Village Baby

The other day before we got dressed for the day, I wanted to try on Rei's new jeans that we got from my BFF since we were 11, Kate. Kate and her boyfriend Aaron came to visit this weekend, and brought Reilly a belated Christmas gift! It was so sweet. And maybe my favorite part, were these adorable jeans, that cuff on the bottom, like real people's jeans. They don't even have the baby-elastic on the waist - they are so funny! And I fell even more in love when I put them on Reilly, and she looked like this.

I died laughing. Something about the white t-shirt. My little Village Baby. Give us a Y-M-C-A, kiddo.

And as always, when I get excited and start laughing or making a fuss over her, Reilly get excited too.

And them she starts clapping. She doesn't know why Mama is so excited...but she's excited too!!

Well, Babygirl, we are excited about your jeans. Mama will put on her boyfriend jeans, and we'll go to town all matching and adorable and pretend it was an accident.

Thank you Kate and Aaron! For such a fun weekend, and contributing to the adorable attire of this little beany.

Love & Tiny Denim,

Dirt Road Mama

Perfecting the Pincer Grasp

Reilly baby is extremely content and agreeable, which is evident after spending minutes with her. She is happy to sit in my lap while we read a book, sit on the floor and play by herself, sit with other children, eat her veggies, whatever is on the horizon, she's happy to go along!

As her doctor said, sometimes with very content babies, it takes longer to reach milestones such as rolling over, simply because they are happy to be where ever they are, doing what they are doing. And even though she is making strides at moving, she is still so happy to stay put, babbling away with her giant 2-teeth grin. Similarly, Rei has just now been making the tell-tale signs of wanting to feed herself. If she sees something in front her, you can bet she'll try and grab it and eat it. But she never makes a move to grab for the spoon, or turn her head away when I feed her. She loves whatever food I give her, and is just so...content with it!

So this bring us to currently, as we are re-introducing some finger foods. She just wasn't ready before, but I think she just needs more practice perfecting her pincer grasp. (Pincer Grasp: Picture a pea on the table. Picture how you would pick up the pea. The position that your fingers are in is the Pincer Grasp. The End.) So she has been practicing with Puffs, broken in half (as was recommended by my cousin-in-law) because her mama is a lunatic. And the Pincer Practice is proving to be yet another hilariously amusing and adorable process. I just crack up watching her. And still, she never gets upset or frustrated when she doesn't get them in her mouth. Again, with the contentedness. Thank you Jesus for this amazing quality in our babyface.

So here's how it all goes down, step by step.


1. Grab Puff. Usually with fist, sometimes isolating those 2 key Pincer fingers. But typically still grabbing one in her fist. Which leads to the hilarious following events.

2. Try to put fist in mouth. "I know it's in there somewhere! Where is that little Puff?"

3. Suck on fist. Sometimes, taking fist out and staring at it, then resume sucking. As if the Puff will be sucked through her closed fingers, into her mouth.

4. Open fist really fast, and shove palm of hand toward mouth. Then suck on fingers. Again, hoping that the Puff magically makes it's entrance into the mouth.

5. Victory!!! Most times, the Puff falls and sticks to her bib or shirt. She will look down for a moment, then attack another Puff on her plate. But sometimes, this process produces victory. And when it does, it is oh-so-sweet-banana-flavored-Puff goodness.

6. Look around to make sure mama and da-da witnessed your success.

7. Repeat with next Puff.

Once Reilly Belle realizes how much easier the pincer makes this process, it will be all down hill. Into a giant pile of Puffs. But meanwhile, I like this process much better. Much more fun to watch and cheer her on, waiting to see the Fate of the Puff.

Love Puffin,

Dirt Road Mama

Mysterious Movement

Lately, I have been watching before my eyes as babygirl gets closer and closer to moving. She's not just getting close to crawling, but also moving in other ways. Ways I can't really explain...like I'll turn around to put something in the hamper, and she'll just be 4 feet from where she was chewing on a ball. And then she'll look up at me with this huge smile, like "Hey Mama! Look what I did!"

She pretty much likes going everywhere. And anywhere. But more specifically, going somewhere she isn't supposed to be. In order to grab something she isn't supposed to have. Yes, that's definitely the funnest place to be. For instance, grabbing the remotes. Or the phones. Or mama's water bottle.

Or when she's in her high chair, and she wants to clear the hutch with her one hand. The container of wipes ends up on the floor almost every meal. The funny part is, I keep moving it on the hutch thinking I've put it out of her reach. And then it's on the floor, and she's staring at me. And again, I'm bewildered. Do you just have really long arms, baby? How are you doing it?

Anytime I put her down , it's as if she scans her periph. What can I reach? What can I suck on? What looks fun and interesting? Any wires available? Anything that lights up? Or beeps? I love beeping. Where's mama's water bottle, I love that thing. It's so cold. Where the puppy? Her ears are so fun to pull. Anything around here have buttons? Or anything crinkly, or metal?

So I'm off to put those little plastic pieces in the outlets. Even though, she still can't crawl. Or scoot. Or even army crawl. But I'm convinced that she will inexplicably find a way to get there. She's very mysterious, how she keeps getting her little tiny fingers on what she wants.

I'm ready for you, chick. I have those eyes behind my head. They're not as big as yours, but they're there!

Love & Freakish Movements,

Dirt Road Mama

My Poor Girls

My poor little babydoll face is teething. Look at that face. I can't even deal. I want to just give her ice pops or something. She's not crying all day or anything, but she is fussier than normal in the afternoon. And she is chewing on anything and everything, more than normal.

I mean, everything.

My poor baby.

My poor breasts.

I know. Say a prayer for me. All my girls are suffering. Owie.


Love & Mama's Have the Highest Pain Tolerance in the Universe,

Dirt Road Mama

The Beauty of the Breakfast Burrito

I have a secret to tell you.

Since being pregnant, my body has required even more sleep than it normally does. And the normal sleep my body required, was that of a lazy teenage boy on a Saturday. But pregnancy really fatigued me permanently. And then the newborn-lack-of-sleep thing that we all know and love. So long story short, it's very hard for me to get up in the morning and see my beloved off the work.

Which makes me sad! I love seeing him in the morning, having our coffee, watching Sports Center, chit-chatting it up, reminding of things such as his water bottle, lunch, and scarf. However - it is dark out when he is up. I mean BLACK. He wakes up at 5:00. Sometimes, I'm so tired that I don't even hear his alarm.

[Sidenote: His alarm plays nature sounds, because once we had the baby, his beeping alarm woke up the whole house. Babygirl and I weren't havin' it.]

Anywho, some days I cannot bring myself to wake up with him. BUT. Hubby does go off to work, every day, with a nutritious and delicious breakfast in his belly. That I made him. How, you ask? Well, with these magical burritos. Allow me to explain.

I found this recipe for Breakfast Burrito To Go, on The Pioneer Woman, a blog that I cook by almost nightly. And I knew it was my solution. Except her recipe is for about 12-15 burritos...and I make 30. Yes, 30. I make 30 burritos, then wrap them individually, then bag them in freezer bags (5 per bag), and freeze them. Every Sunday night, Hubby grabs a bag out of the freezer, puts it in the fridge, and BAM. Breakfast all week. As I sleep for 2 more glorious hours. Amen.

Here's how I do it:
(If you want to make these, you should probably half or quarter this recipe. Unless you want 30 burritos. But the good part is, all amounts are approximate, so you can do anything you want with these!)

First, wash, peel, chop some potatoes. I believe I did 5 pounds.
Then, parboil them. Parboil means: partially boil! Genius, right? So you boil for a bit, and they'll keep cookin' later.

Next: Chop up some peppers. Any colors that are on sale! And also, some vidalia onions. But I was out of onions, whattaya gunna do.

Hi peppers. You're pretty.

Them grab some loose sausage. Brown that on up! Then place in a bowl to set aside.

Next, throw some EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) in a pan. You want to get the onions and peppers nice and soft, and brown up the potatoes a bit.

So now you have nice and brown "breakfast potatoes", and some browned sausage.

Next, get some nice sharp cheddar cheese. You can use already shredded, but I like to shred my own because ya get more flavor. I usually use my shredder or food processor. But if you're like me, you'll forget that cheese is in the recipe until the last minute, and not feel like getting out your food processor. So you'll just chop it up. I'm all about making life easy. And being forgetful.

Then you'll whisk up some eggs. And by "some", I mean 22 eggs. Yes that's right.
And we do not fear the yolks in this house. Eggs are a superfood, and yolks have most of the nutritional value in the egg. Eggs are fabulous for your body. The whole egg, and nothing but the egg. It's true, go google it.

So anyway, you throw the cheese into eggs. Add some pepper. Salt if you want, but not necessary really. Then you pour the eggs into the already cooked potatoes and sausage, and stir constantly until the eggs are all cooked into the mixture.

Anywho, moving on. Grab lots-o-packages of nice big soft tortillas.

And now I will show you how to wrap a burrito.

Somewhat inadequately, because I was doing it with one hand.

So you put a little scoop of your mixture of delish onto the tortilla.

Then you scoop it in to a nice little bunch, like below. Kind of long, like a hotdog shape.

Then you grab the 2 ends, and fold them in. Pretend both sides are doing the same thing here.

Then, with your thumbs, you roll the flap that is closest to you, around your bunch of goodness, keeping the sides folded in.

And bam! You're done. See the fold on the right there? I learned the art of folding wraps by watching the wrap station at college. Who says I didn't learn anything at school?

Then you make a nice pile. This is half the amount that I made. You can either serve here, wrap them individually and freeze them, or warm them/crisp them in the oven. I like em a little crispy on the outside. YUM.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the Beauty of the Breakfast Burrito. Go forth, make buritos, freeze them, and sleep. In that order. Make a hubby smile today!

Love & Mr. Sandman,

Dirt Road Mama

Chillin'

Hey Rei?

Hey Mama!

Whatcha doin, Baby?

Ya know. Just chillin'.


Are you tired today?

Well, see, Mama. All this learning. And almost-but-not-quite moving. It take a toll a girl. And sometimes, you just need some time to chill.

I totally agree, peanut. Can mama chill with you for a little?

Sure thing, mama! Let's just clean up my diaper so we're nice and comfy, get me a new dry bib, and get like 6 or 7 books and you can read to me, while we chill! Nice and relaxing.

...what, no good, Mama?

Oh, no that sounds great, sweet pea! Nice and....relaxing!

Love & a pampered little Babygirl,

Dirt Road Mama

Breast Feeding Tips

Or should I call them, tipples. Ha! I crack myself up with these puns. It's in my blood. My dad, Poppy, is King of Puns. So is my Uncle Bill. It's been passed down through the generations.

Anywho, I've been thinking a lot lately about breast feeding, and certain things that helped me or worked really well in those early weeks and months. I've been talking lately with lots of new or almost mamas, and our conversations have jogged my memory regarding the precious early months of breastfeeding. And I thought I'd share some things that have been brought back to the forefront of my mind. Partially, because I don't want to forget them for my next babydoll! And partially, because I want people to know that it doesn't come easy. I talk about it alot because I love it so much, and it's been a huge part of my everyday life this year.

But for new mamas...don't think it was perfect, and that maybe you are doing something wrong. It takes work, practice, and consistency. If it's hard in the beginning, stick with it, ask questions, because it's hard for many - you are not alone. Sucking is an instinct for babes, but breastfeeding must be taught to them. Reilly, in the beginning, didn't latch on one of breasts. It took weeks before she stayed on and could latch on correctly. And some of my friends have had a much harder time, but they stuck with it. I tell you this because I would never want someone to read about my joyful breast feeding experience, and think, well it came so easy for her, maybe I'm doing something wrong. Maybe my baby just can't do it. Maybe I just can't do it.

Well, I think you can do it. And here are some tipples that helped me in the beginning. Little things that may not be in the books.

1. Send Hubby or BFF or the mailman to the store. Ask him to get your favorite candy. Put it in a Ziplock bag next to your bed, or rocking chair, or where ever you feed baby. Eat this candy when you breastfeed. I didn't eat mine during the day, I made it my midnight treat. It gave me a little jolt of sugar to keep me awake, and gave me a little positive-reinforcement-esque reward at every feeding. Every 2 hours. All night. Oh, and it's guilt-free candy eating, because baby is taking SO many calories from you! Woo!

2. Get a giant waterbottle that you love, stick a straw in it, and keep it full. I have this one from Life is Good. I carry it everywhere, even in restaurants, which may or may not be acceptable. But I don't care, I'm breastfeeding, it's for my baby. So there. Anyway, hydration is so important. They say you should drink a good amount while your feeding, too. So fill it up with your fav beverage, non alcoholic preferably, and drink up!

3. When baby is new new new, they will fall asleep all the time while feeding. I mean all. the. time. The old addage of "Do not wake a sleeping baby!" does not apply to breastfed babies. You must wake them every 2 hours, because they will only give you 1 good stretch of sleep a day (5 hours or so) and you want to train them to do that stretch at night. So wake them every 2 hours during the day, and let em go as long as they will at night.

So the nurse taught me to keep my finger right under Reilly's jaw while I fed, and to look at the little spot next to her ear while she sucked. If the little part of her jaw next to her ear was moving, she was eating. If not, I tapped under her jaw very lightly, and poof! She started sucking again. Awesome tip for me.

4. Do not feel badly when you hear that your friends babies are sleeping 12 hours at 4 weeks. Formula fed babies sleep longer right off the bat, because it is so heavy in their stomach. The vast majority of breastfed babies will not sleep for very long stretches for a while, because it moves through them so fast. But bonus - their poop will never smell! :)

5. Once the baby is about 5 weeks old, start pumping! Pumping in the morning (before noon sometime) will give you a better pump (more milk) because your hormones are much higher. Pump and store the milk in the freezer, and save for Dad to give a bottle at night. This will give you a nice stretch of sleep that you havn't had since pre-pregnancy.

6. Get a breastfeeding shawl or coverup, and bring it everywhere you go. You'll be so happy you did. And then you'll breastfeed everywhere and anywhere before you know what hit ya. And trust me, half the people around you won't even notice. Until babe is 8 months like Rei and pull the shawl off her mid-feed to play peek-a-boo. Awesome.

7. Regarding that glass of wine that you want to have. But don't know when to have, because baby gets everything you drink or eat via the milk. I read this, and it's the best tip I got - if you're okay to drive, your okay to breastfeed. So you can have wine, or anything else for that matter, as long as it doesn't affect you too much. And if you had too much, grab that frozen milk you pumped!

That's what I got right now, girls. I share this with you because the number one thing you need in order to breastfeed, besides breasts, is support. Support from professionals with information, support from other mamas who have tips, and support from Hubbies and family.

So here I am, a mama full of information and opinions, saying "You can do it, mama!" Go for it. Breast feed that baby. You'll be happy you did it.

Love & Tipples,

Dirt Roadd Mama