nom noms.

 so.  as soon as little miss started cereal and subsequently, solids...i knew i wanted to attempt to make her food.  i had gotten some tips from friends and family who have done it, and before i knew it...i had a freezer full of a variety of foods and i had fun doing it!

it's cheaper.
it's healthier.
it's easier than you think.
it's fun!
and you know exactly what's going in their belly.

what you need:

something you can use to steam.

something you can use to puree.

ice cube trays.

baggies.

what you do:
chop it.
steam it.
puree it.
add water (if needed).
pour it.
freeze it.
bag it.
date it.

mixed veggies and ground turkey

mango.

black beans.

peas and butternut squash

i've also made: applesauce, carrots, mixed veggies + brown rice, sweet potatoes, avocado, bananas and peaches.

i microwave two cubes for 60 seconds and voila...a healthy "homemade" meal for your little one!

 

merry merry merry!

...

where she sleeps.

don't have a baby at 36 weeks or you won't finish her nursery until she's six months old.  there's no explanation other than pure procrastination.  and child rearing. 

ok, ok...i will say that we waited on a lot because we didn't know her gender until her birthday, but really, i just kept putting off the crafting time and time again.

here it is.  where she sleeps.

dresser from babies r us (changed hardware) | mirror from home goods, painted.

crib from target.com | swivel rocker from diapers.com

diy "d" | night stand and bookshelf ikea | vintage rocking horse from grandma

bedding from etsy shop | wall color - silver sage, from restoration hardware

and this is what took me 6 months to craft.  paper ball mobile thingy.

my fav piece in the room.  cut by my friend audrey with blue heeler designs {bhd*}

these are also a new addition.  ikea spice rack shelves turned book shelves.

no fancy bumper here.  i went for breathable.  sheets match the changing pad cover.

*people...it's for real...after MONTHS of telling her she needs to go viral...audrey will f.i.n.a.l.l.y. have a website in the new year.  blueheelerdesign.com

...

fa la la la la.

 christmas!!!

tacky sweater party.  jake lookin a little creepy.

pinterest.  here is the link.

captivated.

smooches from santa.

...

the world according to drew | month 6

say what?  s i x  m o n t h s? 

i feel like i need to start planning her first birthday.  not really.

here's what's [been] going on in drew's world.

- i weigh 12.5 lbs (2nd percentile)

- i am 25" long (22nd percentile)

- i've grown 4" in two months!

- i wear size 1 diapers

- i'm somewhere between 0-3 and 3-6 clothes

- i babble all of the time and figured out how to make raspberries

- i "fake cough" to get attention

- i giggle

- i have no interest in sitting up but i like to stand (assisted...see pic below)

- i love the jumper and exersaucer

- i transfer toys from hand to hand

- e v e r y t h i n g goes in. my. mouth.

- i have a diva like scream if i'm pissed

- amidst all the toys, my favorite thing is a good ol' measuring spoon

- i reach out for mommy

- i've started to prefer mommy over daddy (she's got the goods)

- i still nurse when i'm not at the sitter

- i am a paci girl, especially when i'm  a sleepy pickle

- i've been loving sweet potatoes, squash and cereal

- and peas and carrots

- i just tried pears and peaches and they're a little too sweet

- i'm about to start two solids a day!

- i sleep 8-6:45ish (most nights)

- i'm a pretty good napper (once i get to sleep)

- all in all, i'm a pretty happy lady

- ...and i'm cute as pie!

sit up?  no thanks.  i'd rather stand.

these are the outtakes.  there were more of these than there were good ones.

my little alfalfa.

in other news...

my bff, katie, had her baby on 11.30.12

she just happens to be drew's bff

she just doesn't know it yet.

introducing, baby avery

just a tiny little peanut at 6 lbs. 3 oz. and 19 in.

she's her mommy's daughter.

holding her, i really could n.o.t. fathom that drewbie was that eensie weensie at one point.

halfway to a year.  what will the next six months bring?

 

post share & quick grammy trip.

i had to share this post that i came across.  

she said everything so well and it made me cry...good tears.

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in other news...my mom came to visit from ny!  the trip was short and i had to work, but let's be honest...she came to see drew.  grammy got to babysit for three whole days and, while we think little pickle might be teething (that's a whole other post), they had so much fun!

our "thanksgiving" dinner out.

grammy overfed my child. 

we miss you, grammy.  see you in march.

**while i'm at it though...please give me any teething tips you may have!  jeepers!


...

on work and breastfeeding.

work | i wanted to get some real time under my belt before blogging about my feelings of being a working mom.  in a nutshell, it isn't as bad as i thought it would be.  day 1 definitely had me more anxious than anything.  i have been prioritizing and balancing things pretty well and it's definitely doable.  now...those weeks when jake is out of town [for work] and i'm working and taking care of a wee one are kind of tricky but we make do because we have to.  i have some great family who constantly offer help and a dad who will cook me a steak dinner on a tuesday just because jake's gone!  my sitter friend takes care of drew like she does her own and i have winter/spring and summers breaks to look forward to.  do i miss her?  terribly.  but a schedule that changes on the half hour, makes for a busy and quick day.

----------

breastfeeding | the first week she was born, i actually said to myself, "if i make it a month i will be proud".  now...i have to say i'm loving it.  is pumping at work twice a day a little taxing?  yes.  but here are some benefits i've found [aside from the normal/obvious ones].

-- while it is time consuming, i get to "check out" for 15 min. two times a day and check facebook.pinterest.instagram have a little time to myself [thankfully, right now, my schedule allows this]
-- i get to hang with my tiny lady while jake does other things like dishes and laundry, you know...because "i'm tied up at the moment"
-- i get to be the last to kiss her goodnight
-- if when she gets up anywhere from 3-5 am, there are no bottles to be made as i sleep walk to her room
-- easy on the wallet
-- easy on the waistline [i may nurse forever for this reason alone, as i still eat like i'm pregnant]
-- i have an excuse to eat an extra 500 calories a day

my happy little pickle butt.

...

the world according to drew | month 5

no doc appt this month but daddy weighed me and i'm about 11 lbs. 6 oz.

i still wear 0-3 clothes and some newborn pants (believe it or not) 

i wear size 1 diapers (we actually really like target brand)

i roll all over the place, back.to.belly and belly.to.back!

everything goes in my mouth

i sleep roughly from 8-6...roughly

i'm eating oatmeal cereal and loving it

i am still nursing

i take 5 oz. every 3-5 hours

i giggled for the first time this week

my arms aren't swaddled any more but my feet still are

i roll on my side to sleep, most of the time

i'm pretty content and smiley

my eyes are changing a bit to be more hazel

still have red hair and lots of it

i kick my legs like a bucking bronco

i'm into taking a paci again (mommy thanks me)

i have a fiery little squeal if i'm kinda ticked off (must be the red hair)

in related news...

before and after shots from our first cereal.  10/23/12

 

her first wedding.  jake's bff, steve.

just modeling a little head band by spoiled n sweet bowtique for glory photography.

we sort of dressed up for halloween.

  i will leave you with this one.  it's hard to believe how much has changed since month one.  she's still eensie weensie but she was just so tiny with no meat on those little bones.  yay for rolls!

pregnancy and infant loss

today is pregnancy and infant loss awareness day.
so i just had to post in honor of some itty bitty lives.
...and feel happy that i've shared our story.

i thought maybe when drew came, that i'd tuck that page of our story in the back of my mind and think about it every december 7th, only.  but the truth is, with the constant reminder of such a precious little one, i think of that heartbeat every day.

so, while life goes on...and another little itty bitty life filled a deep hole in our hearts...i will keep that little heartbeat close to mine.  always.

...

the world according to drew | month 4

 


i weigh 10 lbs. 14 oz. - that's 5th percentile
i am 24" long - that's 38th percentile
i eat 4-5 oz. every 3-4 hours
i'm still nursing and i have been picky about bottles
...but i'm getting better!
i go to bed around 8:30
...and i've slept 10 hours the past two nights!
i wear size 1 diapers
i wear 0-3 clothes and my mommy squeezes me in some newborn
i still have red hair
i've lost a little on the sides
my eyes are still blue/gray
i love to talk, especially in the morning
i enjoy tummy time
i'm so close to rolling over
i absolutely love bath time
...but hate getting out
i like to suck on the nubbins of my luvee (see video)
i love to lay and kick on my play yard
i reach for, grasp and hold things
i love links
everything goes in my mouth
i love watching my doggy walk around the house
we just retired the baby swing for a jumper (thanks cousin hudson!)

 

...