Lotions and Potions: Part 1

I can't believe it's been just over 3 months since I was pregnant. Time sure flies when you're not sleeping.. I was thinking back to those 9 long months of ups and downs and growth..lots and lots of growth and I have to say I'm pretty thankful for two things: the internet and good and experienced friends who helped me along the way. While I tried to stay away from the internet for all the big important issues (it is a terrifying place to look for information) I did find some really great blogs and sites for pregnancy products. I also had a few friends who put valuable time, as they have children and I can only now appreciate how valuable that time was, into helping me. So, now that I've got a little of that experience behind me I thought it was only fair I share what I learned.

First, lets talk about lotions as this was something I was particularly interested in (I was terrified of stretch marks). 

These are my top 4 pregnancy stretch mark creams. (Click the name for link to products)

    

1. Mama Mio Tummy Rub ($35,£23).  I LOVE this stuff. I probably went through about 4 or 5 tubs of it and I still use it now and then. It's got a fresh citrusy smell and, while it's a thick cream, it doesn't take forever to rub in. Mama Mio has a pretty fantastic pregnancy and post pregnancy range that I'm still exploring. They also have a tummy rub oil but I just prefer the lotion.

2. Cowshed Udderly Gorgeous Stretch Mark Balm ( $31, £21). This was my first choice because I love Cowshed products. They are just lovely and my whole house would be stocked with them if I didn't like trying new things so much. I looked for two weeks for this stuff in London. I even had coworkers out looking during their lunch break. I couldn't even find it online. I got my hopes up at a store near work when I found a sample on the shelf but, alas, they were out of stock and I gave up my search which is how I came to use Mama Mio. I contacted Cowshed and they said they were working on restocking so there's a good chance you will be able to find it now. They also have an adorable line for baby that I may get around trying, I'll let you know.

3. Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter ($13, £8.50). Most people know and love Burt's Bees products so I don't have to sell this stuff. I never used a full size product but the sample I scored was pretty great and you can't really beat the price.

4. Palmer's Cocoa Butter Original Formula. (around $5, £3.50). This is an old faithful product. People use this for just about everything and have for a long time so who am I to argue. I always have a bottle of this in my house and probably always will. I never used it on my belly but I have started now, post pregnancy and love it.

I know they say stretchmarks are hereditary and that may be but I think you can help yourself along the way. I did, in the 9th month, get the dreaded 'stripes of honor' but not many and I think it would have been a lot worse if I hadn't been super careful. 

It's important to also remember that you're more likely to get them if you gain weight really quickly (which I did in my last month) and if you don't keep your skin properly hydrated- so drink up and put that donut down (do you REALLY need 5 of them?)

I know there's a plethora of these lotions out there all ranging in prices and I'm sure there's some family secret that's been passed down through generations of women so if you have any you want to share please do.

I have a particularly fussy baby today so my post pregnancy picks will have to wait for another day. 

I hope you all had a wonderfully relaxing weekend.

H xx

Tsk Tsk Mommy Blogger

So, I've done it again..I've neglected the blog. I remember a conversation I had with my friend Jade, back in London, about stay at home mom's. We couldn't figure out how they never had any time. We decided their day consisted of  feeding the baby every few hours, but other than that it just slept or played quietly on its own with all those toys, right? Oh, how very wrong I was.  So now I jump on all the empowered stay at home mom pedestals I can because it ain't easy.  The only reason I've got time now is because we're on our way to Savannah and this is being typed on M's iPad while I sit in the backseat with Leo, who can't seem to keep his eyes open in a moving car for more than 3.5 seconds.

Sometimes I get into bed at night and really wonder where the day has gone. Feedings, diaper changes, tummy time, play time, pumping, bath time..and when I get a few minutes it's used up with quick clean ups of my neglected house or laundry pile. Luckily, the weather has improved in the last couple weeks so I've been able to put the jogger to good use and get a little fresh air and exercise. My trips to the grocery store are truly a mini vacation that I spend worrying I'll have to abandon a full shopping cart to rush home to my distressed baby (hasn't happened yet). I read a book last week for the first time in months, mainly because we were visiting the grandparents where I have to book in a time slot for a cuddle with Leo.

Unfortunately, we have not yet fallen into that golden category of an all night sleeper, that elite group of parents who post on Facebook about how well rested they are accompanied by a photo of themselves gazing adoringly at their equally well rested bundle of joy. I secretly hate them and envy them in equal parts.

In all seriousness I wouldn't change a thing. Even during a particularly fussy growth spurt we just made it through when I was on the verge of tears at 3:30am (the third time he'd woken up that night) I looked down at him and he smiled at me and everything was ok again. It really is amazing how that works.

I've also recently come to terms with the fact that I'm officially one of those people who go out with a group of adults only to bore everyone else to tears with quirky little anecdotes about my baby. I caught two of my friends rolling their eyes at me as I and another mom commandeered the tables conversation with talk of breast feeding. Sorry guys.

The Cleverly clan has been doing pretty well in these past weeks. I've had a few issues with pumping (cant seem to pump enough) so it's hard to get any help with night feeds (I used to dream about a new Birkin bag, now I dream of a few nights of uninterrupted sleep- funny how that changes). Leo is growing so fast and I cry a little every time I have to put some of his clothes into the 'too small' pile. He had his two month shots, two in each leg, and I thought my heart was going to break into a million little pieces. He was fine after about 3 minutes but I am traumatized for life. He has a smile that could melt Kim Jong Uns heart and he's hinting at a laugh, I think my heart may burst when that happens.

I've started back on Weight Watchers and exercising as much a possible so I'm finally starting to see some changes. I don't know who those people are who swear you lose weight just by breastfeeding but I want to call them a liar right to their lying little faces. I'm going to carry on posting healthy new recipes that we love as well as my progress because it motivates me when my friends do the same. I invite anyone to share theirs as well as I think guest posts help break up the monotony of my humble opinion on the world.

M has joined a soccer/football team where everyone assumed he was good because of his accent, luckily he is. The search for the perfect job is still in progress but he's got a few good leads and is still working for his UK company remotely. It's unbelievably helpful having him at home with me for these first three months, although I think he's ready to get back into an office/construction site and have some big boy conversations and requires him to wear pants that aren't made of some sort of cotton.

Now I am going to use the last hour and a half of our journey to catch up on some sleep. Happy St. Patrick's day!


Here's our life according to my iPhone (I keep promising myself to take more pics with our camera...)

 

 A little collage grandma made of the many faces of Leo.

 Just two cool duded. No big deal.

 I mean, look at those eyes..

 He was a little upset I got in the way of Sponge Bob to take this picture (no I don't let him watch tv all the time...)

 Obviously.

Play mat time is his favorite time..after bath time..and maybe lunch time..

Food Porn: Asian-style Sticky Salmon

I've been working on my cooking skills over the past year or so and while I've definitely improved I have a long way to go. This is a recipe I've been cooking since the beginning of the 'experimental phase', which was really just a test in not burning down the kitchen every time I cooked.

M and I both love asian food, whether it's Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese, etc. I found this recipe in a Sainsbury's (English supermarket) magazine and we've cooked it about 100 times since.

So here goes my first installment of the Food Porn series, please let me know if you see any room for improvement or any suggestions because I am still very much in the learning stages.

Asian-Style Sticky Salmon

Preperation Time: 15 Minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients: 
1 tbsp fresh root ginger, finely chopped
2 tbsp honey
4 tbsp soy sauce, plus extra for drizzling
zest and juice of 1 lime
4 skinless salmon fillets
1 tbsp olive oil
2 x 300g packs stir fry vegetables
1/2 red chilli, chopped (optional)
2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

*A few notes*

• I don't use chilli because M is a bit of a wimp and can't take the heat 
• I use sesame oil instead of seeds just as a matter of personal preference (I don't like seeds in my food)
• I double the marinade recipe because we like extra juice

1. Put the ginger, honey, soy sauce and lime zest in a bowl. Mix well, then add the salmon fillets and coat thoroughly. Cover and chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.

2. Heat half the oil in the pan and add the vegetables and chilli (if using) with a splash of water and stir fry for a couple minutes. Drizzle with a little soy sauce, remove from the pan and keep warm.

3.  Heat the remaining oil in the pan, add the salmon fillets and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through. Place on top of the vegetables, squeeze over the lime juice and sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving (if using).

* I use sesame oil to cook the fish in to add the sesame taste.

Per serving: 417 Calories, 25g fat (4g saturated), 10g carbohydrates *this is if you follow the recipe as is, I'm not sure the difference with the replacements.

So, I admit, the end result picture above might not make your mouth water but it really is dee-lish.

Do keep in mind that my food photography skills are severely lacking..

Hope you enjoy!

H x

Welcome to the World!

Four very long and very short weeks ago we finally welcomed our beautiful baby boy into the world.

Leo Alexander was born at 12:43pm on 12-20-2012 (or 20-12-2012 for our English mates) at 6 lbs 10 oz and 20.5 inches.

So, here's how it happened. I won't go into all the gory details but I will warn you that there may be mention of epidurals and placentas so if you were like me pre-baby- very grossed out by the whole thing- you may want to skip to the end.

My birth story:

Our day started out with a last minute appointment with the doctor for one last ultra sound because the midwife was a little worried that the baby was measuring a bit small.  As we were already downtown we stopped into Taco Mac for a big lunch- I was almost 40 weeks pregnant and I was grasping onto that excuse to eat whatever I wanted (and daring anyone to say anything about it, I was eating for TWO, ok?!) The lunch resulted in a bit of a tummy ache by the time we got home so I tried to take a nap, unsuccessfully, thanks to my persistent stomach cramps.

When we finally noticed that the cramps were coming on pretty consistently, and stopped staring at each other wide eyed and opened mouthed and more than a little terrified, Mark started timing them in the way only my uber organized husband can - he even offered to put them into an excel spreadsheet so we could chart them on a graph. After a few hours we decided it wasn't a dodgy buffalo chicken sandwich and we were actually doing this-having a baby.

I called my parents who jumped into the car for the 4 hour drive (they managed to drive it in a way shorter time that I won't reveal for legal purposes) and I did what anyone in labor would do-I painted my nails. I also did my hair, plucked my eye brows and did anything else I could think of to distract me from the ever increasing pain and the imminent painful end to 9 months of baby baking.

My parents arrived and about an hour later and after a particularly hard contraction we decided it was time to go. We grabbed the hospital bags and loaded up the car and left the house for the very last time as a family of two. Speed limits were broken and turns were made on two wheels and we made it in record time.

I was rolled upstairs in a wheel chair while my mom filled in some paperwork and I handed over my credit card, signing the receipt between contractions- perks of self pay. The nurse checked me out and found me to be 4 cm dialated so my midwife came in and broke my water.

*side note- when people tell you there is no modesty in childbirth, they ain't lying. I had more people staring deep into my lady bits than I care to think about and I couldn't Have cared less that night.

I decided about a month before that I was going to give it my best shot without any pain medication despite what I had thought when I first became pregnant (which was epidural, no if and's or any of that hippy sh*t, give me the drugs) I changed my mind because I wanted to experience as much of the natural process as I could and if there are women having babies in rice paddies somewhere and just getting back to work then surely I could do it in a comfortable hospital, right? Wrong. After 14 hours of contractions and no sign of the light at the end of my tunnel (literally) (sorry..), I opted for the drugs. To be honest, best decision I ever made. I was exhausted and the shot helped me sleep, which turned out to be pretty handy since I haven't done it again since that night.

So my mom curled up on the recliner, Mark layed out on the floor and my dad gave it his very best effort to get comfortable on the only chair left and we all tried to rest up. The midwife and nurse came in periodically for the next few hours but no real changes were happening so they decided to start me on Pitocin to speed things up- the epidural had slowed down progress.

Sorry for the pic quality- I was snapping from my iPhone..

After that we waited a few more hours as we all watched my contractions on the little screen next to my bed. They all grabbed some breakfast just in time for the nurse to tell me I couldn't eat anymore so I snacked on ice chips.

Things got a little scary when the nurse put me on oxygen because the babies heart rate was slowing down. Apparently it wasn't a big deal but it scared the life out of me and I had a little breakdown. Luckily everything got back on track.

At about 12: 15 the nurse came in for another check, she called in the midwife who checked as well and they decided it was time to push, the baby had worked his way down and was knocking on the door.

I originally planned to only have Mark and my mom in the room but we decided that my dad could stay too- as long as he stayed behind my head at all times no matter what, which he happily agreed to. He actually filmed the whole thing from a respectable angle (my only request was that there be no pictures/videos of my lady bits). Ten minutes into pushing, we had a little boy. I wanted skin on skin so he was placed right on my chest and I have never been so in love in my entire life.

Mark cut the cord and stood by while Leo got his first bath and all the other pokes and prods that newborns need and then we finally got some time to experience life as a family of three.

It was a terrifying, exhausting, and absolutely amazing experience. They say you forget about the hours of labor you've gone through as soon as they put the baby in your arms and they were absolutely right.

Now, he is sleeping so I'm going to take a much needed nap.

H x

A few more pics :)

Car ride home from the hospital

First time meeting Aunt Amber

Tummy Time

Packed and Ready!

39 weeks and ONE DAY!

Still no tell tale signs of his big entrance to the world but we are still prepping like those crazy doomsday preppers on that weird show (that I don't watch..I swear..ok just like 1 or 4 episodes..)

Pinterest is full of Hospital bag checklists that you can add to every pregnancy book and magazine checklist and then finally to the checklist that the actual hospital gives you so I feel pretty ready. I've probably overdone it, which is no big surprise if you've ever seen me pack for anything at all. We've also gone ahead and installed the car seat, making it feel really really real.

We are bringing two bags, one for us (mainly me) and one for baby. Here's what we've got (sorry about the iPhone pic quality):

The mommy bag:

1. Nursing tank top and a couple nursing bras
2. A few pairs of big ol granny panties-the ones that go over the belly button incase of a c section
3. A couple pairs of baggy pants
4. Some maternity shirts
5. A nightgown to deliver in
6. A robe to walk in in case I'm walking the halls to get the little guy out
7. Some comfy socks- I didn't get the non slip ones so hopefully I won't be sliding around the hallways..
8. Toiletries- mini shampoo/conditioner, soap, face wash, makeup remover, lotion, pads, etc..
9. Snacks ( I added a few more after this pic, we all know what hospital food is like) 
10. Hard candy to suck on if they cut me off from food
11. Speaker for music-we're thinking about creating a playlist
12. Not pictured- iphones. makeup, iPad, lap top, pillows. The stuff that we use on a day to day and can't throw in the bag yet. Also some clothes for Mark.

The baby bag:

1. I probably over did the clothes but I couldn't decide so I've packed a couple onesies and a long sleeve one too 
2. A sleep bag
3. Socks and an extra hat
4. A big warm fluffy outfit for the cold trip home
5. Diapers and wipes
6. Powder and cream
7. Receiving blanket and cloth diapers
8. Breast pads/nipple cream
9. A big warm blanket and a tiny soft one complete with teddy bear
10. Boppy feeding pillow

Now, I'm off to pack and repack a few more times..

H x

8 Month Update

So, here we are, in the final weeks (it seems like years...)

As I write this I am officially 38 weeks and 1 day and I am jumping with barely disguised hope every time I get a strange cramp or belly ache. I've yet to experience any of the tell tale signs of labor but I hope you will all say a little prayer for me that it will happen soon (go ahead, i'll wait..)

If all else fails I'm not above trying the eggplant parmesan at Scalini's down the road from my house to kick start the process. It's apparently worked for over 300 desperate ladies and everyone we meet mentions it to me, so maybe it's more than a rumour..and I do enjoy a nice eggplant parmesan.

So here's my latest (and hopefully last) pregnancy update:

Weight Gain: to be honest, I've asked the nurse not to tell me anymore because it bums me out so much. I did accidentally hear her at my last appointment and I'm right around the 40 lb mark which is more than I wanted to gain. This has probably been one of the hardest parts of the pregnancy for me as I had just about reached a goal weight that I had worked long and hard for right before I found out I was pregnant. I am already organizing a healthy weight loss and exercise plan to begin as soon as I get the ok from my doc so I won't get too down and out just yet.

To be perfectly honest, in my last 2 weeks of pregnancy,  I've reached the point that I couldn't care less, pass me another cookie, won't you?

The Bean: Man this kid has some moves. All the baby books tell you to not be too worried if you don't feel the baby move as much in the last weeks as he won't have as much room. Our little river dancer laughs in the face of those baby book authors and shuffles around like he's got his own little version of So You Think You Can Dance in there.

According to the books, he's about 19 inches and 6 lbs, give or take.

Sleep: Despite my best relaxation efforts sleep is not happening as much as I would like at the moment. I do take Unisom to help out, but all the aches and pains combined with the anxiety is just not a good cocktail for the z's.

Eating: Unfortunately, this hasn't changed. I still want to eat just about everything that you put in front of me, or that I see on tv, or that I can conjure up in my imagination. Luckily, our local grocery store is only minutes away..

The good, the bad, the ugly: I'm not going to lie, pregnancy is not a beautiful journey of glowing skin and luxurious long locks, at least not for me. It started that way, tricking me into the idea that I would have a full 9 months of compliments on how much I was positively glowing, dahling.

But, here I am, sitting on a couch, trying to see the computer around my gigantic belly with my gigantic swollen feet propped up, trying to type with my gigantic swollen sausage fingers.

I was a bit unlucky when I started getting pelvic and hip pains in my 5th month but now they can be pretty unbearable, making exercise impossible. Still, I didn't get any morning sickness so I shall refrain from complaining too much.

I have had some pretty ferocious heartburn, which, if the old wives tales are correct, means he will probably come out with some sort of afro.

Weirdly, and I debated writing this on here, my armpits have gotten really dark. Gross, right? When we were traveling in India and Nepal I kept seeing whitening deodorant, now I wish I had picked some up. And finally, just when I thought I had avoided them, the first of my lovely stretch marks have shown up. I know they are genetic but I also noticed they only appeared when I slowed down on drinking water so guzzle that H2O ladies!! Luckily, there are only a few so, again, I will not complain too much.

I'm going to get an adorable baby boy for all my troubles so it's all worth it, right?

We spent last weekend cleaning the house (nesting) and his nursery is just about ready, we're just waiting on the hand made crib from grandpa (pics to come).

The hospital bags are packed and the car seat has been installed.

Now we wait....

H x

Settled and Showered

WE ARE FINALLY IN OUR HOUSE! Cue the chorus of angels...

I've not updated in a while because, to be honest, it would have been something like:

Day 1: sat at my parents house waiting for word from the moving company
Day 2: Sat at my parents house waiting for word from the moving company, played with the dogs...
Day 3: Went to Target, still no word from the moving company..

Not exactly interesting reading..


We did, however, have a pretty fantastic baby shower thrown for us by my lovely mom and sister. I'm still blown away by the love and support we received for Baby Bean, and he's not even here yet. Baby C got a ton of good gear and I'm feeling just a little bit more prepared now.

Here's some pics of our AMAZING shower. Thanks again Mom and Amber!!!!

Thanks to everyone who came and made Mark and me (and Bean) feel so loved.

H x