To Pee or Not to Pee

I never thought I would be sitting on the bathroom floor in tears when my son first peed in the potty.  Yet there I was, tears streaming down my face as I was hooting and hollering, making sure that my son knew that this was a big deal, a very big deal.  It was a huge moment for both of us, since potty training is just as much about the parent being ready as it is the child.

We used the 3-day potty training method which I thought meant if you follow the method to the book, that your child will be trained in 3 days. That seems pretty logical doesn’t it?  I really wish someone had told me 3 days was a hoop dream, and that it’s more like 2 weeks of cleaning urine off the wood floor and scooping poop out of newly washed Star Wars undies - trying my hardest to make sure the poop doesn't hit the floor.

If you are following the same method, here are a few tips that I wish someone had told me.  Make sure each bathroom in the house is fully stocked with the following: potty seats, Lysol, paper towels, 3-5 pairs of new undies and pants/shorts, M&Ms or some type of reward system.  I had such a shoddy system – no bathroom in our house was complete until after the 3 days. 

These seats are great for little boys who learn sitting down

Buy at least 15 pairs of undies before starting.  We started with 8 pairs and Blake soiled all of them within the first half day. I found myself running to Target mid-day so that he had something to wear while the laundry was running. I got back in the nick of time – I walked in to see Blake naked playing Hot Wheels in our basement. It’s a good thing I didn’t try on those cute dresses I found at Target that day!

Night training was easier than I expected.  We had about 4 nights of him wetting himself and waking us up.  Brooke and I would divide and conquer so that clean-up was quick and we could all go back to sleep.  Soon after, we started doing a “Dream Pee” and that solved the overnight accidents.  We carry him to the potty right before we are about to go to bed.  I sometimes perch my body in front of him so he can keep his head on my shoulder while he goes.  We bring him back to bed and all the while he hasn’t opened his eyes once.  

You will have anxiety going out in public, especially if you have 2 kids.  I tried to limit where we went as much as possible after experiencing how difficult this was firsthand.  We were at the ClubFit café having dinner and playing bingo one night.  I look up from my bingo card and see Blake doing a little pee dance, so I said ‘you have to go?’ He nods yes, but by the time I could get Emily out of her high chair, he went all over the café floor. After that incident, I realized I needed to be better prepared for being out in public with them.  I make him go potty before leaving the house or when I pick him up from daycare before we go anywhere else.  I am the annoying mom who is constantly asking if he has to go, and often take him to the bathroom even if he says no.

Nature calls!

Perhaps being patient is the best advice I could give to anyone about to go thru this.  Blake got the peeing thing down pretty quickly, but he struggled with pooping in the potty.  I was constantly asking my friends for tips, feeling pretty certain that I was doing something wrong.  It took about 1-2 more weeks of poop accidents before he was fully trained. 

We taught Blake to pee sitting down because reality is, that’s the only way I know how.  A few weeks ago he asked to stand up and now that’s his preferred method when he’s awake. Someone taught him to say, “hold the penis straight” while peeing and I nearly keeled over laughing.  I also asked Brooke if boys need to wipe if peeing standing up.  He said no, men just shake it.  So the next time Blake went potty, I said, ok just shake it.  And he shook his whole body (Head to toes) actually making more of a mess than what I was expecting.  Apparently when you say shake it, it means to shake the penis, not your whole body.  I guess I needed to be more specific.

At the end of the day, I can not even express how proud I am of Blake that he is trained.  It was an exhausting couple of weeks, but it was so worth it.  And anyone who tells you they trained their kid in 3 days or less is flat out lying (or just really damn lucky)!!

First day without a diaper!

Halloween Survival Guide

Halloween is my least favorite holiday.  Always has been, and probably always will be.  But ever since we had kids and moved to the suburbs, I have had to acknowledge the holiday more than I have in the past.  In the burbs, people celebrate Halloween for basically two weeks leading up to October 31.  There are a minimum of three parties per child, or at least 3 separate occasions to wear costumes.  You can count on a few sugar-induced meltdowns and / or nap strikes. Overall, its a tough holiday to enjoy, but when you have kids and live in the burbs, you suck it up and pretend like you love it.

Below is my Halloween Survival Guide.  It helped get me through my first suburban Halloween!

Only buy/trade gently used costumes...
Why spend $30+ on a brand new costume that is going to look like rags at the end of the month.  The kids wear their costumes into the ground. I find dried buttercream frosting inside the sleeves and candy corn stuck to the side like a piece of gum.  Don't waste your money! Your child will probably never want to look at the costume ever again after Halloween is over anyways.

Buy multiple costumes...
This year we have SIX reasons to dress up, SIX! I know, its insane.  Similar to last year, I have two costumes that I rotate on and off, depending on whichever one smells the best.  I am always afraid to wash the costumes since you never quite know how it will look coming out of the wash.  And god forbid you accidentally ruin a costume mid-season, you are so screwed.  Just have two ready to go, and you are good.

Clear your calendars...
Don't plan any activities the month of October as you are sure to be booked up with nonstop parties, parades, fairs, you name it. If you aren't dressed up as a pumpkin, you are probably out picking one.

Minimize candy consumption...
Trying to maintain your healthy diet during Halloween is a challenge, and anyone who says otherwise is lying.  The best tips for not going totally off the rails is to wait until the day of Halloween to buy Halloween candy.  You are much less likely to raid the pantry when you only have enough candy to give out to trick-or-treaters.  I also tend to buy the candy I don't like so that I am not tempted to eat it. 

Trick-or-treating is super anticlimactic...
I had visions of Blake waddling up to our neighbors porch and saying "trick-or-treat!" Ha, boy was I wrong.  Instead, Blake was screaming and crying as we neared our neighbors lawn.  When we finally convinced Blake to walk up to the door, he recoiled as their dog came running towards him almost knocking him over.  Our neighbors weren't quite prepared for us either.  We came home with a few pieces of candy and a Fiber One bar.  I am hoping that this year we make it to at least two houses, but not getting my hopes up.

Toddlers scare easily...
Who would've thought! I took Blake to Party City and thought it would be funny to put on a mask and chase him around the store.  Guess what? He didn't find it funny at all.  I guess we don't have the same sense of humor.  He also got spooked out by a man dressed as a pumpkin that started chasing me.  I thought it was fake and had no reason to think otherwise until it stepped off its platform and all hell broke loose.  Now Blake is completely on edge when he sees any type of Halloween decoration.  His new favorite words are, "Spooky" "Creepy" "Scared". 

As much as I hate Halloween, I do love seeing my kids in their costumes.  Who knows, maybe the holiday will grow on me over time.

Tinkle Tinkle Little Star

I didn't realize it until I was told to do jumping jacks.  I was back at the gym exactly 3 months postpartum.  I was motivated to drop the baby weight and start feeling like my old self again.  That first week was hard, I was tired from lack of sleep and feeling the effects of having extra weight on my body to lose.  But nothing was quite as hard as when I was told to do jumping jacks as a warm-up in one of my classes.  I literally could not do them.  Well, I could technically do them, but I would risk peeing all over myself. 

I'm not sure if this happened after Blake was born.  If it did, I clearly blocked it from my memory.  This time around, I started noticing that simple things like jumping jacks, laughing, or even sneezing could set it off. 

I know you are thinking, "She should do her kegel exercises!"  And yes, that is definitely top of mind when I am not chasing around a toddler, nursing a baby, or changing the 10-12+ cumulative diapers/day.  Just kidding, actually, its not top of mind at all.

The past few weeks I've told the gym instructor that I just had a baby (and neglect to say it was actually 6 months ago).  I also devised this amazing way to do jumping jacks without really jumping.  Its a beautiful thing and I'm pretty sure I look like an idiot doing it.

Sometimes I do the jumping jacks just to avoid standing out in the crowd.  I end up peeing a little, but it actually feels like a lot.  And I literally bend over in front of my friend to confirm if you can see it through my gym pants (which you never can).  Its never quite as much as I envision it being. 

I thought I would be brutally honest in this post because no one ever talks about this.  Before kids, I would ask other moms for advice and, believe it or not, this aspect of postpartum recovery was never mentioned.  Things that were always mentioned were how tired you will be, sleep when the baby sleeps, if someone offers to help you take it, it takes a village etc etc.  It would have been nice if someone just once said, after you have kids, you will no longer be able to laugh, sneeze, or jump without peeing a little.  If I had known this little tidbit, maybe I would have started doing kegels in my 20s.

Am I alone, or has this happened to anyone else? I swear, this is the biggest kept postpartum secret.

Grocery Shopping

There's only a few configurations that will work, and I'm pretty sure I have tried all of them.  Sadly going shopping with 2 kids in tow is just never a good idea. But if its a must, pick one of the below configurations and just pray. Happy Shopping!

#1: Maximize the Shopping Cart

Configuration:
-Toddler strapped in the front of a shopping cart
-Baby in the car seat balanced between the sides of a shopping cart

Pro:
-Mobility is limited, so no one can disappear or choose to run away
-You'll be able to spend a little more time browsing the aisles since everyone is contained

Con:
-With the car seat taking up 75% of the shopping cart, your shopping list will be cut short. You'll only be able to buy the real essentials, like milk, eggs, cookies, and wine.
-Turning radius is limited for fear of car seat falling out

#2: Baby's Safety First

Configuration:
-Utilize car seat stroller
-Attempt to keep toddler near you by asking them to hold your hand  (ha ha ha)

Pro:
-Baby cant fall out of the stroller

Con:
-You might lose your toddler somewhere between the cereal and dairy aisle
-You will only be able to purchase <10 items, and they must all fit in the bottom of your stroller. Looks like you will have to leave the wine at the store.

#3: Don't lose the Toddler

Configuration:
-Toddler strapped in the front of a shopping cart
-Wear baby on your body

Pro:
-Minimal chance of toddler escaping
-You can fill up your cart to its full capacity

Con:
-You cant buy anything that requires you to bend over, or else Baby's legs will be crushed
-Be prepared for strangers to stop and chat, slowing down your shopping trip

#4 Husband/Partner does the shopping

Configuration:
-Both kids in bed napping
-Mommy with her legs up watching Real Housewives of NY

Pro:
-Both toddler and baby are safe and sound
-Mommy is relaxed
-Everything on the shopping list can be purchased

Con:
-Nope, cant think of any, not a single one

Any other configurations I missed? I thought I've tried them all, but maybe not?

DIY Nursery

If you've been following my blog since its inception, you know that I love DIY projects.  After I got pregnant with Emily and the morning sickness (all-day sickness) began, I put all of my DIY projects on hold.  I only had a certain amount of energy in me, and I needed to conserve it for Blake.

Once I got into my third trimester, I got a tiny bit motivation to begin working on some DIY projects, solely for the nursery.  My goal was to buy as few "pre-made" pieces as possible, and instead showcase some of my creativity in my baby girls room. I kept telling myself "When Emily is older, I can tell her, mommy made that just for you!"

While I am at it, I might as well show what the room looked like beforehand. There were yellow sponge painted walls and ceilings, making the room feel very closed in.  The nursery is a bit odd-shaped, with a slanted ceiling and not a ton of space.  I envisioned a very bright and super girly room without feeling too "diva" like.  I picked out 6 different white/off-white samples until we found this one.  There was no overhead lighting, so we picked out a crystal chandelier to brighten up the room and give the nursery a touch of elegance.  I was always drawn to a pink-grey-gold color palette and tried to pull those colors in throughout the room.  I also have a slight obsession with hearts, so where I could, I threw those in for good measure.

Previous Homeowner

Room Makeover

Here are a few pictures of my favorite room details and DIY projects.  I didn't want to break the bank, so I mixed in a few select pieces from Restoration Hardware & PB Kids along with essentials from Target. Also, I found the white crib and Pottery Barn rocking chair second hand, which saved us a ton of money.

DIY Accessory Wall

DIY Heart Hanger; spray painted to match the decor

DIY Wall Art, inspired by an item at Restoration Hardware

Pretty pop of hearts to hold my Wildbird sling

DIY Dream Catcher and crystal knobs

DIY Wall shelf; purchased raw wood and painted white
DIY Initial "E"

Hope you guys liked seeing pictures of our baby girls nursery.  I truly believe the room is a good mix of store bought & homemade items that make it tailored but also homey. If you are interested in any of DIY items, I am more than happy to discuss with you! Just comment here or send me an email. 

Tips for 2 kids under 3yo

With a whopping 5 months under my belt, I can finally say that 2 under 3 isn't AS hard as I originally thought. Don't get me wrong, its crazy here most of the time, especially during the hours of 8-10a, and 6-8pm. However, over the past few months, I found ways to make life a little easier as a mom of two.  Here it goes...

1. Have a bouncy chair, swing, or playmat in every room in the house. You essentially need a safe place to put the baby while tending to the boss, I mean toddler.

2. Have a basket with diaper/feeding supplies on every level of the house.  You'll be able to keep an eye on your toddler and change a diaper at the same time.  Your house will thank you for it.

3. Pacifier clips.  Because who really wants to be searching the house for those darn things all the time.  You have enough things going on. I bought these on Amazon, and they are perfect.

4. Baby hand mittens.  What mom of 2 has the time to clip nails every night?  And those things grow like daggers overnight.  There is nothing worse than seeing a cut dragged across your child's face because you forgot to trim their nails before bedtime.

5. Babywearing.  I probably could wear Emily more often but I hate my baby carrier.  I do wear her though when Blake has his gym class allowing me to be engaged with Blake and not be bound to the sidelines.

At Blake's MyGym class

6. Diaper backpacks.  Necessary when you need both hands easily accessible, which is pretty much all of the time. Check out Twelve Little - they make adorable and lightweight bags.

7. Alternate bath days for your toddler and baby until they are old enough to bathe together.  The only downside to this is that every stinkin' day is a bath day. Signal loud moan.

8. Crib mobile. Aka. the cheapest babysitter around.  I use the mobile when I am getting myself and Blake ready in the morning as well as during his bath.  Emily loves it for about 20 minutes which is just the right amount of time I need to get everyone ready to start the day.  Check out my previous post on crib mobiles!

9. Align nap schedules.  I feed Emily right before I give Blake lunch so that she is ready for her nap when Blake goes down.  This affords me 2-2.5 hours of quiet time until the madness begins again.

10. Be flexible.  As much as I live by my routine and crave schedules, things don't always go as planned when you have a newborn and toddler.  I found just taking things day by day helped save my sanity.

11. Control what you can. Make sure your diaper bag is ready to go the night before.  It will save precious time in the morning when you are running around the house like a chicken with its head cut off.

12. Toddler dates. Plan special dates for just you and your toddler.  They will appreciate some alone time with you, and vice versa.

Bowling date with my little man

13. Amazon Prime.  20% off diapers, 2 day shipping, pretty much everything you need at the click of a button.  I used to place most orders around the 3am feedings (prior to sleep training) so that my husband wouldn't notice the text alert that something was just purchased. It works, trust me.

The biggest and MOST important piece of advice to any mom is #14: make time for yourself.  If you are cranky or stressed, it will project onto your kids.  Even the mom who looks like she has her act together all of the time needs a little downtime.

I'm confident that as the months continue that I will find new ways to juggle my 2 monkeys.  Two kids under 1 roof is hard, but its oh so worth it - every waking second of it.

Please go back to sleep

I'll be the first to admit that I was terrified about the thought of sleep training.  Who isn't really? The thought of hearing my baby cry throughout the night makes my heart weep. But the thought of my baby waking up throughout the night for the next year also puts tears in my eyes!

We were very lucky that Blake was an amazing sleeper from the get-go.  At 2mo, we tried the CIO (cry it out) method on Blake and he cried for over an hour in our NYC apartment.  We flew to his rescue before our neighbors would want to call the super. We thought the crying would wane over time, and he just wailed and wailed forever. The very next week, he surprised us with a full nights sleep, and ever since has been a champion sleeper (7p-8a).

While Emily has been a good sleeper, she has been a lot tougher than Blake.  I know I shouldn't compare the two but its hard not to.  Up until now, she was waking up 2x a night for feedings.  She would nurse for 10m and go right back down.  But I would be awake for 45minutes to an hour trying to fall back asleep.  Repeat this at 3am and 5am for several months and it can get pretty exhausting.

At Emily's last wellness visit, my first question was "So can we start sleep training yet?" Her doctor said the earliest he recommended was at 4months.  Despite the dreaded cries we knew were ahead of us, we decided to pick a weekend and just do it. 

Not only were we going to tackle sleep training, but we had to simultaneously move her from the bassinet in our room to her crib.  She wasn't a stranger to her crib, it just wasn't where she slept her best.  Prior to sleep training, she would take the occasional 45minute nap in there, or hang out in the crib while I bathed Blake.  It certainly wasn't a place she had spent 10+ hours in. 

After reaching out to a friend of mine who has gone through this before, she recommended moving Emily to the crib and sleep training at the same time.  Kill two birds, one stone. 

We decided to try the "Ferber Method" which is a gentler way to ease into crying it out.  You let the baby cry for timed increments, with each increment becoming longer and longer as the night and days go on.  You go in only after you hit the timed increment, and offer comfort.  You do not put their pacifier back in, and definitely do not pick them up.  You simply rub their tummy, say I love you, go back to bed etc and walk out (in and out in 15 seconds). 

After the first few nights of this, I noticed that Emily would start crying even louder after I left, something that they warn you about.  Midway through, I stopped going in after the timed increments, and just let her CIO.  She was able to put herself back to sleep on her own, which is pretty much the purpose of sleep training.

Here's a quick recap of how each night went. Our goal was to really just knock out the 3am feeding and worry about the 5am feeding later.  You'll see though that we were able to knock out the 3am feeding, and delay the 5am one a few times.

NIGHT 1
-In crib 8pm-5am
-Woke up at 3am and we comforted her at the 3min and 5min marks. She fell back asleep before the 10min mark was up.
-Rescued at 5am for a feeding, and back to sleep until 8am

NIGHT 2
-In crib 8:30pm-5:45am
-Woke up at 3a and we comforted her at the 5min and 10min marks. She fell back asleep before the 12min mark was up.
-Rescued at 5:45am for a feeding, and back to sleep until 8:15am

NIGHT 3
-In crib 8:45pm-5:30am  (her nap schedule got all screwed up resulting in later bedtime)
-Woke up at 3am and was about to go in after the 10min increment, but she fell asleep before it was over.
-Up again at 5am, and cried for 30min straight until she was rescued. I was really hoping to knock out this feeding, but that doesn't seem to be working just yet.

NIGHT 4
-In crib 8pm-6:45am
-Woke up at 3:30am and comforted her after 12min of crying.  Once I left the crying escalated so I decided to let her CIO until she fell back asleep (this took 45min!)
-Rescued at 6:45 for a feeding and back down until 8am

NIGHT 5
-In crib 8pm-6:15am
-Woke up at 1:45 and cried for 3min before drifting off back to sleep
-Woke up again at 4am and cried on and off for 45min before Brooke went to console
-Fell back asleep until 6:15, quick feeding, then slept until 8:30am

NIGHT 6
-In crib 8pm-6:45am
-Woke up at 4:15am with a quiet cry that lasted less than 5min. Never went to console.

NIGHT 7
-In crib 8:30pm-6:15am
-Woke up at 3am with quiet cry that lasted less than 5min. Never went to console.
-Fed at 6:15 and back to sleep until 8am

I've heard sleep training takes a full week which we now have under our belt.  Did it work for us? Well, Emily taught herself how to fall back to sleep without our help, allowing me to eliminate the 3am feeding. I was really hoping she would sleep through the 5am one too. It seems like at this point she is okay delaying the 5am feeding, but not ready to give it up just yet.  I suppose its too much to expect her to sleep 8p-8a just yet! A mom can always dream, right?

What's next? Moving Emily out of the bassinet completely even though she takes 2.5hour afternoon naps in there.  Hope this chica likes her crib, she's about to see a lot more of it!

Up next: nap training

The "Good" Carbs

Ever hear someone say, "good carbs" and wonder what the hell are they talking about, or is there really such a thing? The answer is yes! They aren't as delicious as "bad carbs" but these little suckers are the key to my operation lose baby weight journey.

If you read my last entry, you know that I am following The Carb Lovers Diet plan.  I have done this plan twice before, and seen results.  Typically you see the most dramatic loss the first week as your body is shocked by all the healthy foods you are feeding it (and from only eating 1,200 cal/day for 7 days).  Weight loss then begins to adjust as this new eating plan becomes your baseline.

I bet you are thinking, "what crap does she have to eat on this plan" right? You would be extremely shocked to find that most of the foods and recipes on this plan are delicious.  I would say I am somewhat of a picky eater, and yet I have never struggled to find meals I like on this plan.

Keep in mind, I am not a coach, I am not making any money by writing about this (although I kind of wish I were), and I do not plan on commenting random crap on your insta page to get you to follow me. I am here to share my journey with you, and perhaps help someone in a similar boat as me.

Since The Carb Lovers plan comes with a ton of recipes, I thought I would share with you some of my favorite ones.  Many of these are not only husband approved, but also toddler approved! Below are my top recipes for each meal or snack.

Breakfast

My typical breakfast is a Banana smoothie with unsweetened almond milk.  I then add various items to it depending on my mood.  Some days, I put in peanut butter powder, other days cocoa powder, or frozen berries.  The key is bananas which are high in resistant starch, helping to keep you full for longer. I rely on morning smoothies because I can make it in my Nutribullet and bring it with me on the go.

Other favorites are the Broccoli Feta Omelets and Blueberry Oat Pancakes.  My toddler devoured the pancakes and almost hijacked mine from my plate.

Broccoli Feta Omelet with Wasa crisps

Blueberry Oat Pancakes with Maple Yogurt

Lunch

For me lunch is a tough one.  As a mom, my priority is getting Blake fed, nursing Emily, and getting both kids down for a nap.  So by the time its my turn to eat lunch, I don't want to spend any time preparing meals. As a result, I rely a lot on the frozen meal options.  They are quick and delicious.  My favorite so far is Amy's Enchiladas and Amy's bean, rice, and cheese burrito.

When I have more time, I make the Big Chopped Salad on the plan which includes lettuce, cabbage, chickpeas, carrots, walnuts, cranberries, Parmesan cheese, and balsamic vinegar.  The salads are good, but I don't find them as satisfying as the frozen meals.

Dinner

My goal as a mom is to find dishes that everyone will eat, including my picky toddler.  So far I have to say that many of the meals have been well received.

So far my husband's favorite is the Baked Cheese Penne. My favorite is the Thai Peanut Noodles.

Baked 2-cheese Penne with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Thai Peanut Noodles

Barley Risotto Primavera

Grilling the burgers all on my own!

Herbed Turkey-Feta Burger with Sweet Potato Fries

Snacks

Eating between meals is absolutely critical.  I find that when I don't have a snack, I am starving by time I get around to eating again.  Most snacks are around 150-200 calories and are quite filling.

I try to keep my snacks consistent everyday so it takes the mindfulness out of the equation.  My 2 favorite snacks are Rye Wasa with Avocado, dried cherries, and drizzle of honey.  The other is an apple with almond butter, Babybel cheese and rye crisps.  I also try to keep a Kashi granola bar in my diaper bag in case I am stuck somewhere and need a quick bite.

Apples with Almond Butter, Babybel, Rye Crisps

Rye Wasa with 1/4 Avocado, Dried Cherries, Drizzle of honey

Dessert

I bet you didn't think you could have dessert on this plan huh! You guessed wrong! In Phase 2 you are allowed to have dessert.  My favorite so far is the Dark Chocolate Oat Clusters. The key to this is moderation.  If you have control issues like me, I recommend making small batches of whichever dessert so that you are not tempted to over-indulge.

Warm Pear with Cinnamon Ricotta

Dark Chocolate Oat Clusters

My favorite dessert. 1 serving = 2 balls

Mango-coconut sorbet

I hope you enjoyed my visual diary of The Carb Lovers Diet! Please reach out to me if you would like to join me on this journey.  I am happy to help in any way I can!

I probably wont update you all with weekly weight loss since it wont be as dramatic as the first few weeks.  However, I will happily share with you that my goal is to be back to my pre-baby weight by the end of June.  As of today, I have 6lbs to go!  If I happen to lose more than 6lbs, I would be over the freakin' moon...but lets tackle one goal at a time!