NEW BLOG!!!

Hey

Come visit my new blog!!! Just click on where it says MY NEW BLOG HERE and it should take you there but if you have a problem, copy and paste this website

www.maxsmom06.com

Hope to see you all there..My New Blog Here!!

HELP!!!

I have not been able to post pictures on this blog and that is just nutty. Can anyone help with either a new place to put the blog and how to transfer all of the archives over?

I would even pay someone to do it and possibly to design it azs well. I realize that this blog has helped me in so many ways and it has given me a very safe place to express myself as a pregnant woman, a wife, a mom and just a woman trying to balance home and work.

Any suggestions would be so appreciated.

Thanks so much!!

in the mouth...

Everything is in the mouth. Max is no longer obssessed with putting his fist in his mouth (he mastered that), instead he loves tp put his blanki, his shirt, my shirt, his towel..anything.

He has also started to pull his butt up in the air. I can tell he is quite proud. He also tries to rock side to side.

As for sleep he slept 7 hours ;ast night.I am not assuming this will happen tonight but it would be nice.

But who cares...cause I am still a good mommy with limited sleep.

Support..

I started this blog for many reasons. I have dound this blog to be a journal and a friend. I never thought I would find a support system in this blog. I havw asked many blog moms about so many topics:

1. VACCINES

2. BREAST PUMPING

3. ORGANIC BABY PRODUCTS

4. SLEEPING

5. POSTPARTUM ISSUES

and so many more. It has been so helpful to me. I do not have a blog where tons of people comment but the one person who reaches out to me makes such a difference.
It is easy to feel alone at times. It is hard to remember that there are so many women out there that are going though the same journey. Being a mom is so complicated and so easy. I am learning so much about myself and my family.

As for me lately, I have been thinking about my non existent father. It is his birthday on the 16th and it always makes me kind of sad, even though I know it is better off that he is not around. I think about Max and how available we are too him 24 hours a day. I think about how my father never was. I am happy that Max will have a different experience with his parents who adore him and would never leave him.

Mommy wieght

So I know that I am always talking about Max and how much he weighs but today it is about me. I decided last week to go on a diet and not one of starvation but one of whole foods. I always ate organic during pregnancy and ate lots of great foods: fruit, nuts, veggies etc and of course, lots of yummy vegan goodies plus an occassional treat made by my mother in law.

So I decided to cut out the "eat whatever you want pregnancy thing" and go back to eating more like I used to. I was also inspired by max's allergic reactions to foods and so that got me reading MY HEALTH books again. Such as THE BODY ECOLOGY DIET BY DONNA GATES AND THE PH MIRACLE. Both of these books are evry inspirational for me. So with that I lost 2 pounds and I know I should work on only losing 1 pound a week so I do not mess up by milk supply or qaulity. At the end of the day, my milk is so important for my baby boy.

I have been eating tons of food all day and still lost the weight. This is so exciting for me because I have always been petite and I did not eat a lot. I never allowed myself to consume a lot of food so it is amazing for me to eat and lose weight. Being pregnant and now going through the postpartum weight loss has been a very healing experience. I am taking this one day at a time because my head is already spinning wondering if I can keep this up for my whole life. LOL

So I gained 40 pounds in pregnancy and have lost 30 pounds. I know that my body needs to have some weight for Max to get good milk so he can get fat. But it is nice to feel a pound ot two come off.

Thanks for listening.

Nursing" Free of dairy, corn, wheat and eggs

Well I have always been a great eater and we eat primarily all organic (ouch$$$). During pregnancy I started to eat yogurt and kefir out of fear that I did not have enough calcium. I have always been lactose intolerant myself but I figured Max would be okay with the same foods I ate during the time he was inside of me. Well, NO!!! So he had a few patches of cradle cap and our new PED. said that he is allergic to something and I knew right away...the dairy. So we stopped the dairy and he has much better skin (even though his skin was pretty good). Then I had eggs 2 days in a row and this poor guy farted and cried and farted and cried..OH NO..no more eggs. So I have not eaten wheat/white flour since the last few days of my pregnancy so that does not matter and why mess with corn.

So I am eating millet, buckwheat and amaranth with an occasional yeast free bread made in Canada. I still eat brown rice and rice cakes so I am not starving and this body could do without some of these pounds anyway. LOL.

But the people who will be really sad if he is anything like me, not able to digest milk at all and pay for it when I do, will be his grandmothers. Both of his granmother's always talk about cookies, cakes and ice cream with lots of hot fudge.

So instead this kid will grow up on rice milk, limited soy milk (the horomones for boys..aaahhh not so great) and almond milk. So that will be a rice milk or soy milk ice cream with organic chocolate or carob hot sauce, fresh strawberies, fresh soy whipped cream, and lots of chopped nuts..YUMMY!!

Thank goodness we live in Philly near two amazing vegan markets that specialize in making tons of goodies like this and great birthday cakes too becuase I have been dealing with this myself forever but I think it is actually a blessing.

A gift from heaven..Daphne Goldberg

Her name is Daphne Goldberg MD and she is our new pediatrician. She is an amazing doctor but she also beleives in using homeopathy as well. She is a mother of 5 (3 of her own and 2 step children. My husband and I have been working really hard to figure out this vaccination business. I started reading "Vaccinations: A Thoughtful Parents Guide wirtten by Aviva Jill Romm, who is a mother, a midwife and a homeopathic doctor. Well the bottom line is that this Ped. has shots without preservatives. Amazing huh? So we are going to wait till he is closer to 6 months to start him on his shots (before we go to Chicago for my hubby's marathon) and by then his immune system will be ready. Yeah!!! Also, she is just the sweetest woman too and we talked to her for 1 1/2. For all of us who know the health care system..well that is unreal. So yes, she is our fallen angel..well Max's fallen angel.

Now we can actually trust someone who is working with us and not against us.

Your hands..

Max, You love to eat your hands. It is usually your left hand so Daddy and I wonder if you will be left handed. As for eating it, you really love to eat your hand when you are in the bath which is why Mommy makes sure you are washed with all natural and organic products. I love using California Baby plus it has lavendar in all of the products which smells so good.

When I watch you eat your hands, I know you arer so proud of yourself. At times, you like to shove your hand in your mouth and pull it out and back in and pull it out and this may go on for 20 minutes.

It is the little things in life that make Max laugh and smile. For today, I am going to remind myself of all the little things that make me laugh and smile too.

And here are some great pictures of Max.

Such a great daddy..

I always knew my hubby would be a great dad but I never thought he would be this good. I have watched him with our two pugs. He cradles them, plays with them, kisses them, washes them and takes them to the vet when they are sick...he also worries about them. I have also watched him with other kids but never with a baby.

But watching him makes me smile, warms my heart, and sends chills up my spine. This morning I came home from the gym and there they were...my hubby and our boy sleeping with each other in our bed. Max was cuddled in his arms and protected from the world. It made me feel so wonderful. I am also lucky that when I leave the house, I know that Max is taken care of by the best person in the world, HIS DADDY.

Pictures of my boy..

MY little Pork chop...

We went to the Ped. today and he is 24 1/4 inches and weighs 12.5 pounds. Oh my goodness. I knew he was a little porker when his pants did not fit the other day. It is wild to watch this little guy grow. His new favorite game is copy cat. You put out your tongue and then he puts out his tongue. He is the best.

Max Tickler

Thanks to Lil Liberal momma from NYC for showing this cool tickler in her blog. Breastfed babies rock!!

Max is talking...

Just an update. Max is talking up a storm. He even plays copy cat with Scott and I. He like to mimic noises and faces.His favorite game is to move his tongue in and out.

Sorry for the lack of blogging but I was not feeling too well.

Run with me Mommy and Daddy!!

Well it is wonderful that Max is already excited to run with his daddy and mommy.

Boogy Update!!

We are very proud ot the fact that we have mastered the boogy situation. Ok, so here it goes.

1. Shoot breast milk up his nose or dab a little water in his nose.

2. Take a Q Tip and pull out the cotton into a point.

3. Take the Q Tip and put it up baby's nose like you are fishing for a booger (don't go too far in).

4. Let the point find the booger and drag it out.

5. Boogie should come out of the nose.

Max hates boogies because then he cannot sleep, eat or breathe. It makes things very difficult. Another trick in this house it to lean him over the humidifier and let him have a steam bath. So funny when you see a little fatty baby hanging over a humidifier.

As for me, the momma, I am doing better today. I think it is harder for me to deal with the postpartum weight than the pregnancy weight. But all for an amazing little bundle of JOY!!

The weight...

I feel like I should not complain at all about the weight since I have this amazing littIe boy but it stinks. My hubby thinks I look great but I do not feel like I look good at all. I just need to have some acceptance and patience. UGH. Maybe tomorrow I will let go of this crap.

A SNOWY DAY!!

Max and I had such a great time playing and dancing in the snow. So here is a pictire of us taken by his Daddy.

I am a big boy..

Well a week and a half ago I started having Max sleep otally on his own. I knew it would mean less sleep for me but I was willing. I started sleeping him 5 ft away from me and he was waking just like he was a little 3 day old baby.

Sleep went like this:

1 hour 15 mins

1 hours 45 mins

2 hours

2 hours 30 mins

But now sleep is like this:

Feed at 11:45 pm

Wake to feed for 5 mins at 2:45 am

Feed at 5:00 am

Wake at 7:30 am

YEAH!!!

A special thanks to Cec, http:://zia.blogs.com/wastedbirthcontrol/ for reminding me about swaddeling the baby. It is strange because Max hated to be swaddled but now he loves it and now he sleeps for a while because of it.

Also thanks to Little Liberal NYC Mama, http://littleliberals.com/blog/, for telling me to fill up Max's tummy so he will sleep for a while because it works.

For Scott and I, we wanted Max to be able to sleep alone even though him sleeping on my belly or in my arms was delicious. Again, this was just for us as parents and in now way am I making any judgement about co sleeping with your child longer than 8 weeks.

Happy 2 Month B Day

Max

Happy Birthday. In these past two months we have watched you grow. WE have watched your little fingers grow and your feet grow and your little body get chubbier. We have watched you laugh at your Sesame Street Elmo Gym and laugh at Mommy and Daddy when we make funny noises. We love watching you so amazed by the little things in life such as a fan on the ceiling or the flashing lights on the the Ben Franklin bridge or the fire burning in the fire place.

You love to play and you love to listen to music. Your favorite music is Louie Prima and we pplay it duing bath time and night time dance. You also love to listen every morning when Mommy takes a shower and she puts you on the floor and you kick your legs and laugh.

You smile and laugh when Stan & Esther kiss and lick your face, hands and feet.

You are such a good baby and people always comments on how well behaved you are. You still like to cry at 5:45 pm and then you settle down and then we go up to bath time at 6:15 to 6:45 pm because you LOVE taking a bath. Then you and Mommy dance under the heating lamp so that you are not too cold.

There are so many things that I wanted to say to you today but all I can say..is that my world, your Daddy's world would not be the same without you. You have comepleted our life in so many ways.

We love you Max Benjamin.

Lots of laughing...

Well let me just say that this kid loves to laugh. He got a Sesame Street Peek-a Boo Elmo play gym, http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2264970, and he loves it. My hubby and I were so amazed and of course, we think he is the smartest kid in the world. I was so happy to see that Stan our Esther, our famous puggies, did not mind or care that Max was on the floor playing. Stan still gets a little excited and wants to be aggressive with his kisses but all in all they are learning that he is still a baby and cannot play hard YET!

I also realized that this kid is just like US, and that he needs to be stimulated (well maybe all babies need that) but he gets bored. I think next we will get the bouncer, so he can excercise his little muscles.

Well have a great weekend to all the moms, dads, babies and dogs out there.

I love the way you...

I love so many things this baby does like...

1. When he nurses he tickles my side with his ittle hand

2. I love when he pulls my milk maker closer with his other hand

3. I love when he puts his head on my shoulder

4. I love when he sings himself to sleep

5. I love the way he stares at me

6. I love the way he squirms when the puggies jump up and give him lots of licks

7. I love the way he giggles when I or Scott make funny noises

8. I love the way he loves being loved.

Max's first snow outing..

Happy Valentine's Day!

Things are good here. Lots of sleet and ice.We took Max out yesterday for his first snow outing. I have pics that I will post tomorrow. It amazes me how fast he is growing and how much he is changing. Well I wish I had the want to blog more today but I have been doing our personal and business taxes for days. We went and bought Quicken for 2007 and I am so happy since I am lost in the excel spread sheets. Thank goodness Mx is such a good baby. My days have been:

1. Nurse
2. Workout
3. Nurse
4. Change Diapers
5. Taxes. Taxes, Taxes
and it keeps going like that

I also started working and because I work from home, well my day it ptetty similar each day but I love it.I also know how lucky I am that my boss allows me to work from home.Plus my hubby, who owns his biz's can watch Max when I need to go to meetings.

I know we are so lucky that Max does not have to go to day care and will be with one of us at all times during these early days.

Again, happy valentines day to all the mommies and babies out there.

FOREMILK!!!

A special thanks to Izzy's mom in NYC!!! Yes it is true..Max was getting too much FOREMILK and not enough HINDMILK. And yes, green poop but now it is better and Max slept 6 hours without even waking up..Wow!! Also, a special thanks to Cecily for those tips on baby "liking to be swaddled". Let's just say it worked. Now I hope this post will not JINX Max just like Izzy's mama the other day.

Now for the good stuff! Pictures!!

6 weeks post partum

I wish there was a book that wrote about all of the after stuf that happens, such as the placenta, the mood swings, the weight that will not come off..ya know..all of the stuff that nobody talks about. Also, what about stuffy noses? I wish somebody would have told me that it stinks when your baby is stuffed and that you may have to sit in the bathroom with the shower running HOT until he un stuffs and then you will wait for the time when his booger is visible and then you must squeeze the booger out (which he hates) but needs to be done.

Other things I wish somebody would have told me:

1. There is no such thing as it being too cold for the baby and the baby will get sick stuff. Just add another blanket and another layer.

2. A baby sneezes all of the time since they have no nose hairs.

3. Use a cold air humidifier to make the snot contract and not expand.

4. A baby will tend to be congested..DON'T PANIC!!

5. A NURSING MOM WILL KEEP ON 5-7 POUNDS AS STORED FAT TO KEEP HER MILK FATTY FOR THE SAKE OF THE BABY.

6. Trust your instincts and leave the anxiety for the rest of the world.

7. A boy tends to pee at some point when he is in the bath.

8. A fart usually means a poop.

9. For nursing moms: Your baby's digestion is directly related to what you eat.


Now for the fun stuff.. a pic of my little boy playing with his cow on his car seat. I never thought I could love another being so much but I DO.

Can I drive??

Better than anything in the world..

I don't think anything could be better than this...

We love life..

Geez, what did we do with our time before Max. Well for anybody that cares, our pug Stan is doing better. His sister Esther is waiting patiently for him to get better and be able to play. As for Max, these are some great pics with Max and Daddy.

Happy 1 Month B Day!!

Max you are the best thing that has ever happened to us. You are a little angel and we love you so much. The day you were born, we never knew that it would be this wonderful. We always knew that we would love you so much and we were so excited when you decided to come into this world. You smile when we whistle, you smile when I tickle your neck and zerbert your tummy. You love your bath time and you love us singing songs to you. You have discovered your hands in the past 2 weeks and in the last week, you found that you can out them into your mouth. You have grown up so much you actually fit your 0-3 month clothes (this happened 1 1/2 weeks ago). Your little hands and your little feet are getting bigger with every day. You have another roll on your chin and your cheeks are "Breast Milk cheeks". You are truly a blessing. We love you so much.

Max's likes Mommy's hair...

Just to document this for the record..Max likes to pull on my hair. I know he is proud of the fact that he is using his hands and making me say..Oh Maxie..

As for the rest of our house, our pug Stan messed up on of his lumbar discs and now he is on 2 weeks bed rest.Ugh a new baby and a dog that is not allowed to walk..well it could be worse..This is a pic of Stan.

My mom and Max!

I guess the greatest part of watching my mom hold Max is remembering how wonderful of a mother she is and was when I was growing up. I watch myself with max and I can almost hear my mother's voice in my own hear. When I watch her..I feel like I am watching myself. Wow, Max is lucky..he has 2 of us.

I could sit here forever!!

A special thanks to K for her comment on bed sharing and on Baby Wise. It amazes me these books. Some person had given us this book and YUK..thank goodness I have my head on straight. here is a great pic of Max sitting on my boob and just relaxing.

Baby Wise???

There is a big part of me that hates all of these books which try to tell me how to schedule a baby. In the entire book, Baby Wise. I did find some interesting information but I have the same feeling about this book as I do the political commefcials: they try to tell me why other methods do not work. So what does work? I guess just knowing your baby and and helping your baby along with the same schedule he/she created for his/her at birth. I mean Max seems to nurse every 2 hours so my job is to keep him on this schedule during the day and let him have a big meal right before bed and then he nurses 1 time during the night. Of course this is at 3 weeks old, and in the begining he nurses 2-3 times a night. Ironically, he made this schedule but I have to keep him on it. I think this makes sense.

Max is still sleeping in our room and at times in bed. Any suggestions on how to wean him into his crib and when?

Breast Feeding

Try and tell me that babies do not want to feed on the breast. I found this while I was looking through some pictures. Max latched on 10 minutes after he was born.

As for the crazy lactation consultant, I have found peace with her thoughts. We live in a world where there are many people with many different ideas about life, politics, war, peace etc. and so bottom line is I should live my life according to my own thoughts. This means leaving out suggestions from family members and consultants that are paid by my insurance. LOL. Seriously, this baby will get all of my love, my heart and my boob. So with that enjoy your day.

Damn consultants..

Is it too much to think that a professional lactation consultant would know the correct information? So I have been a nut for twp days ever since the consultant told me that I must introduce a bottle now or he will never take to one. Now after talking to my doula, who was a maternity nurse for 30 years, and some blog ladies..well this lady may not know the whole truth..But it kills me that she is going around telling women the wrong information. I have been warned about some lactation consultans who work for the insurance companies but it was offered free to me and so I took the opportunity. Again, it just kills me and thank God I have a good network of ladies to run this stuff by..otherwise I would be screwed.

Thanks to K and Cecily especially..

Bath time!

To Pump or not to Pump

So I know my hubby would really like to feed the baby but I have so many mixed feelings about Pumping. I am not sure why I do, I know I have fears that max will never nurse after he finds a bottle. It is strange because I was so sure that I would and be comfortable with it. I am going to nurse for a while and it would be nice to have emergency bottles at home for him if his dady or if his grandparents are watching him and I am not home. Ugh!
I know tons of women have done this and I am hoping that after talking about this..well that I will just let go and go with the flow..
But here is a Max photo of him when he is 14 days old. The yawning cracks me up.

Mommy & Max!

Max is 12 days old in this picture. I am going to try and post a picture often (idea taken from K-Ruby to the Rescue). Max and I do a lot of this and we love it!