Jewel of the Momma

What girl doesn't love her jewelry? Unfortunately, as soon as you become a mommy, you realize that your precious one's little digits will be all over your jewelry. I quickly realized that unless I wanted my son to yank off my antique diamond necklace from my grandmother, it better go back in the jewelry box for the next year.

So what's a fashionable mom to do? Well I saw some nursing necklaces in stores. Loved the idea - a chain long enough to give the baby something to hold onto and play with while nursing [and if there are others out there who have babies who love to put their fingers up their mommy's nose, that makes the idea all the more appealing] - yet every style I came across screamed "I made this myself with some beads." Not for the girl who likes to try to feel urban and chic.

And then I came across Momma's Jewels at a maternity boutique on Michigan Avenue. Beautifully crafted sterling silver teething rings hanging from a long sturdy sterling chain. Not only is it something for my son to play with while nursing, but the sterling silver stays cool and is the perfect teething ring. And the bonus, because the rings are on a chain, if you have a child who loves to test the laws of gravity - they can't with this "toy."

The line contains one ring, two ring and three ring designs. You can also pick your chain. I chose the two ring style with the sterling chain (mucho thanks to the hubbish for the great gift!) and I can't tell you how many complements I have gotten on it (especially from non-preggos and non-moms), and how much the little guy loves teething, banging and clanging with it. I ordered mine directly from their website. When I myself yanked and broke the first chain I was promptly sent a replacement - no questions asked. Great customer service! The replacement has held up beautifully. I have been trying to get a coupon code, but being new to the world of blogging... keep checking back for that.

http://www.mommasjewels.com/

[Ed. note: The company does not give coupon codes, but, if you mention my name when ordering by phone or in the comments, they are kind enough to offer free shipping!!]

It's all Greek to me.

It's been a stressful 3 weeks (between the fever, the cold, being dumped by our nanny and now it looks like the little guy is working through his top two teeth... all the while 3 of the 5 attorneys in my department have been at conferences and on vacation and my mother and her friends came to stay with us - mid-week - ... so needless to say, the stress has been ramped up). And as any mother knows, a stressed out mommy can make a stressed out baby. And as any nursing mother knows, a stressed out mommy can lead to a dip in the precious milk supply.

So what's a mom to do? There is always the pain of trying to pick up an extra pumping session (on top of the usual feedings). Mornings are usually best, because that's when most women's milk supply is highest. But if your mornings are anything like ours (on weekdays there is no way and on weekends we fight over who sleeps-in and who gets the little charge for an hour) it can be tough.

Scene: Master bedroom, big four-poster bed. 7:15 a.m (yes, we got past that early morning wake-up - the fever led to a nice new wake-up time of 6:45-7:30, even after day-light savings. Now we just need to kick the new midnight snack - but I'm convinced that's just the teething/cold right now). Saturday morning. Mommy, daddy and baby all lay peacefully, smiling and playing after baby just nursed for 20 minutes.

Daddy: If you change his diaper, I'll take the first hour shift.
Mommy: I hate to remind you, but we have a low milk stock in the freezer, so I need to go pump. You have no choice but to take the first shift and change his diaper.
Daddy: That's not fair. Pumping is like a break for you.
Mommy: Pumping is only a break when it happens at work and I don't have to take a conference call on mute.
Baby: dadadadadadada [Smart kid.]

End scene. Mommy dutifully takes baby down the hall to change his diaper [Martyr.]

So I figured there had to be something else I can try! And what does the Momish love to do? Research, research, research. Everything I consulted (pediatrician, my mom (she is mother to 6 AND a nurse) and the internet (great sites: http://www.kellymom.com/ and http://www.askdrsears.com/) kept coming back to a single galactagogue that women the world over swear by: Fenugreek. The herb is reported to increase a woman's milk supply within 3 days. You can go straight to the herb, take it in capsule form or you can buy it in tea form.

My Whole Foods had 3 varieties. I went with the Traditional Medicine's Organic Mother's Milk. It was the cheapest, organic and came in tea bag form and so I didn't need an infuser (key when I want to keep some in my office). The instructions say that you should drink 3 cups a day and you may see results in 3-5 days. I'm always a little weary of herbs because they are not FDA regulated, so I tried to find the negatives. One side effect that have I read about is that mother and baby's excretions (including sweat) can smell like maple syrup (fortunately we haven't had that -unless you factor in that baby smells like pancakes from his HealthyTimes Maple teething biscuits). Also, because of Daddy's nut allergy, I'm always super-sensitive to allergens and try to do anything to minimize my son's exposure. So I note that fenugreek is a legume. Anyone with a family history of peanut allergies may want to not try this at home. Since our allergy is not a legume allergy and baby has successful eaten peas and soybeans (tofu), I figured we might as well give it a try.

Let's cut to the chase. What happened with my research trial? Well, we have had great success. Maybe it's psychosomatic - but I definitely notice a difference. At peak nursing, during my 3 pumping sessions, I would pump 20-24 ounces. A couple times I even needed to cram a fifth bottle into my small pack. And I have had those days when not paying attention where I'll feel something wet and realize I've busted through the bottle (no pun intended). [I know... my cups overfloweth... my whole life I've cursed/hated/hided/been ashamed by my ample chest - but I now realize their true calling... just a few months ago I was researching a milk bank to donate to... but I digress]. Well... on peak stress day I pumped only 8 - yes 8 - ounces total during my work-day. After one day of the tea (only one cup) I was up to 12 ounces. After 2 days (again, only one cup) I was at 14 ounces. And on day 3, 16 ounces. The baby only takes about 15 - 16 ounces now that he's on 3 meals of solids, so this is fine by me. But then on Thursday, day 4, - I pumped 19 ounces. Bonus. I still have my freezer supply to build back up.... but at least I know that pretty soon I can go back to sleeping in at least one weekend day! (assuming I can trick/barter/beg the hubby to go along with it :)

It was good while it lasted.

I am currently sick to my stomach. Between my husband, my son, and I, in the past three weeks, we have had 3 colds, various viruses, multiple bouts of the big D, 3 flu shots, and the below-mentioned fever. Yet none of these things has compared with the wave of the nausea and overall yuckiness that has come over me in the last 3 hours.

And what has caused this feeling? No, I didn't eat any tainted meat. My nanny, my perfect homemade baby food nanny, my gives me tips about toy sales nanny, my leaves detailed journal entries about the color of Z's poops nanny, my finds free classes and story hours nanny, my does the whole family's laundry and the dishes nanny, my clips my sons nails nanny, my checks out books on sleep training from the library so she can read along nanny, is QUITTING!!! [Truth be told, while she was perfect in many ways, she never really gelled with us on a fashion sense. E.g., she asked if an adorable set of separates from babystyle was pajamas, and she also told me to heed the Lands End sale for outerwear for Z... Couldn't she tell by our vibe that my son would be in an Ugg snowsuit this winter? (I'm still trying to decide on which Ugg... a faux fleece purchased from the Basement (as in Filene's) vs. a down suit purchased from the Rack (as in the Nordstrom's). I gotta find some faults in her, right. Make myself feel better.]

Maybe I'm nauseous because of the shock. Carrie Bradshaw was dumped on a post-it note by Berger. I was dumped on formal stationary left on my dining room table. I didn't see it coming, but I would have at least loved the courtesy of a face to face conversation. I don't see the nanny in the evenings - hubby gets home at 4, she leaves at 5 and the Mommish is home by 5:45/6. So she took the cowardly way out and decided to leave the note when she wouldn't have to see me and we'd have the long weekend (I'm off on Fridays sans nanny) to let the dust settle. But hello - I was home with her all day yesterday (work from home on Wednesdays)... so would it really have been too difficult to tell me to my face? Maybe she didn't want to disturb me while I was working and I should be appreciative I had such a conscientious nanny. [If I can take a break from work to play peek-a-boo and another break to get my eyebrows waxed, I think I can take a break so you can quit in person?] Maybe in this age of texting and IMing, she thought this was more professional (i.e. a Gen Yer who writes thank you notes and formal letters of resignation - see, the whole generation isn't screwed up)? Who knows.

Maybe I'm queasy because I should have known better. You see, she is of the "college-educated nanny" breed. And she went to a good college too. Which begs the question - doesn't she want to do something else as a "long-term" career? So when all of our friends would say, "surely she has other career ambitions besides being a nanny," I just replied what I had been duped into believing just 3 and a half months ago at our interview. Yes, she does want to go back to grad school, but she assured us that she could give us a year and she just loves kids. And in the back of my mind I was thinking, well in a year (or sooner) we'll probably move to the suburbs and who knows if she wants to come with us, so the timing could be great. But you can imagine my surprise when she has decided that she wants to start classes in two months and has decided that she wants to focus solely on school right now. I guess I can't say that I didn't see it coming -- but, I can say that I didn't see it coming only two and a half months after she started working for us (and this was after we accomodated her by making due with generous relatives' help for a month before she could start with us).

But I think what is really making my stomach do flip-flops is ego. You see, I always thought I'd be the dumper... not the dumpee. Yet I was basically told today, "it's not you, it's me." When you are told this, as the dumpee, all of these insecurities start flooding your brain. Were we too messy for her? Did she get annoyed that I asked her to hold my son through his naps this week (survival mode is still technically going on - give me a break - the poor kid is so stuffed he can't breathe!)? Was I not talkative enough in the mornings? Were we not cool enough, PC enough, not pretty enough? But then I realize - for a nanny - she had a pretty sweet gig. If I haven't mentioned it - our son is an easy happy-go-lucky baby. Smiles, laughs, goes along with anything (not to mention a genius). We also gave her free reign of our fridge and pantry. We were flexible with switching an hour or two here or there for the family she works for on Fridays. And the kicker? We even paid her above market! Heck, we were such a good catch - she was lucky that we hired her! Well, perhaps it was the classic relationship killer - the preemptive strike. Could she sense that we might be moving to the burbs and she just had to dump us before we got a chance to dump her (which, for the record, we would have offered to pay her mileage, but we would have understood if she didn't want to drive)?

So I'm kind of pissed and bitter. I have 25 days to figure something out. Maybe the timing will work out and we can make that move to the burbs and have family help in the interim. Maybe I should just quit and this is the impetus I've been waiting for? Yet, while my husband just had the nerve to say, "it was good while it lasted" and "now we have a weekend sitter who knows Z's sleep routine"... All I can think of is that every time they say, "let's just be friends," the friendship really never works...

I need to go lie down. Or throw up.

Survival Mode

For the past week, our family has been in "survival mode," due to the mercury peaking at 103+ upon taking our little guy's temperature. And even after he finally broke his fever, he had a not so fun rash and was just all around cranky and irritable, which is also not so fun. And mommy and daddy were both a little under the weather - so we had an all around not so fun household!

Survival mode pretty much reminds you of those first few weeks home from the hospital (but without the excitement and rush of adrenaline or the maternity/paternity leave). And even though he was waking up at 5:30 before [and of course, the night before his fever hit - he did 7:50 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. -- straight -- while on vacation -- in a pack n' play!!!!], that's nothing compared to his waking up every 2 hours... But, when I asked our pediatrician what will happen once he's well again now that he's nursing all night long again like a newborn (but hello- he needs the fluids), I love that she just reminded me that we don't worry about training, habits, sleep, etc. when we are in "survival mode."

Thankfully we had the help of family and our nanny (who seriously took cared of us plus Z one day we were home from work) and you know what - we survived survival mode.

But I can't let survival mode pass without commenting on a couple of items in our medicine cabinet that are helpful and not so helpful.

First - the winner of the 2007 "Survival Mode" Award for Best Product:


The Medicator by Munchkin.







No, unfortunately, this is not a product for parents to ingest/imbibe when at their wits end while enduring an 8 month old with a bad virus (but if Kitty Dukakis or Britney Spears ever creates a cocktail - shouldn't it be called the Medicator?). It's a handy-dandy medicine dispenser shaped like a pacifier/bottle nipple. The ingenious design has two KEY benefits. 1) Your child doesn't need to choke down medicine from a dropper and b) you can double check your dosage on the markings and not just rely on the dropper (if we measure twice and cut once while doing carpentry - why only measure once when dealing with a delicate situation like giving an infant drugs!). The official word from the company is that it also helps medicine bypass the taste buds so there is less spitting up too.

And here's a bonus tip - we actually have had the Medicator since before Z was born. It was given to us in a gift basket that my sister won for us which also contained a bunch of other cool products by Munchkin (big score!). We've been very happy with everything. You can go to http://www.munchkin.com/ and sign up for all of their promotions and giveaways too!

And here's a second bonus tip. For those of you who are giving your child the Rotateq vaccine for the rotavirus - ours was an oral vaccine. Ironically - at Z's 2 month check-up the vaccine that caused the most distress was this oral vaccine because he just choked it down and spit it up. So at his 4 month check-up, we brought the Medicator with us and asked the nurses if he could take it from that. They obliged and we had a much happier camper all around. Now we bring it with us to the doctor's office every time we go - just in case he needs something.


And now, the winner of the 2007 "Survival Mode" Razzie for worst product:


Vicks Wearable Thermometer











The premise sounds good. Use a sticker to check your child's temperature. You can even use one sticker for up to 24 hours and periodically check the temp. But I don't know what was more uncomfortable for my son - our having to pin his arm down for 3 minutes to try and get an accurate read (too long) or the pain of peeling off the stocker at the end of the day (think band-aid on a poor little sick infant). And to top it off, the print is hard to read and the temp was not even accurate. All around dud in my book.

I'm kicking myself for not forking over the $30 for a nice digital ear thermometer that reads in less than 5 seconds (though proud of myself for getting the guts to finally take my son's temp "that way" all by myself)... maybe we'll invest in that before the next time we enter "survival mode" and I can report back than. Let's hope that won't be any time soon!

We all deserve a little pampering...

There are some fleeting thoughts that we have pre-baby relating to how we want to raise our kids, but no matter how sincere these thoughts are, they just aren't practical for our individual situations. My case in point - diapers. While pregnant, I got really into the idea of cloth diapers. The new models are so soft (they feel just like that baby blanket all the celebri-babies have) and surely it would be so good for the little bum, not to mention our landfills. But it's funny how quickly seeing a demonstration of a shower-head for your toilet can snap you back to reality (I hate cleaning my own toilet - now I'm supposed to clean a baby poop toilet, no thanks).

My older sisters and our friends with kids all recommended Pampers as the most comfy and least leaky of the disposables. So about 4 weeks before my due date, we went out and stocked up on Pampers Swaddlers. We have sinced progressed up to Pampers Baby-Dry. All the while, the Z man has had very limited diaper rash, leaks, spills and up-the-back explosions [for my pregnant friends -- you'll soon learn about these - Jenny McCarthy in Baby Laughs recommends you just keep a scissors handy to cut off the onesie and chuck it].

But still... I have always been so intrigued by more eco-friendly disposable diapers (i.e. the chlorine free, semi-biodegradable variety). So for the last month I have been doing some test-runs, thinking surely this will be even better for Z's little bum and I'll have some eco-cocktail conversation starter should I ever run into Leo DiCaprio or Al Gore. I have tried two "green" brands and you know what? I'm still devoted to my Pamps. Brand #1 swelled so much and got so bulky that Z's clothes didn't fit right and brand #2 got so stiff that Z started chafing -- AND he got a diaper rash. Back to square one.

So today my nanny asked me if we were ready to go back to Pampers full-time (I guess she has been ready for a little while now :). I said sure. She then proceeded to fill me in on a little secret club that-- believe it or not - I didn't know about! The Pampers Grow and Learn Program. Super-cool. All you have to do is register for free on-line, input codes from your bags of diapers, wipes, etc. and you earn points towards free toys and books. Plus, the Pampers website has a wealth of information on all things baby, tot and kid. Check it out at http://www.pampers.com/

I figure, if I'm going down the path of putting more chemicals near my precious son's arse, I might as well contribute to mass consumerism too by getting him even more toys!!

Pumpawumba

Last week I took my first business trip (and first overnight trip) without the little man :(. As worried as I was about Z being without his mommy overnight (he was fine), I was probably even more worried about the pumping situation - where would I pump, would I find time to pump enough, would I be able to store my milk, etc.?? So I took great precautions. I scheduled my flights so that I would not have to pump in a yucky airport restroom, I made sure my hotel had a microwave (for sanitizing parts) and a refrigerator for storing milk, I packed my hands-free nursing bra (hands-down the greatest pumping invention) and I even packed extra bags and bottles in case my cups decided to overfloweth on the days away (schyeah right...). I just tried to convince myself that at least I could maybe get a really good night sleep and I'd barely be gone a day and a half...

Of course, I forgot the #1 lesson I learned while we were trying to get pregnant -- you can't plan ANYTHING. So, as my [bad] luck would have it, a) both of my flights were delayed, necessitating airport pumping, b) the refrigerator in my hotel room was not working (and did I really want someone to come fix it at 1:00 am when I got to my room - alone - and having to wake up only 6 hours later - so much for that good night's sleep), and c) I forgot the battery adaptor to my pump - so now I would be limited to only pumping in places with a power outlet.

But in the words of one of my favorite movie heroines, "I once had to judge a tighty-whitey contest for Lambda Kappa Pi. Trust me, I can handle anything." If Elle Woods can get into Harvard Law, then I can salvage my pumping situation. And sometimes, because of our forgetfulness, it forces us to be more resourceful. Had I packed my battery pack, I probably would have relented to just pumping in an anonymous stall in the ladies room. However, sans battery pack, I needed to find a private place with an outlet at O'Hare. I tried sweet talking my way into the airline's club room but a) didn't feel like forking over $75 bucks and b) it was so late, the conference room floor was closed anyway. Wandering aimlessly around the airport I happened upon a family restroom... I took a peak inside and low and behold - there was a power outlet - Score! Ew. Gross. But, score! The good news was that the sink had a long counter, so I could sit on the counter (as opposed to a toilet without a lid) while pumping. And the other good news - Reagan Airport in DC also had a family restroom with a long counter top and a power outlet (and theirs was fancy schmancy with marble - dirty and unsanitary marble - but marble). Sure, I felt bad that I was preventing some family from using the special restroom for 20 minutes - but hey - desperate times call for desperate measures (at it was almost 10pm on a weeknight both nights - so how many families really travel at that time?). The other creative solution - I was so grossed out by pumping in an unsanitary place that on both trips I chucked my milk. Which was fine, b/c my refrigerator wasn't working anyway - and now I had just enough room in my cooler to bring back the other milk I pumped.

It makes me think of the words of that song by Chumbawumba. Yeah, that one that always gets stuck in your head (sorry)... "I get knocked down, but I get up again"... So the next time that you are alone with your pump in an airport restroom, know that you really aren't alone... you have sisters in solidarity (and being part of a familial group should qualify us for those family restrooms :).

Deceptively Jealous

I'll admit it, I've always been jealous of Jessica Seinfeld.


Exhibit A: that house in the Hamptons

Exhibit B: she started her own non-profit organization (http://www.babybuggy.org)

And, now she has to come up with a cook-book to make the rest of us feel guilty about what we feed the kids, called "Deceptively Delicious."

That being said, I've been trying to make a lot of home-made food for my son (read: I leave the nanny fresh organic fruits and veggies and I come home to frozen purees for my son) and it's deceptively easy. The premise of Jessica's cookbook - use those purees to sneak fruits and veggies into all of the other foods we cook and bake - genius.

Many friends have asked how I have the time to make baby food. I don't. But, it really is easy, and all it takes is the right tools and about 30 minutes a week. I like to know exactly what is going into my son's mouth so I only buy organic fruits and veggies (can you guess I'm a type-a attorney). I make the time on Sunday nights, or my nanny helps make some while Z sleeps (and see below... hopefully she will soon have even more time). But a great cookbook, a food-processor and some storage container is all it takes. You can even use the microwave to save time over a conventional oven (just don't microwave in plastic - but I'll save that for a later post :). And anyone who knows me knows that I get almost as much joy in life from a bargain as I do my family (I said almost)... so it's a great cost-saver over jarred or frozen organic baby food.

My tools: 1) The So-Easy Baby Food Cookbook (I did not buy the full kit, as I wanted individual freezer storage as opposed to freezer trays - but the kit would work well too) but the book lives up to its title; 2) A baby food processor (smoother than the blender);and 3) Baby Cubes - small containers that I can freeze the food in.

Oh, and back to that anal thing.. even though I use organic fruits and veggies I still like to wash everything in a good fruit and veggie wash :)

After freezing, the food thaws quickly - via microwave or in my diaper bag when I'm out and about. Simple. Easy. Fresh.

If you want any tips, recipes, or if you are in Chicago and are willing to pay me to make some extra food for you (haha) just post a comment.