and Mich Ultra...yes, I still love light beers, none of the dark stuff for me.  I enjoyed the Christmas party, and of course, showed off pictures of Aidan.  Though I do miss him when I am not with him, I can have fun and enjoy myself when I do go out sans baby.

And here's a lovely fashion statement made by Aidan courtesy of my Memaw...Love it!

I should add that my left wrist still aches/hurts, and there is such a thing as post partum carpal tunnel.  Boo.  Guess I'm just waiting to see if it gets better or worse.  I tried sleeping with a wrist brace, but it's extremely uncomfortable, especially when Aidan wants me to let him hold my finger as he falls asleep.

The Fourteenth Week

This week I returned to work, and it was not easy.  Sunday was filled with lots of tears and little sleep, but I am happy to report that Aidan and I made it through the week.  I think Aidan dealt with the seperartion better than I did, which makes me happy because what makes me sad is that I am not there to soothe him when he needs me most.  The first day, I came home, Aidan was exhausted and needed a nap.  So I curled up on the couch and held for as long as he would let me.  It warmed my heart to know that he needed me so much.  And as I stated in my letter, we gave Aidan bath's every day, and I nursed him to sleep.  Tears were less as the nights went on, and I was able to sleep more peacefully.  Thankfully, the work week was four short days followed by four days off.

Aidan rolled over for the first time this week.  My memaw was working with Aidan a lot this week on tummy time and how to roll over - it seems her work has paid off...somewhat.  Aidan rolled to his side by himself, then I held a singing penguin over his head (that has red flashing lights) and he rolled over to look at it. So rolling over wasn't one fluid motion, but it's definitely a start.  Memaw and I were excited.  Aidan also received his Christmas present early from my parents - a jumparoo.  We tested it out at Buy Buy Baby, and he fit just fine and seemed to love it.  Well, at home, his feet could not touch the ground, so we had to put a book under him, but he seemed to greatly enjoy it!  Hopefully, he will start to get the hang of it soon, and I'll share some more videos.

All About Mom

Overall, I think the work week got better as the days went on, and I found my routine.  I did not go to the gym until Friday, which was my day off.  I rushed home every day to Aidan, even if it was to hold him for a nap.

Each day, I was able to set my alarm a little later or hit an extra snooze.  I quickly realized I was giving myself too much time to get ready in the morning.  I was at the carpool meet up spot 15 minutes early or more!  Better to have too much time, than too little.  It's weird (TMI to follow...), in the morning, I understand how a cow feels.  I wear this hands free bra, hook up the breastpump, and brush my teeth/wash my face, all while producing milk for Aidan.  (Little crude, but please, find the humor!) Then at work, I feel like a sperm donor...you know, I go into a practically bare office, put up a “Do Not Distrub” sign, look at pictures (of Aidan) to help stimulate myself, get half naked, wait for the white stuff to be collected in a bottle, examine my results and pat myself on the back for the good work, clean myself up, get dressed, then leave the room discreetly. 

I also plays Words with Friends or check out the updates on Facebook while I pump at work.  It's a nice break, and I definitely need something to occupy my time, even if it's only ten minutes.

I have had time to reflect the past three months.  I use to be a very modest person, but when it comes to breastfeeding, it seems I do what's best for Aidan.  I have nursed in public several times and I nurse in front of friends and family, as long as they are comfortable with it...I know, who cares whether they are or not...well, I do.  I can easily go into another room to feed Aidan, so it's no big deal. It's amazing how much a baby changes your prespective...or modesty.  Though, I still change in a changing room at the gym - that will never change. :)

Dear Aidan,

My how time has flown...it seems like yesterday we were bringing you home from the hospital. Now your are holding your head up, curious about your environment, and playing "Simon Says" with your cooing and "talking". I admit, the first few weeks were very challenging, and I wasn't sure if I would make it through the entire maternity leave with my sanity. But the clouds broke and sun shone through as you began to smile, interact, and give mom a little bit of sleep and a break through out the day. 

For the past week, I have cried every time I think of leaving you to work.  I will miss the mornings when you stretch, smile, fart, and then coo at me as I stare into your eyes and am amazed by how much you have grown.  I miss the morning "Party on the Changing Table" song and dance that we do.  I will miss the morning feeding - you are quick to latch on and eat, then you will fall to sleep and snack until I put you back in the crib or down beside me.  Your morning routine is one of my favorites that I will have to cherish three days of week instead of seven.

I didn't cry when you were born - I wanted to, but I think every ounce of moisture that I had was perspired through my pores during twenty intense minutes of pushing.  I loved you from the first sight, there's no mistaking that.  But as I go back to work, I will be lucky if I don't cry - I'm sure when the garage door shuts and I back out of the driveway, when I pump milk for you, or when I see your picture on my computer screen, I will shed tears and miss you so much.

But we will get through this - we will have bath time every  night, regardless of whether you need it or not.  You love to talk, splash, and hold my fingers while you bathe.  You are so happy that I need those smiles and coos every day.  I need you to promise me that you will save some of that happiness for me when I get home.  We will nurse every night before bed - I love our bond and I know it's a good routine for you and me. 

We'll make it through this together...we may shed a few more tears along the way that we normally wouldn't, but we'll be okay.  I promise.

Love,

Mom

The Thirteenth Week

3 Months, Baby Boy



Splish Splash, I was taking a bath...

Party on the Changing Table, Party on the Changing Table, Party Party Party.

I can't sing, but Aidan doesn't care.  He squeals and moves his arms and legs like he is dancing when I sing my made up song, "Party on the Changing Table."  Sometimes it's that one line, and by the third "Party", he is squealing and moving so much.  I'm glad my lack of talent is so delightful, because one day, it will be embarrassing.

Aidan has picked his head up significantly during tummy time...so much that he fusses very little.  It's like one day it clicked for him and he realized if he looked up he wouldn't had to put his face in the mat!  So proud of the little guy.  He absolutely loves his play mat now.  He swats at the monkey, panda, and insect toys constantly while squealing with delight.  I love to hear his squeals.

Aidan must sense that I am going back to work next week.  He was extra needy Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  It's like he knew that cuddle time with mom was about to be shortened, so we rocked for hours on Thursday and Friday.  On Saturday, he wanted to be held and not play on his mat.  It melts my heart that he needs me so much, and it really lifted my spirits.  Though I will admit that on Thursday, I cried as I rocked Aidan during his nap.  I know I will have the weekends and the evenings, but I don't want to miss anything...Speaking of which, Aidan laughed for the first time on Thursday!  So beautiful and precious.  Not sure what got into him, but he was very vocal and happy while one of my former coworkers visited.

On Saturday, Aidan was officially 3 months/13 weeks, so it meant another fun shopping trip and photo shoot.  Mom and I typically find ourselves at Gymboree, and this month, they had TONS of penguin outfits.  I can't wait to dress Aidan up in these, but here's two of my favorite photos from Saturday.

Dad bought Aidan a polar bear to help keep the penguin population down, and he's to the left of the penguin, but not seen in this photo...But I think the polar bear is slacking on the job. :)

Unofficially, Aidan weights near 15 pounds and is 25.5" long.

All About Mom

So I am officially back at my pre pregnancy weight.  Breastfeeding really does burn up some calories!  I didn't expect to lose the weight so quickly, but no complaints here.

Night sweats still occur, but they are pretty infrequent.

This week, I have had a weird sensation/pain in my left hand.  Almost carpal tunnel like.  I'm going to wear a brace to see if that helps, but I have noticed this issue since pregnancy, but most of the time, it was a dull ache and rarely occurred.  However, twice this week, I had sharp, shooting pain and numbness in the hand/wrist. 

And the TMI...

The 'Rhoids are still around, unfortunately.  Not bothersome to me, but just irritating that they have not resolved themselves.  When I see my OB in January, I will get a prescription like I had in the hospital if the rhoids are still present then.  I have also gone an entire year without Aunt Flo...please don't let this jinx me!

The Twelfth Week

Beginning of the Holidays...

My family celebrated Thanksgiving on Sunday since my brother and his wife were taking a vacation later in the week.  Aidan was able to see his Uncle Chris (my brother) for the first time since he was born.  Aidan was quite amused by my brother's noise that I call Chewbacca...my Pepaw does a similar noise.

Aidan responds a lot to noise. Whether it's a big, gummy smile or trying to make the same noise, it's very entertaining to talk to him.

He also is grabbing and holding things.  He is still working on the hand/eye coordination, but he loves to hit at his toys and flings rattles.

When he is bottle fed, he likes to hold onto it so that you don't take it away before he finishes.  He will cry if you take it away before he finishes.  He eats 4 to 6 oz at each feeding, which seems like a lot, but he does skip a feeding or two by sleeping through the night.  This week, he went at least 8 hours between the night and first morning feeding. 

Baths really calm Aidan down.  I think with all the visiting he did this week with family, he was overstimulated and just needed a nice, calming environment.  On Thanksgiving, this happened...screaming that could not be soothed, way too soon to be hungry.  So my mom improvised and filled a tub with water and lined it with towels.  Instant calming.  He splashed around a lot and absolutely love it.  After the bath, he slept on the way home.  Now that he had the freedom of the large bath, he jumps around and splashes around in his bath at home.  Hmmm, I think we need a new bath because the one we have confines him too much.  If he wants to play and be happy, we can't let a bath stop him!  Especially when he goes down and stays down for the night.

I have one last week of maternity leave, and I'm sad to not spend my days with Aidan, but I am also excited to return to work.  I love my job and the challenges that come with it.  I wish I could have my cake and eat it, too but that's not physically possible.  So I'll try to be as efficient with my time as possible so that I can spend as much of it with Aidan.  I am not looking forward to waking up at 3 AM since I have become accustomed to going to bed at 11PM and waking up at 5AM.  I just need to adjust my schedule by 2 hours.

The Eleventh Week

Grabbing, Holding, and Swinging

Grabbing hair
Holding toys
Swinging his arms

Grabbing his feet
Holding my fingers while falling asleep
Swinging to the side

Aidan loves to play on the play mat, looking at himself and swinging his arms at the monkey, and occasionally grabbing it.  He has put part of the toy in his mouth.  His arms go wild.  He also hits my chest sometimes while he is eating.  Funny kid.

He also loves his squeaky, brightly covered toys...as do our dogs.  We will have to be diligent if we want to keep the dogs from destroying Aidan's toys.  I sent my dad a video of Aidan smiling and playing when I squeaked one of his toys and it drove dad's dog nuts. 

He seems to pay more attention to the books when we read them to him.  He also takes longer to eat because he is either looking around, hitting me, or sleep snacking.  He definitely notices his environment more.

His morning nap is shorter, and he wants to play more.  However, the shorter morning naps means he needs to sleep longer in the afternoon.  He traded nap times on me!  Just when I think I have him figured it out, he throws a wrench into things.  He constantly challenges me, and I gladly accept it.

I was finally able to go to a hair appointment thanks to my mom watching Aidan while I went.  It was much needed, though Aidan does not seem as excited about it as I was.  He only wants to grab my hair and wrap his hand around it and pull!  Ouch....

Tummy time is becoming more enjoyable, and Aidan starts to turn towards his side, but then fusses and then screams in frustration since he cannot turn over yet.  When he is on his back, he likes to roll to the side.  He also enjoys playing on his changing pad...grabbing his feet, swinging his arms, and turning to the side.  The boy is moving...we have to watch him very closely now.

Spinach & Chicken Alfredo Bake

(For you, Chrissy)

When I worked at Fazoli's in high school, I despised having to try the Alfredo sauce to make sure its consistency and flavor were correct, though nothing was worse than having to taste the tea to determine if sugar had been added or not...Anyway, I love Italian food, and I always made a version of Fazoli's Pizza Baked Spaghetti.  Well, since I recently started making a chicken and spinach Alfredo dish, I decided to make it into a bake...What's the difference, you ask?  CHEESE!

Paula Dean:Butter::Diana:Cheese

If Paula Dean can add an extra stick of butter into to something, then I can add an extra cup or so of cheese to my recipes.  On to the recipe.

1 (16-ounce) package penne noodles
1 package of chopped spinach (I buy the frozen spinach)
2 (15-ounce) jars Alfredo sauce (I recommend Bertoulli's)
2 garlic clove, minced
2 lbs cooked chicken, cubed
2 T olive oil
Italian Seasoning
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 cups mozzarella cheese

Cube the chicken, heat up the olive oil in a sauce pan on medium-high.  Sprinkle Italian seasoning on raw chicken and then cook in the pan until chicken is no longer pink in the middle.
Prepare pasta according to package directions. 
Heat the spinach (if frozen)

Add chicken and Alfredo sauce in a 13 x 9 backing dish.  Then add pasta and spinach.  Stir the ingredients until all is well coated with Alfredo.  Top with the mozzarella cheese, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Top with the fresh parley. 

Bake on 350 deg F for 10 minutes, then on 400 degrees until cheese is bubbly.  I like to brown my cheese just slightly, so leave in the oven until the cheese is how you like it.

The Tenth Week

Finding My Fingers and Eating a Fistful

A lot of my pictures look like these, or are in the process of looking like these.  Aidan has discovered his hands and keeps shoving his fingers and sometimes his whole fist in his mouth.  A couple of times he has caused himself to cough because he sticks his fingers so far in his mouth.  So now we have the wonderful spit covered hands to hit  you with! :)

Aidan had a relatively quiet week until Friday.  AJ took him on a trip to Brunson, SC to meet his great, great grandmother.  There were five generations present. 

On Saturday, we drove up to Lyman, SC to celebrate a friend's 30th birthday.  We greatly enjoyed seeing a lot of our college buddies we hadn't seen in a while. Can't wait to see them again...apparently, there's an open invitation to use their pool, just have to drive 2.5 hours.

Can I just say that I love his face in this picture with me?  I like to goof around in pictures, and maybe Aidan will one day do the same.  I know his smile was not intentional in this photo, but I love it.  I wish I had stuck out my tongue or done something goofy...

Aidan continues to sleep 7-9 hours at night.  One night, he had a massive blow out at 2AM.  I changed him, put him back in his crib, gave him his pacifier, and played the magic seahorse...he went back to sleep right away.  He has also woke up at 3:45 am, I change him, and then put him back to sleep without feeding him - no issues!  I feel so lucky that he seems to sleep so well.  In fact, I have enjoyed staying up when he goes to bed somewhere between 9-10 PM.







All About Mom

No TMI this week...

However, I have noticed that I get dizzier more easily than I did pre pregnancy.  I have spun Aidan around in one circle, and I have to sit down.  Before, if I was spun around 5+ times, I would get dizzy and have a hard time standing.  If I were a superhero, spinning me in circles would be my kryptonite.  Seriously, I get crazy dizzy where I have to lie on the floor for 5-10 minutes depending on how many times I was spun.  I also noticed that I get a little lightheaded when reading a book in the backseat of a vehicle.  This has never happened to me!  I always read on road trips with no issues.  I don't recall being extra dizzy while pregnant, but I can't remember being spun...of course, AJ didn't spin me while pregnant because we stopped horsing around due to concerns for the growing baby.

Working part time has been going well, too.  Aidan does most of his sleeping by 1PM, and whenever he's done with the long napping, I am done working.  Working also motivates me to get out of bed instead of sleeping when Aidan does. :) 

Time has flown by, and I realize I only have 3 more weeks with Aidan before returning to work.  I am excited to be back at work and interacting with adults, however, Aidan's happiest times are in the morning.  He loves to laugh and coo for almost an hour straight in the morning before he sleeps 2.5 hours.  He does this in the afternoon, but for 15-20 minutes only.  So I'll have to enjoy this time on the weekends - at least we are working 4 10's now, so I will have more weekend time with Aidan.

The Ninth Week

Sleep Sweet, Baby Boy, Sleep...

Let's hope the sleep and time between feedings remains relatively constant for quite some time.  Aidan is average 8 hours between the nightly and morning feedings.  I no longer classify it as a fluke or hope.  Now to figure out to get him to sleep sooner after the last feeding...That still takes 30 minutes to an hour.

The "fall back" helped get Aidan to bed earlier.  Instead of a 10PM routine that seemed to last until 11 PM, we now try to put him to bed at 9PM.  This means bed, book, and boob are complete by 9 and we are trying to help Aidan soothe himself to sleep.  Some nights are easy.

More and more, I am able to capture Aidan smiling, whether it's a small grin or a big, whole mouth grin, he enjoys showing off his gums.  He was smiling a lot just in the morning, but now it's through out the day.  He is especially happy right after eating, and he will coo and smile at you for a long while before he wets himself and needs a change...then a nap usually follows.  It's just nice to see him smile more, especially since AJ isn't around in the mornings and wasn't see his smiles all that frequent.

My dad asked me if Aidan was like a Barbie doll that I dress up...no, dad, I hated Barbie dolls when I was a kid, and I'm not a fan now.  However, I do enjoy picking out Aidan's outfits and even his diaper.  I get excited when he has a cute one on or one that matches his outfit.  I know dressing him up in what I want him to wear won't last forever, so I have to take advantage of it now.  Besides, who wears a one piece pajama with doggies all over it? Or frogs? Or bears?  Babies...because it's only cute when they're small.


So how about a cloth diaper with robots on it???

Aidan has his two month check up and first round of vaccinations on Thursday.  The picture to the right was on the way to the doctor's...happy baby.

He was 13.3 lbs, 24.75", and head circumference of 15.75".

I brought a bottle of pumped milk to the appointment and fed it to Aidan right before vaccinations.  He drank 3 oz before the nurse came in, so he cried a little when I took it away.  She gave him an oral vaccination, then two shots in the right thigh and one in the left.  He cried after each shot, but as soon as I gave him the bottle back, he was okay.  In fact, he finished it, burped, and passed out in the car seat for his morning nap. 

I did not notice any extra fussiness or sleepiness as a result of the vaccinations.  We gave him two doses of Tylenol the first day one and one dose the following day, but we didn't feel he really needed it, which is why we gave him so little.

We took Aidan to visit some good friends of ours in Hampton, SC.  They recently welcomed baby Cadence into their family about 3.5 weeks ago.  We told Aidan that Cadence is one of his girlfriends...he'll see another one this coming Saturday.  Though the girls don't have to know he's visiting the other. :)

One last pic...

As always, there are more pictures at http://willisaidan.shutterfly.com/

All About Mom

Well, 9 weeks postpartum, down to 4 lbs within pre pregnancy weight, which means I lost more than 1/2 per week.  The 1/2 per week is recommended (maximum) for breastfeeding moms.  Oh well, just slightly more.  I don't work out to lose, I work out because I enjoy it and helps keep my sanity!

The raging Hemi is now a quiet, but "I'm still hanging out" (pun not intentional) Hemi.  Not bothersome at all, I just wish it would go away.

Other than that, no PP updates.  My hair has not started falling out, but I think that's due to me continuing to take the prenatal vitamin since I am BFing.

The Eighth Week

Sweet beautiful sleep

Aidan has been sleeping extremely well at night.  Several times this week he has gone 9 hours in between feedings while most times it was 8 hours.  He was waking up around 5 to 6 am, but he has now stretched that out to 7 to 8 am.  I was using him as an alarm clock to get up, but now I wake before Aidan.  So I have time to eat, brush my teeth, pee, feed the dogs, and clean up a little.

In other news, like most babies, Aidan hates tummy time.  It does seem that he stays on his stomach more each day, and it helps when I talk to him, and he can see me.   (Notice how cute he looks in his cloth diaper. :)  )

Aidan had a busy week.  He went to the zoo for the first time with 6 other kids (and another adult!!), and he missed out on the exciting gorilla eating and spitting up his food and the penguins being fed.  But ya know, watching the penguins being fed was my thing.  Though Aidan might enjoy it one day, too.

Aidan is quickly outgrowing his clothes.  I had to put away a lot of 0-3 and 3 month outfits because he was too long. :(

We had hoped to take Aidan out to our property and take pictures with him and AJ on the John Deere tractor in the onesie pictured on the left, however, it's too small for him.  Oh well, we do have a John Deere onesie and a tractor jacket...my little boy is growing too fast.

Mom, Aidan and I visited my grandparents on Tybee Island while AJ was out of town working bear hunting season in the Upstate.  Aidan does very well on road trips, however, he did get hungry in a very sketchy area in rural SC...I swear drug deals were going on at a post office.
Anyway, Pepaw and Memaw greatly enjoyed the visit, and I swear he was trying to mimic Pepaw's Chewbaca noises when we arrived home.

This coming week, we have to take Aidan to his 2 month check up and first round of shots.  I'm not looking forward to it, but it's for his own good.  Let's hope the shots don't ruin his sleep/eat schedule because I am loving the continuous night time sleep - but who wouldn't?

All About Mom

So I skipped a week to update on me.  Just short on time to blog about it.  Anyway, it has been officially 301 days since I had an adult beverage.  Well, I finally moved past my guilt and poured myself half a glass of wine...and I only drank half of that before the guilt set in.  I had a bottle ready, so it's not like Aidan would receive any alcohol in my breast milk.  So this past week, I bought juice and champagne to make mimosa's.  I made myself brunch (sausage and french toast) and a mimosa - mostly juice, but this time I enjoyed the drink!  I missed the taste...


I also began working part time from home, which works best in the mornings when Aidan takes his 3-4 hour nap after waking up from sleeping all night.  I enjoy interacting with coworkers and being involved in my job.  I love Aidan, but I do miss the work I do.

I continue to work out, with a focus on cardio since it's a stress relief and I wasn't able to do high levels of cardio while pregnant.  I definitely missed the elliptical. My goal is to work out (whether cardio or weights) five times a week, and so far, I have met that goal.


I swear, each day, I anticipate Aunt Flo coming back.  I have read that exclusively breastfeeding can't prevent the monthly visitor from returning, however, I know plenty of women that this is NOT the case.  Each time my stomach isn't feeling so great, I think "ah crap, here she comes."  However, much to my delight, she is delaying her visit - probably until the most inconvenient time. Boo.

Cloth Diaper Obsession

What started as using prefolds and covers turned into finding the cutest pocket diapers possible.  In fact, I sold off most of my prefolds beyond the size Aidan is in now in order to fund buying cute One Size pocket diapers.

My Original Loot (And there is more, but this I scored an awesome deal on from Craigslist)

I blame my mom for introducing me to FuzziBunz One Size because my collection consisted of a variety of prefolds (where I did develop favorite brands) and covers (Thirsties and Bummis).  I loved used them and was enjoying CDing, but when I received these cute and easy to clean/dry/stuff cloth diapers, I was instantly hooked.

So this is how I start my day...I lay out 12 - 16 cloth diapers.  Right now, that includes at least 3 prefolds and covers and the rest are One Size Diapers.

I have a variety of Velcro and snap closures, and I love diaper pics because of the adorable model *ahem, Aidan* and the cuteness of the diaper.  See evidence below:

Does this diaper make my butt look big? No, it makes your butt cute.

So I had FuzziBunz One Size, and then I ventured over to Happy Heinys to try out a Velcro closure for pocket diapers.  I found some cool patterns (owls, puppy dogs, and skull & cross bones).  But then I sold more prefolds, so I had to buy more One Size pocket diapers...More HH, this time an orange swirl and silly monkeys.  Then, I went over to Etsy.com to find some robot, safari, and Ooga one size cloth pocket diapers.  So I am waiting on these 5 diapers to arrive, but I AM EXCITED.  I love picking out which CD Aidan is going to wear...I even have favorites.

Now to find more stuff to sell so I can buy more cute cloth diapers.

Cowboy Cookie

So again, using a pinterest recipe, I tried a one pan skillet cookie with the original recipe coming from here.

Here's the original recipe

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 egg
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup chocolate chunks

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in an 8 inch cast iron skillet set over medium-low heat. Stir in sugars and vanilla and remove from heat. Let rest until pan is warm, but no longer very hot, about 5 minutes.

2. Crack an egg onto the butter and sugar mixture, and use a fork to whisk it well into the mixture. Place flour, baking soda, and salt on top, and very carefully stir into the mixture until smooth and well-mixed. Stir in chocolate chunks. Place in the oven for 15 minutes, or until starting to turn golden on the top and around the edges, but soft in the center. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

So the only substitution I made was dark brown sugar for light brown sugar.  I love dark brown sugar in my chocolate chip cookies, and I always have it in my spice cabinet. Oh, I also eliminated salt; I hate salt in my cookies, and I usually halve it in most recipes.

Prior to adding the chocolate chunks

After making this cookie, I let it cool, and then I dove in expecting sheer cookie delight. However, I was disappointed.  The cookie tasted like FLOUR, thus, I added vanilla frosting to cover up or minimize the flour taste.  At first, I thought it was edible, but in the end, I had to throw it away.  But not to be defeated, I knew I could have the perfect cookie cake in a cast iron pan if I made a few modifications.

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cups + 1 Tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chocolate chunks (semi sweet)

I, of course, tasted the dough before adding the chocolate (because who doesn't do that...admit it!), and it tasted like success.  So I added the chocolate, threw it in the oven and waited.

I hardly let the cookie cool (the roof of my mouth would be evidence, but sorry, no picture...) before tasting it.  Aw, yes, this is what I wanted.  Good cookie.  Soft, round, and would make the perfect cookie cake.  Just add your favorite icing and decorate!

And since I made some modifications and felt this cookie could be made on the range...or while camping, but using a dutch oven, I gave it the very original <insert sarcasm> name so that it was different that the one pan skillet chocolate chip cookie...

Buffalo Chicken Bites

By the title of this post, it IS safe to assume this post is not about Aidan. :)  I have joined pinterest and found a lot of recipes (and tagged a lot of Cloth Diapers...).  So I am starting to experiment with new recipes .

The original recipe is here: http://penniesonaplatter.com/2010/09/16/buffalo-chicken-bites/

I tried two variations.  One with bread crumbs and one with cornflakes.  I definitely liked the corn flakes better because it was crunchy.  I also added more of some ingredients...here's what I did:


3 cups shredded cooked chicken (I boiled chicken breasts in water, no seasoning though I might try adding some cayenne to give the bites more kick)
1/2 cup hot sauce
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 cups sharp fine shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs, lightly beaten
6 - 8 cups Corn Flakes cereal, crushed

Then follow the original recipe's directions...

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, mix the chicken, cream cheese and hot sauce until combined. Stir in the cheddar cheese and green onions.

Using a small cookie or ice cream scoop, spoon out the chicken mixture and roll into about 1 1/2 inch balls. Place on a plate or separate baking sheet (not lined) until ready to dip.

In three separate bowls, set out the flour, eggs and Corn Flakes. Dip each chicken ball first into the flour, then the egg and ending with the Corn Flakes. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm with ranch or blue cheese dressing.

**If freezing for later, place the dipped and uncooked chicken balls onto the parchment lined baking sheet and flash freeze for 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a freezer bag and store in the freezer until ready. To bake, place the frozen chicken balls back on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350˚F for 25 to 30 minutes, until crispy and golden brown.