Mama-brain

I asked my DH yesterday if he'd ever heard of the term "mommy-brain."


"No," he said.


"Really?" I said.


"Nope," he replied again.


"I mean, really really? Huh..." I pondered.


"Well, remember when I was pregnant and we used to talk about 'preggo-brain'?" I asked.


"Yeah..." he replied.


"Well, it's like that except I'm a mama. I think it's because I have so much more to remember and my brain can't always hold it all so I forget often."


"Huh," his response.


I'm trying to think of some mama-brain moments, but I can't remember! So out of curiosity, I googled "mommy brain" and came across this link.  According to this link, our brains supposedly grow a bit after birth instead of getting mushier and thus might explain part of the maternal instinct that kicks in after.

There is also a book called "The Mommy Brain" by Katherine Ellison. I might just have to check that out. 


What is your take on mommy-brain? Have any moments to share? 

Cloth habits: A father's reflection on cloth diapers

Guest blog written by Philip Jude Cole-Regis (a.k.a. PJ)

Cloth Habits: A father’s reflection on cloth diapers.

Sure – let’s go green with cloth diapers… wait, does that mean we have to wash and deal with baby poop?

These were the first thoughts that went through my head when my wife confided in me her ambitions of using only cloth diapers. I was very proud of my wife for dedicating to the movement of an eco-friendly means of diapers – though I had reservations about being involved in such an endeavor. I had to quickly dismiss the idea of leaving such domestic responsibilities to her as we had made the contemporary pact of equal ownership for our daughter’s upbringing.

We’re going with a diaper service right?

The thought of dealing with soiled diapers was an immediate turn off, and really it still is. You’ll find today that I am one of the fastest diaper changers in the west, especially when poop is involved. I still get a hard time for using too many (cloth) wipes on such messy episodes, I’m just not willing to fold or turn to the other side of the wipe and risking my fingers getting smeared with poop.

So I was more than ecstatic when we began our journey with a diaper service. Every Tuesday someone would pick up the quarantined pile of cloth inserts that resided on our patio – simple and clean.

I could get use to this.

But my wife wouldn’t let me. After 3 months we had switched completely to doing diapers ourselves, my wife making the tri-weekly rounds of washing and drying our plethora of diapers – diapers as varied in design as they were in print patterns. Needless to say I was overwhelmed with the cornucopia of choices and procedures, we tried everything. But as time passed we began to filter out those we didn’t like and expand our inventory of those we did – and soon I was trained and my diaper changing skills returned to some semblance of competency.

Wow, this isn’t so bad.

And it really isn’t. I love my daughter more than life itself and I’m willing to do a thorough job at every change to get it right so that she feels clean and happy – though I’ve still a reluctant inclination to wash them myself (but I do help fold – sometimes).

My advice to dads out there? Suck it up – the sacrifices we make are nothing compared to the trials of our significant others during their pregnancy and birth. With an undeniable paradigm shift in the role of contemporary fathers with regard to child rearing, you would be the jewel of every mother’s eyes for your participation in your baby’s diaper upkeep. I’ve read somewhere that it takes 30 days to develop a habit, get to it.

Additionally, the front investment of cloth is dwarfed by the long-term monetary cost of disposables, especially with empirical literary data supporting toilet-training by cloth-babies reaching upwards to 6-months earlier in juxtaposition to their disposable-diaper peers.  And saving a load of money is something every father can get behind.

Silly girl

I just have to share this picture of RaeRae from Wednesday morning. She had just woke up, been changed, and dressed. I took her back to the bedroom to nurse and hang-out with her Daddy as he got ready for work. 


Just minutes after...

Mama, I just went poo-poo.

Tonight's dinner: a success!

I tried out a new recipe in the slow-cooker today and as the title of this post says, it was a success! The recipe is called "Smashed Potato Soup" from the book Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes by Better Homes and Gardens.


The recipe goes like this:
Ingredients:
3 1/2 lbs of potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1/2 cup of chopped yellow or red sweet pepper (I used red)
1 1/2 teaspoons bottled roasted garlic
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup whipping cream, half-and-half, or light cream (I used half-and-half)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
Dairy sour cream
Shredded cheddar cheese


Steps:
1) Add potatoes, sweet pepper, garlic, and black pepper to slow-cooker. Pour broth over all.
2) Cover and cook on low-heat for 8-10 hours or high-heat for 4-5 hours (we did high-heat because it was almost noon by the time I got in in the slow-cooker)
3) Mash potatoes slightly with a potato masher or a fork. (I used one of the mashers from my electronic mixer, without the machine part). 
4) Stir in half-and-half (or alternative), 1 cup of cheese, and green onions. 
5) Serve! Optional: top with sour cream and additional cheese. (I didn't add other toppings). 



Result: a delish! I had never made this before and thought it tasted great! Even my visiting in-laws commented that it tasted pretty good. 

A few things:

• I got all my vegetables for this recipe at my local farmer's market--the potatoes, red pepper, and green onion.
• I learned what green onion was: I had never really used it or knew of exactly what it looked like until I went to the farmer's market and saw it. It doesn't look like one of those balls, but instead looks like celery sticks almost. I even used the web to find a video on how to cut it. 
• I used the web to find a video on cutting the red pepper because I hadn't had to cut one before. It was interesting to see the small yellow pepper seeds inside--the same peppers that you use to put on top of pizzas. 
• This recipe was pretty easy to make after I gathered everything together and had it prepped. Thankful for the exersaucer to keep RaeRae busy when I needed to cut vegetables and such.

I think with each meal I try, my confidence in the kitchen and with meal-planning grows. This recipe will be marked down as a potential repeat.  


I forgot to take a picture, so I googled and found a pic that resembles what my recipe turned out to be. The source is from another blog called The Sparitarian here.

 

Meal-planning

DH and I are attempting meal-planning. We both dislike to cook, but will do it if we have to--especially to save money and when we are hungry.


If you meal-plan, what do you do? What tips can you share? If you don't, what do you do that works for you and your family?

Being a SAHM

My growing RaeRae at 6 months old, 8/8/11:

Currently I am a stay-at-home-mama (SAHM). I am not* a home-maker, but a mama who strives to provide enriching activities and love for my little girl RaeRae. Being a SAHM doesn't necessarily mean I am AT home all the time, but it means I do not work an 8am-5pm job. My "job" instead is 24/7 and follows me wherever I go. 

(*Side note, a good friend pointed out to me that a SAHM may also be a home-maker and that some people may disagree, etc, or take pride in being a home-maker or house-wife. Good point she made. I think for myself personally is how I was raised and a bit rebellious against the stereotypical roles for women and men.)


RaeRae is 6 months old now and just got her first tooth a few days ago! She wears her amber teething necklace when she is awake and I have some Hylands teething tablets coming soon. Cold teethers and who would have thought she'd like cold breastmilk in a bottle? She doesn't normally take a bottle, so when I offered her chilled breastmilk in a bottle this afternoon, I was a bit surprised! The coldness probably helps. 

I remember when I first became a mama when she was born. I felt so overwhelmed with the demands of somebody needing me 24/7 (or pretty much like that) and felt eager to go back to work as a substitute teacher. With second-degree tears and nursing problems, the labor pains lasted a few weeks and I wondered when I would feel "normal" or at least more calm.
It took about a month or two before I felt a bit better, but I think it was around 3 months postpartum when I felt lucky to be able to be a SAHM (with DH's job to support us). I looked into becoming a consultant for Diaper Parties because I wanted to have some extra income but not as the main source. 


I applaud all mamas--those are stay at home to take care of their little one(s), those who work full-time at a "job" outside of the home, those who are WAHMs (Work-at-home-mamas) and everyone else in between. Sometimes I think our hubbies or partners may think we have it all easy being able to stay at home. We could "nap" or such.

Truth is, we are busy too! We are busy attending to the needs of another person or persons! Nap times can be a struggle at times, and when you are tired and dealing with a crying baby, you can be overwhelmed. There is quite a bit of mental work in being a mama, or parent in a general. And I love it, most of the time! The other few times when I don't love it so much are when I will admit I need a little break.

Grabs at my face...every single day. LOVE

But overall, I love being a SAHM, especially during RaeRae's first year of life.

We're back online! Sort-of

Pah! Internet and cable were set up yesterday afternoon. But....my laptop isn't working! Boo! So I am borrowing my hubby's laptop temporarily. I'm hoping to get mine fixed ASAP. I tell ya, it sort of felt like being on a long vacation having no internet--except with all the unpacking.

We moved into a larger place on July 23rd. A 2 bedroom/2 bathroom condo and the best part is having our own washer and dryer! Will post a pic of it sometime soon. It is a front loader--and that is a new field of washing diaper laundry for me. It would be nice if other parents could share their experience with HE front loaders below.

We are loving the extra space. On the day we moved in, my mom brought over my nephew's former exersaucer for RaeRae and she is LOVING it! Speaking of RaeRae, she had her 6 month check up this week. She now weighs 16lbs and 1lb, falling in the 54th percentile for age and weight. She will be officially 6 months old this Saturday. Time flies! I'm feeling a little sad and happy at the same time. Sad that she is growing up so quickly and happy that she is growing up so healthily and happily!

Logging out! Hope you all are having a nice week!