Kate & her Exersaucer

The litte CEO of our household at her Command Center:

Kate: 5 Months

That's What I Said

"People just say that so you don't question paternity."

Said by me to G as part of our ongoing debate on who Kate resembles the most, after he said, "More people have been saying she looks like me lately."

Real Life

G+D=K

Here's a little something I recently realized:

G (my husband's first initial) is the 7th letter of the alphabet.
D (my first inital) is the 4th letter of the alphabet.

7+4=11

And guess what the 11th letter of the alphabet is: K, for Kate!

So G+D=K.

Neat, huh? How do your initals work out?

Layers Over Love Handles

Just a few weeks after I had Kate I was stupid enough to go shopping at my favorite store. I found these jeans on the clearance rack and loved the wash on them. They were in my pre-pregnancy size so I took them to the fitting room to see where things were at with me, my ego, and my abdominals.

Big mistake.

All three were still pretty bruised.

But I just couldn't walk away from that clearance price tag and the hope that MAYBE SOMEDAY these jeans would fit me. So I bought them, and they became my "goal jeans."

Now fast forward to the other day when I was racing around the house trying to get dressed and out the door in time for work. You'd think by now I'd be planning what to wear the night before, but no--because that would require planning.

Up to this point I'd pretty much been rotating the same 3 pairs of pants--the ones I knew fit me. But on this day all 3 pairs were dirty. Like, super dirty. As in, each pair probably should have been washed two wearings ago, dirty.

That's a bit more than Febreeze should be expected to handle.

So I dug in my jeans drawer and the first pair I grabbed were my goal jeans. Never worn, tags still on.

Curiosity overpowered my desire to beat rush hour traffic so I pulled them on...and holy hell I got them zipped up--and buttoned!

But BHAAAAAAAAAG, whatthemotherlover?!?!

Um, hello ginormously huge love handles. Thank you for reminding me that just because you can zip 'em up and button 'em doesn't mean they fit.

Of course a normally sane person would take the jeans off and move on to the next pair--but not me. These were my goal jeans, and dammit I was going to wear them. TODAY. Besides, jeans stretch, right? I mean, I'm sure these jeans would easily stretch the necessary extra 5 inches on the drive to work alone. Hell, I'd probably need a belt by lunch time. Oh yes, without a doubt. These jeans fit me perfectly...just as soon as I cover those love handles.

By now I'm so late for work that I've already cancelled my Starbucks stop, have convinced myself that I have enough gas to make it there without filling up first, and have already committed to running every yellow and red light. So I flew through my closet and found the biggest, roomiest shirt I had and threw that on.

Love handles still visible.

Must add more clothing.

So then I found a cardigan that fell at just the perfect spot to do the trick, topped it off with a necklace for added distraction, and did my hair and makeup in the car.

When I arrived at work my friend Jill complimented my outfit and added, "You always look so pulled together."

I have the greatest friends.

I really do.


Jeans: Gap
Shirt: New York & Company
Cami: New York & Company
Cardigan: Gap
Boots: Nine West
Necklace: So old I can't remember, but the safe money is on Target.
Coffee: Black, and strong.

Kate: 4 Months

Personalized onesie made by Amber from The Cotton Cupcake Shoppe
Kate turned 5 months old this week and I cannot get over the developmental explosion that has occurred in her over this past month! Who knew so much happened at only four months old?!?

We decided to make a few--fairly major, in my opinion--changes once Kate turned four months old, starting with moving her to her crib. Prior to this point Kate had been sleeping in a bassinet next to our bed. I loved being able to just open my eyes to see her and know that she was okay, but we couldn’t keep her there forever. She was starting to outgrow it and we were concerned that the longer we waited to transition her to her crib the harder it might be. (On me.) Well I’m happy to report that we all did great and Kate has successfully transitioned to sleeping in her own room in her own crib!

The next transition was weaning her from swaddling. We had planned on doing this slowly, and a few weeks after the transition to her crib because we didn’t want too many changes at one time, but when I was getting Kate ready for her second night of sleeping in her crib she pitched a fit like I have never seen when I was swaddling her! So I made a deal with her: “If you bust out of this swaddle tonight I promise not to re-swaddle you.” She busted out of it within ten minutes, and I kept up my end of the bargain. As I expected she didn’t sleep as well that night as she usually does, but we made it through. And once we made it through one night without swaddling we decided to go for it and quit cold turkey. Each night got a little better than the one before it and it didn’t take long at all before she was sleeping like her usual self again.

Now that we were no longer wrapping Kate up in a baby straightjacket each night, she embraced the opportunity for movement and almost instantly turned into a side-sleeper. We couldn’t believe it! All these months of sleeping on her back and the second she had the option to shift positions she went for it. Who knew? Shortly after this, Kate rolled over for the first time on purpose (she had an unintentional roll-over at 3 months old during some too vigorous tummy time which may or may not have traumatized her for life--we’re putting money away for the therapy bills just in case). But this one was a REAL roll over! Of course I had to grab the video camera to try to capture it on film for Grandma Pam--and here it is! Once Kate figured out this skill--and how to roll from her front to her back--she quickly went from being a side-sleeper to a tummy sleeper!

Kate’s hand coordination has also grown in leaps and bounds over this past month. It seems like every day Greg and I are going nuts over some new, amazing, and incredibly talented thing she is doing with her hands. “She just reached out and grabbed that toy! Did you see that?” or “Kate just hit the button that makes the ‘moo’ sound! I bet she did that on purpose--she’s brilliant!” or “OH MY GOD SHE JUST PICKED UP HER PACI AND PUT IT BACK IN HER MOUTH! I’m adding that skill to her college applications.”

More “firsts” this month include her first trip to the dog park (she loved it) and her first time being transported in a baby carrier instead of her stroller--she really loved that! G walks with her forward-facing in the carrier and she is all smiles and laughs (not to mention lots of spit-up--it’s a bouncy ride) the entire time! We also introduced Kate to her Exersaucer, Bumbo chair, and Jumperoo this month and it is like a whole new world has opened up for her! She just LOVES her Exersaucer and Jumperoo--especially the Jumperoo. It’s so much fun to watch her bounce away, and here's a video of her doing just that.

Hanging The Girls Out To Dry

Back when I was pregnant and daydreaming about carefree afternoons breastfeeding our allergic-to-crying newborn while G massaged my feet and neighbors dropped off casseroles with the calories and onions already removed, I'd read all about how perfect breast milk was for your baby. "Nature's food," one book touted. "Perfectly designed by Mother Nature herself to provide your baby with absolutely everything she needs."

That's bullshit.

If that were true then my breast milk would come out thickened with rice starch and spiked with Ranitidine medication--both of which my poor reflux-suffering daughter needs.

A few weeks ago I posted about the significant feeding issues we've been having with Kate--primarily that she has reflux and has been rejecting my breast milk. At that time, I was still pumping in desperate hopes that we would be able to get her back on breast milk because FORMULA WAS NOT IN MY PLAN DAMMIT…but no such luck.

We’ve tried everything that I, Kate’s doctors, and Google, know to try and for some reason she is still refusing to take any bottles that have even a hint of breast milk in them. Kate even underwent a swallow study and upper GI evaluation a few weeks ago to rule out any medical reasons for these fussy feedings. The study confirmed her reflux but found no other issues that might explain the breast milk rejection.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have one finicky eater on our hands.

I guess we shouldn’t be too surprised considering her gene pool. Case in point, a few weeks ago I sent the following email to my friend Jill:

“I got a pound of turkey on Sunday, but it’s not the kind I like. I like the smoked stuff and I like it shaved. This is just plain and it’s in regular slices. I tried to eat it last night but couldn’t do it. Do you want it? Greg is out of town and I’d hate for it to go to waste.”

Gee, wonder where Kate gets it…

If you read my last post about Kate’s feeding issues, you’d know that not being able to breastfeed was something I really mourned, so you can imagine how difficult it was for me to make the decision to stop pumping and give in to the thought of our baby being exclusively formula fed. It wasn’t in my plan, it wasn’t what I wanted for Kate, and let’s be honest--I felt like I was letting down Jamie Oliver and his Food Revolution. (Giving our baby processed food right from the start?? Oh the horror!)

After a couple weeks of severely restricting my diet to rule out food I was consuming as being the contributing factor to Kate’s breast milk rejection, it was time for one last try. Weeks prior G had told me the “breast milk versus formula” decision was mine and he would support whatever I decided. He very smartly recognized that this was no longer a question of “Oh, what should we feed our daughter for breakfast?” like we toss back and forth if it’s too warm for her to wear pants. This was personal. It was between me and my breasts and my hormones and my image of motherhood. Rationality had long since left the building.

So, after a couple weeks of restricting my diet to nothing but oatmeal and tissue paper I was ready to give it one last PLEASE GOD MAKE THIS WORK shot. It was Friday afternoon and I said to G, “I’ll decide by the end of this weekend if I’m going to continue pumping or not.” I offered Kate a bottle that was four ounces of formula and one teeny-tiny little ounce of breast milk. Let’s start small and we’ll go from here, was my thought.

And she didn’t fuss!

Oh no, she didn’t fuss--she all-out SCREAMED HER HEAD OFF for over an hour, and what started out as a lovely afternoon quickly turned into one of the most difficult nights of Kate's life. She was absolutely miserable and nothing we did seemed to console her. It was clear she was in so much discomfort, and even though we still didn’t know what it was, it was clear something in my breast milk was bothering her.

Later that night, after many apologies to my calmed child I held her tight and whispered, “Thank you for making this decision easy on me.” I thought it would take all weekend to decide but it was already clear to me what the right thing was for Kate. As much as I wanted her on a breast milk only diet, there was no way in hell I was going to put her through that again. The Mom Guilt was lifted and I knew without a doubt that the decision to stop pumping was the right one.

So I’m hanging “the girls” out to dry and donating my stockpile of frozen breast milk to a local milk bank where it will be used to nourish lots of little babies who need it. I feel really good about this decision because I do still believe that breast milk is best for most babies--just not my baby.

Junior Size Me

It's probably a safe bet that you should no longer shop in the juniors department when it's been more than a decade since you could even consider yourself a junior in college.

I realize this.

But when they put the juniors department right next to the shoe department sometimes things accidentally catch my eye. Like this plaid shirt, which was too cute to resist! Especially considering it had all my post-baby clothing requirements:

It was baggy.

A quick and painful trip to the fitting room later, and the size large was coming home with me. Uh, what happened to my vanity sizing juniors department?? Not cool.

Cardigan: Gap Outlet
Plaid Shirt: Boston Store, juniors department
Cami Tank: New York & Company
Jeans: Gap
Boots: Nine West

How Bad of a Mom Does This Make Me?

Using Kate's baby bottles to sneak cosmos into the Sex and the City movie.

Giveaway Winner!

Thanks to everyone who entered the Modern Bird Studios Giveaway!



The response to this giveaway was overwhelming and it's clear that there's a lot of love out there for Modern Bird Studios! Out of over 500 entries, the winner of their very own 12" x 12" custom art piece is comment #196:


And that would be Marcia!


Congratulations Marcia--please check your email for information on how to claim your prize!

Didn't win, but still yearning for a Modern Bird Studios original to call your very own? Well consider this your lucky day, bird lover. From now through June 8th Modern Bird Studios is offering 15% off your total purchase--just enter the discount code ALLTHINGSGD at checkout!

Now go get your shop on!

Things Loved In May

1. Mother's Day

Mother's Day 2010
Photo (poorly) edited to hide the wardrobe malfunction that was about to happen. Hello!
I had no idea how much Mother's Day was going to mean to me once I had a child, and the answer is: A LOT. I think it's because it's a day dedicated to celebrating the thing I'm the most proud of and the thing I work the hardest at--being a mom. And I'm a damn good one if I do say so myself. "World's greatest" according to the card my daughter/daycare provider made me. Yeah, that's right--I just took over the #1 spot from Kate Gosselin. The paparazzi are setting up camp in my cul de sac as we speak.

2. Color Catchers


Have you seen baby clothes theses days? All those bright bold prints on white fabric? Sure they're cute and all--but what a laundering nightmare! If you want to keep your baby's colorful clothes from bleeding like an ER patient on Grey's Anatomy, I've discovered you need Color Catchers. They look like little dryer sheets, but you toss them in the washer to work their magic. Just one sheet sucks up all the excess dyes while your clothes are being washed, so your white clothes with bright red trim stay white--not pink. Genius.

3. Sunless Tanner


Most of the year I look like I could be an extra from Twilight. But when the weather heats up and I'm forced to wear something other than pants, my glow-in-the-dark legs need a little help. Which is why I love self tanner. I use the "gradual" kind that you apply daily and it builds up to a natural looking, nice light tan. Nothing too dramatic, which is good for me since the rest of my body tends to keep its pasty white hue.

4. The Swagger Wagon Video



Some of you have already seen this on my Facebook page, but I just had to post it here, too. This video is HYSTERICAL. I've probably watched it a dozen times already and it still cracks me up. Ain't no shame in owning a minivan for this family!

5. My iPhone 3GS


It all started when I got out of a meeting, discovered I'd missed an email update from our daycare provider about Kate, and burst into tears. I NEED INTERNET ON MY PHONE was my hissy fit to my husband that evening.

"If it's that important she would call us," was G's reply.

But that wasn't good enough for this control freak. "No Greg. I need the updates the second she sends them. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON INSTANTLY."

(You're surprised our daycare provider hasn't given notice yet, aren't you?)

Once I made the financial leap to add internet to my cell phone bill, I decided to go all the way and get the iPhone. Of course G had to lay down some ground rules first:

G: If you get this thing you have to promise me you won't be glued to it 24/7.
D: Um...what do you mean? Like, give me specific times I can't use it.
G: Like when we're out for a nice dinner.
D: We don't go out for nice dinners anymore. We're parents.
G: Okay then, when we're eating.
D: No iDining. Got it. Anything else?
G: When you're driving.
D: What if I'm stopped at a red light?
G: No.
D: How about a stop sign?
G: No.
D: What if I'm stuck in traffic and we're not moving AT ALL and I'm super bored.
G: Dusty.
D: No iDriving. Got it.

I've had my new toy for about two weeks now so I'm still learning my way around, but wow this thing is neat! I've already downloaded a few apps that I'm pretty sure will be life-changing, although I've yet to find that apps for "folding laundry" and "we lose the weight for you" but I'm convinced they're out there somewhere. So while I wade through the overwhelming sea that is the Apple app store, I was hoping my fellow iPhone owners could help me out--what are your favorite apps and why? I'm specifically looking for apps to manage my grocery list, Target list, and other to-dos. And maybe one that does my hair and waters the plants, too. That'd be great. Thanks!