'baby booking'

Norah's baby book

Many people joke that they were the second child and their baby book was never finished.  I vowed not to do that with my kids!  Then I had my own kid… I failed to even get a baby book until a month or two after she was already born.  Wow, was I behind!  I thought all my pictures and my note on my iPhone would help me out when filling it out but there are things in it that I didn’t even think about! 

I picked out a baby book online because it was the only one with turtles and that was the theme I had chosen for Norah’s room.  It was super cute and I was excited when it came!  Then I opened it and started flipping through the pages… I am definitely not up to date with current affairs or headlines and that was an entire page of the book.  Ugh!  Boy, was I in trouble.  (I think I’ll have Nathan fill out that page for me.)

For those new parents or moms/dads-to-be here are some tips for baby booking:

1) If you can, buy your baby book before your baby is born.  It’s important to know what sections there are and what milestones they have to fill in.  You can make your own if you’d like.  I might do that if I have another child and keep track of it in a photo book or something.  (I made a “Welcome Norah!” book of Norah’s first month of life already and plan on making a 1 year book of Norah’s first year also.  They make great presents for grandparents and family!)

2) I heard the joke that once you have a baby your Facebook becomes “baby book.”  Well, there you go - use social media to your advantage!  If you are posting highlights and milestones on Facebook whether it’s public or “only me” under privacy (if I posted every picture I loved of my baby I would be posting every 5 minutes), you have the dates documented of when things happened!  This is also true if you use an iPhone or other phone that records dates and times of when photos were taken, however the nice thing about actually writing a post is that you have a caption to go with the photo (I didn't do this but I kind of wish I did so I'm passing the tip on to you!).  Hooray!  Now you just need to make time to fill out the book…

Perhaps you already had your baby and didn’t get a book yet or maybe you’re pregnant and don’t have one yet or aren’t going to get one until afterward.  Here are some of the things that they ask for in mine so that you can keep track on your phone or on a piece of paper as your baby grows:

3) Fill out as much as you can before they are born/before you get your book so you can just transfer it later when you get one/when you get time:

Current gas/grocery store item prices & current events/famous people: if I were to redo (or have a second child) I would fill out the current events and keep an eye out at grocery stores for prices while I was still pregnant because once your baby is born, it’s a whole new ball game!  For me, I didn’t get enough sleep and still don’t, much less have lots of extra time to put together Norah’s baby book.  (I’m surprised I am awake to write this blog!)  Fill them out before hand if you can to save yourself the trouble of trying to Google them or fill them in later (I definitely googled a few prices of 2014 vehicles since I had no clue and the book asked for it!).

Family: you can fill out your family tree as soon as you get the book since the only new addition should be the baby in the next few weeks!  If you don't know all of your grandparents' names, that's okay! I didn't either (all of my passed before I was born :( ).  I had to ask both my mom and mother-in-law.

Showers/gifts: my awesome friends and family made me lists of which guests brought what gifts so it would be easier for me to write thank you cards.  I wrote them all!  …now getting them to everyone is another topic but I digress.  That same list can be copied into your baby book for the showers and gifts that baby received.  :)

4) Keep notes for the rest of the sections  – About mom/dad: the book I got for Norah has sections to write about myself and my husband.  Mine is filled out but his is not.  Hopefully he will remember what he was thinking before she was born/when she was born! (You could fill out the about yourself stuff prior and then your thoughts about the baby coming but need to fill out what you thought after she/he was born later.)

Norah's 6 month wellness visit

Things to keep: hospital bracelet, copy of birth certificate, birth announcement, a grocery receipt and a copy of the paper with the birth announcements – we don’t get the paper so I had to go to the Knoxville News Sentinel building and get one.  Luckily they print birth announcements at the end of the month (usually Saturday or Sunday depending on your paper) and keep copies of them till the end of the month… and lucky for me since I went in   (I was able to do a search online to find out which dates her name was in the paper before I went.)

June they reprint the May birth announcements the first week of June so I got the June 2 paper with her birth announcement in it even though they had gotten rid of all of the May papers by then.

Milestones to be aware of/write down/post on social media: slept through the night, smiled, found my hands and feet, laughed out loud, clapped my hands, rolled over, sat up alone, crawled, ate solid food, stood by myself, took my first step, waved bye-bye, danced, and spoke my first word.

Other things to write down/keep mementos of: visitors - who visited baby in the hospital and the first few weeks at home.  For doctor’s well check-ups – write down both length, weight and percentiles for both.  If you forget you can always ask your provider to print a beautiful growth chart for you at a later date since we have EMR (electronic medical records) now.  When teeth broke through gums/showed up.  Favorite toys, best friends, colors, songs, stories, etc.  Each month ‘birthday’ write down a few memories of what happened over the last month, baby’s likes, dislikes, etc. Also some books include: first time traveling, holiday celebrations, first hair cut, etc.

Norah's first trip to the zoo! First exhibit: the Red Panda

I’ve talked to friends who wished they wrote more down or kept a journal when their baby was born.  If you would like to do that, great!  If not, you don’t have to.  I figure for me, it’s better to write down more notes than I think I might need because I can always delete it/recycle the paper but that whole “mommy brain” thing people talk about is totally real so you should try to make notes to help yourself remember all of these wonderful times!  I personally have not found time to journal but it sounds like a nifty idea if you can.

The most important thing to remember is that you’re there for your baby and doing your best.  Even if you don't have the most put-together baby book or don't even make one, it's nice to take a few pictures to see how much your baby has grown!

Baby book on friends!

-run for life

flying with your baby

Whether you live across the country from your family and are flying regularly or just going on a trip now and then I hope these tips help on your trip!  I grew up in the Bay Area but live in Knoxville, TN so Norah's first flight was at 3.5 months.  Since then we have gone home 2 more times and have quite a few more flights planned before she turns 2 and has to pay full price!

1) If you are breast feeding I recommend a scarf/wrap type nursing cover that basically encircles both of you. I can post pictures if you would like of the one I made. That way your back is covered and both sides regardless of where you're sitting on the plane.  I honestly still choose the window seat because I like being able to look out the window and have the wall next to me to block one side for the "just in case" wiggles as Norah gets older.

2) Leggings.  Hands down one of the greater travel inventions.  I am so glad my neighbor told me to try leggings when flying.  They keep Norah warm, make it much easier access to the onesie for a diaper change in confined spaces and are super cute!  They come in both boy and girl colors so even if you have a boy, I would recommend having at least one pair for traveling.  You can actually make them from knee length women's or men's socks following directions on some of the Pinterest sites.

3) Wear your baby if you can (I know some people have back problems or other reasons they cannot but I personally love wearing Norah.  Not only does it keep her happy and safe but I am hands free!  I wear her all the time even at home or going to grocery stores.)  I can carry things and do things like put my backpack on or go to the bathroom (yes, I go to the bathroom while wearing my baby.  You do what you gotta do friends & when you travel alone with your baby that's one of those things you gotta do!)  There are groups like Baby Wearing International that can help you learn to wrap or try different carriers you might like if you become a member (they have a lending library for members).  For us, we like the soft sided carrier with buckles to make it quick and easy to take her off and on.

4) Check or gate check your bag (if I don't get a free checked bag I usually gate check since most of the flights I'm on are full and they do it for free, otherwise I just carry).  It is SO much easier to make tight connections across the airport when you don't have to wait for your bag to be brought to you plane side.  This goes along with #3 when you take strollers into account.  Yes, I think it's great to be able to hang a ton of bags and other things on your stroller and I may change my mind when/if we have another kid and I can't wear two plus a backpack when I go home to visit my parents, but when you live at a small airport it is much easier not to wait for the stroller or gate checked bag to be brought up.  We would have missed our flight from Chicago to San Francisco last week if we had to wait!

5) Timing is really everything.  After 3 round trip multiple connection flights across the country (from 2-3  connections per trip) with Norah, I have 100% decided it is much easier to fly with her at night when she will be sleeping most of the way.  It is different for every baby so you may have to try different times to start but for her she sleeps fantastically in her pouch (Ergo Performance currently) and it makes my life so much easier on the plane.

6) My favorite traveling toys are ones with rings or the ability to attach them onto things (taggie toys with ribbons or other loops can totally be hooked onto things).  That way when I am carrying two bags, pulling a suitcase and wearing a baby I'm not dropping her toys (or if they fall they don't fall far!).  We gave out mini carabiners at our wedding and had a ton leftover (it was cheaper per piece to buy 250 instead of just 115 for the number of guests so it ended up being the same price for twice as many... So I have lots and I use them all the time!  The carabiner itself can be used as a simple travel baby toy too.)

And lastly, don't mind the other people around you.  I do my best to entertain her, keep her quiet and not bother other passengers but sometimes she cries. She's a baby!  Babies cry!  Some people may say mean things or judge you but in the end as long as you are doing your best to care for your child, it really doesn't matter what others think.

Fly on friends! 

- run for life

make time, one step at a time

As a dietitian I am always hearing about the latest diets and trends in the food world.  People will ask me questions about them or ask for advice.  Should they take a certain supplement or eat a certain way.  Honestly, not much has changed in the food world.  Granted, I’m not a fan of genetic modification and pesticides, but overall, not much has changed.

I don’t eat perfectly, but I try to make most of what my family eats myself.  I make our dough when we have pizza night (per my husband’s request we have pizza on Fridays but I feel better that I’m making it and we can put more veggies and less greasy meats on it), bread when we want bread and ice cream and waffle cones when we want ice cream.  (I probably eat more ice cream than I should and my excuse is that I am breast feeding right now.)

Often I notice that many people go entire days or even weeks without eating an actual vegetable.  It’s so easy in the American society to eat lots of carbs or meat sandwiched between carbs.  I have people tell me they don’t like vegetables or they don’t have time for them.  I think it’s important to make time.  Whether it’s an hour per week that you get off facebook or another social media site, we have time.  We make time for what is important. 

I am a busy mom myself and food preparation helps me a ton when planning what to eat or if I don’t really plan what we are going to eat, at least I have salads cut up and put into containers and peppers and onions diced for different dishes that I can throw them into.

It takes a little practice and is tough in today’s society to eat well, but it’s definitely possible.  You don’t have to go and buy completely organic or buy all fresh (frozen veggies are awesome and frozen at the peak of ripeness so they have all the nutrients and everything still in them!).  One step at a time, work on making healthier choices for you and your family.

-run for life

work for His glory

Back to the grind stone.  That's what they say when you get back to work, especially after a vacation.  Does it always have to feel like a chore?  I suppose it depends on who you work with and what you do.  One thing I try to remember is that I am working for God.  I happen to love my colleagues and get long with them great, but it doesn't matter unless I am glorifying God with everything I do.  Everything includes my job also!  

Sometimes there are paperwork things or parts I'm not a huge fan of but I am thankful I have a job and that God has allowed me to be able to speak to so many people.  I pray that He is able to show Himself through me to everyone I come in contact with from co-workers to patients and clients.  We aren't allowed to bring up the topic of God or religion but hopefully from my work ethic and the way I do my job everyone knows who I really serve.  It definitely isn't a clock or a grind stone!

I hope that we all can remember that in the end it's about Who we serve and that we do it with joy because others are watching.  They notice when we complain or grumble about our jobs or anything for that matter.  Personally, I am not always amazingly upbeat but I pray that I am a good example of a Christian who is a work in progress-trying to love others like Jesus does instead of judging them or pointing fingers.  One day at a time.  No matter what I'm doing, I choose to praise Him.

- run for life

3 reasons to cut back on technology

I have a love-hate relationship with technology.  I love that I can FaceTime my family across the nation and keep in touch and actually see them when we are talking now!  If you have family that lives far away you understand my joy in seeing everyone’s faces.  I grew up in the Bay Area and live in Tennessee now with no move in sight so I try my best to visit and make sure my baby knows her grandparents and my side of the family.

That’s the good side about technology – that you can keep in touch through video calls, phone calls, emails and texts.  I prefer talking but sometimes emails or text messages have to do.

The bad – well let’s just say there are quite a few reasons I don’t like technology.

1)      Technology can get in the way of actual face-to-face relationships.  Now when I go to restaurants or out in public I like to look around at other diners and see who is actually engaging and talking with their companions and who is sitting on their phone.  I have seen people who have 4-5 people at one table eating “together” and everyone will be on their phone not even talking to each other!  In this way, I think technology is a barrier to relationships and we need to put the phones or tablets down and learn to talk with one another without multitasking.  I’ve read multiple studies stating that America is one of the loneliest nations and I think technology contributes.

2)      I feel like technology has aided in my mental laziness.  Remember when we were kids and had to memorize our friend’s phone numbers?  I actually still have them all memorized!  I can tell you at least a dozen phone numbers from friends in high school before I got a cell phone in college.  I don’t even know my parent’s cell phone numbers because I just push the button.  That’s sad.  I still have a good memory, but definitely not as good as I did.  Whether that’s from getting older or from not using it as much (we can google everything now if we don’t know the answer), I couldn’t tell you, but I know it’s true.

3)      People pay less attention when they drive making the roads more frightening than ever.  I never liked driving to begin with.  I think it was mostly because there was always traffic at home, but now all of the people on their phones while driving scare me.  I have Bluetooth in my car so I’ll talk on the phone while driving but I don’t text and drive.  I put the phone across the car in my bag and it syncs with the Bluetooth automatically so I never have to touch my phone to answer it when someone calls or I want to call someone.  There are thousands of car accidents every day and the stats are astounding for the amount of people who still text and drive even though research and life show that it’s super unsafe.  I do use my phone for GPS and directions when going to a new place and unfortunately that has made it so I don’t learn the directions to get places as well.  I am working on trying to figure out how to get there before I go when I am driving so that I don’t have to look down at my phone for directions and don’t get lost as often.  I made it across the nation with a paper AAA map when I first moved out to Virginia back in 2007.  People were surprised to find out I didn’t have a GPS while I road tripped across the nation and again to the Mid West ball parks in 2008 (though they really shouldn’t have been surprised since I didn’t get texting until May 2010).

I think the take home story here is to use technology to your advantage.  When you can save time with it or money like coupons or an app (like CartWheel at Target!), do it.  Use it to stay in contact with your family and friends who are far away.  However, we need to put the phone down when we are with people in person and spend time with those we love when we can because they won’t always be there.  Those little moments are what I live for – playing with the baby and seeing her delight and excitement when she discovers something for the first time (like my nose!).  Hanging out with friends and actually talking to them without distractions from phones or what not.  Use them for emergencies.  Honestly, I’m no doctor on call whom people need to access 24/7, so I can leave my phone in my bedroom all night and nobody will know I didn’t have it in my hand.  I want to be a good example to my daughter that people are more important and it’s okay to be ‘bored’ sometimes and not constantly have our minds stimulated by a little colorful screen.

Who’s with me?

-run for life