Weekly Recap & Menu

 

I've forgotten how much fun I have writing, though as I navigate through the trenches of being a mom of two(especially one that has more dietary needs than my eldest) I feel like there simply isn't enough time in the day between working full time and trying to maintain a house, relationships & just simply surviving motherhood! All I can say is I'm going to TRY to post weekly/ more frequently ;however, sometimes I feel like my day to day stuff simply isn't interesting enough to read let alone note. 

This week was a pretty low key week between working, my biometric screening & no plans for the weekend other than hubs working Saturday and us just using the weekend to reset/ spend time with one another. Between birthday parties, family get togethers, holidays, etc. I feel like the fall is simply jam packed up until Lou's birthday! So these simple weekends where I can get ahead of housework and just relax are always appreciated. 

I will say that we are just a little over a week into his probiotic that his GI doctor recommended and I'm not sure if it is a placebo effect or if they are actually working(or that I've gotten my diet down), but he appears to be doing well. We are currently using the BioGaia infant probiotics. I'm not sponsored(and even then I would be completely transparent and honest about my thoughts) , so I can give my honest opinion on them, so be sure to come back in a month or two to see if we are still using them and/or my final thoughts on them. They say that they take about 3-4 weeks to really get the benefits of them, but if your gut is so torn up you should see improvement in about 4-5 days. Again, it could be a placebo effect, but I am hopeful. 

So with the paleo baby's dietary restrictions, eating out is basically not an option as I try to get him closer and closer to baseline(normal diapers). We have a weight check at the end of the month since he dipped quite a bit in percentile, so my goal is to get him close to that before then so I can see about starting solids with him. He'll be just shy of 6 months old and really has been starting to take an interest in what we are eating lately. If I get the green light, I'm thinking about making my own baby food to ensure that there aren't any cross contamination allergens and that way I know what is getting put into his body since his poor little gut is so sensitive. 

Which means that menu planning(unless I want to run to the store more often than I already do) is a must. I've been trying to keep a lot of our basic staples on hand, such as: spices, apples, etc. Though eventuall we do run out of those and I have to do probably one of my least favorite chores now that I have two kids. All I can say is when our 1/2 a cow goes into the butcher at the end of the month, I will be happy because at least I'll have a good chunk of protein to really focus on(I hate buying meat at the grocery store) and need to be better about focusing some time to do a swoop of grocery shopping over the weekend(I don't dare take both kids out at the same time.) After scouring Pinterest, I finally found an editable weekly menu/ grocery list that I can share on the blog. You should check out Passionate Penny Pincher's Blog. She has plenty of content that helps you save money! Including this FREE weekly menu/grocery shopping list. 

So the only thing I don't really 'like' about this weekly menu plan is that it does Sunday-Saturday in format. Whereas I'm more of a Monday is the beginning of the week girl, but to each their own. 

Depending on the meals that we have planned, I always try to do at least one night of leftovers to help reduce food waste, easy meal planning(especially on Friday's since Hubs and I are so zonked after a long week of work) and that way we can just sit back, relax and enjoy each other's company. 

Right now I'm mainly focusing on foods that I personally know he wont react to before I start getting braver and testing the waters(I'll be sure to have an updated snack/staple list once I get one established along with my go-to recipes :) ). If I can keep him at where he currently is at for at least a week or two, I think I may start trialing eggs(I already have a plan for either a frittata or a dairy/gluten free quiche brewing in my mind) at the end of the month to be able to see if he can tolerate that allergen. When Laurie came over to help me muscle test, he tested okay for Eggs, Coconut & Almonds. So we think he may be okay for tree nuts; however, I'm not about to test the water and get brave just yet. If anyone is interested, I can share what the paleo baby can and cannot have, it's actually pretty interesting and the kind of the reason why we call him the Paleo baby. 

Diaper update: As for the diaper update, we currently have some kind of up in the air diapers. They're still pretty mucusy, but that being said I suspect that we may be working on a bottom tooth with the amount of drool he has. Right now, I'm really going off if there is any blood in his diaper and/or how he is acting/ feeling. He's been pretty chipper lately and doing this little squeal/ bird noise lately which is beyond cute. He is also VERY loud now that he's found his voice and is feeling better. 

I'm staying cautiously optimistic on this rollercoaster with him, but just as quickly as things can clear up they can quickly turn with new triggers or cross contamination. 

Speaking of this that can happen quickly, ever since my eldest started preschool it feels like the 'ick' is constantly coming into our household! Over the weekend he was fighting an upper respiratory virus that turned into viral conjunctivitis(pink eye) and I'm not the proud renter(possibly owner depending on how insurance pans out) of a nebulizer now. Which with small kids, probably isn't an awful thing to have on hand with all the crud circulating. I honestly need to probably find a good, daily vitamin for him as well as enforcing hazmat like guidelines during cold and flu season since he's getting exposed to SO much and I don't want baby brother to catch any of this as well. Even his PED recommended to undress once he gets home and shower and of course LOTS of hand washing! Which is easier said than done with a nearly five month old and chasing after a nearly five year old. 

I will say that this weeks menu was a pretty basic one.  Hubs always tries to smoke something or we have a BIG Sunday meal since Sundays are 'our' day. When I was less diet restricted I'd always go out with all of the sides, but nowadays I'm having trouble finding things aside from basic roasted veggies as 'side dishes', even with Pinterest meal planning just doesn't seem as 'fun' as it used to be; however, I hope as I continue to get more familiar with this new way of life, that will change. That being said, since we made a HUGE pot of chili on Saturday, we opted to do our go-to chili leftover meal. Chili dogs :) Call me Sonic the hedgehog, but I love a chili dog(even if currently it's just a plate with a few hot dogs topped with chili....still tasty!)

I'm actually pretty excited for the chili bean find! Most store bought chili beans have soybean oil in them, which although some babies don't react to it, but strictly 100% soy free. The only thing I will say is that it says 'Natural Flavors', which after doing a little digging on an allergen look up website, I've determined that they do not contain any of the top 9 allergens. Chili is one of my winter comfort foods, and although I would love to serve it with a side of cornbread(maybe one day if I can have eggs and can find a good gluten free mix that doesn't contain anything I can't have) I'm happy that I get to enjoy this. 

I will say that I don't have an exact recipe, just common ingredients that we use every time that we make it. Hubs and I are very much a cook with how it looks/ feels kind of cook. We do like a sweet, spicier chili so we always add brown sugar and cocoa powder to our chili and I make my own chili seasoning mix(there are WAY too many additives in the prepackaged stuff and besides homemade is always better). 

I use a pretty standard chili seasoning mix recipe that I found online, but adapted to our own tastes. 

Homemade Chili Seasoning Recipe

1 Tablespoon of Chili Powder

1 Teaspoon of Cumin

1/2 Teaspoon of Red Pepper Flakes

1 Teaspoon of Onion Powder

1 Teaspoon of Garlic Powder

1 Teaspoon of Salt

1/2 Teaspoon of Black Ground Pepper

We also add in garlic, ground beef(of course), beef stock, white onion and a jalapeno for that extra little kick. Even Lou loves our chili and the best part about chili is always the leftovers! Especially chili dogs! Granted mine look a little sad nowadays with just the hotdog & chili on it; however, they're still quite tasty! It's honestly one of my favorite fall/winter meals here in the frozen tundra called Iowa....even if our weather has been a bit on the milder side for November. 

I feel like lately, my life has been SO focused on the Paleo baby and food, that I was kind of losing myself. With working from home the majority of the time, I often just roll out of bed, throw on some clothes, go to the living room to pump and MAYBE if I'm lucky I will get a shower in before I have to get the paleo baby to daycare. Luckily Hubs is a huge help with Lou and gets him ready in the morning for the days that he has school, otherwise I feel like there'd be no way I'd be able to get what little I do need to get done done during the work week. So I'm slowly trying to find ways, like blogging, to bring that spark back into my life and to have something for 'me'. 

Nearly every week my mother in law comes over for what we call MiMi Thursday. We started this during the pandemic when we wanted some company and all agreed to take precautions and now three years and a different house later we still have MiMi over once a week to visit with the boys, share a meal and have wine night. She used to be a hair dresser, so occasionally we get a hair cut(she cuts Lou's hair and will probably cut paleo baby's once it gets to that point) and ours when we need it. I've been drooling over Hailee Bieber's short hair(not sure what our stance is currently on her, but girl's got style I'll give her that) and convinced my MIL to give me a hair cut. I've already adapted to shorter styles because it looks best on my face shape and with a baby that currently LOVES to pull hair, short hair is a must! 

Now I just need to have a live in stylist to always make me look this good! Any takers? ;) 

I think it's SO easy to get wrapped up in life and motherhood that you sort of lose your identity and are simply just mom, wife, colleague & friend. At 32 years old, it's kind of scary to not really know who 'Cait' is anymore since the past four and a half years have been SO focused on being a mom and learning the balancing act of family, social life, career goals and personal time. I know I am really bad about checking work email when I'm on vacation and probably not being as present as I should be in certain aspects of life; however, I am trying to be better at doing so. 

Maybe that'll be my 2024 goal. To allow myself more 'no's' and not to over flow my 'yes' cup. Maybe 2024 will be focused on finding myself again(which may be easier said than done as I'll have a nearly seven month old by then) and finding 'my' style that doesn't consist of t-shirts and yoga leggings...even though they are incredibly comfortable and easy to breastfeed in. 

I think that's pretty normal though as one does tend to evolve with age. I went from the emo/scene kid in high school rocking my fringed hair and Blondie t-shirt, to the preppy cheerleader to that artistic, freshman in college with horribly orange-bleached hair and pink streaks through it. Then came my bohemian phase, followed by my vintage stage(which I still have some killer pieces I got handed down to me by my Great Aunt Bert) to this awkward style that's basically a half step up from jeans and a t-shirt to even the Grand millennial look thanks to my obsession on Tiktok with Lex Nicoleta(even though I'm landlocked I CAN be a Coastal Gran!).  Of course I currently write this all in a pair of American Eagle medium washed skinny jeans(you'll have to drag those from my cold, dead hands before I give those up) and a long sleeve work shirt over a nursing bra. 

This is my life, as mundane and uneventful as it may seem it is mine and I do adore every boring minute of it. Through the work week that brings different challenges followed by the busy Saturdays and the slow going Sundays where we catch up on laundry, housework and just enjoy each other's company. It may not be super interesting to the reader; however, if you stick with me, I feel like we will enjoy each other's camaraderie. 

Until next time. 

-xoxo Midwest Mommie

Food Intolerances & Breastfeeding through them with the 'Paleo' baby

I NEVER in a million years anticipated ever making a blog post about this subject matter, nor do I consider myself an expert on the topic as I'm still learning the ins and outs of our new reality. As glazed over in my last post, we discovered that our son suffered from food intolerance around the age of 4-5 weeks old. It started out as frequent stools & a horrendous diaper rash; however, it slowly progressed to mucus & blood tinged stools. His PED recommended that I cut dairy and that it could take up to 21 days for the dairy to clear my system. 

WELL I did that.

And there was no improvement. He STILL had blood tinged stools and mucus, so I started to take in a food journal and wrote literally EVERYTHING I ate down. The difficult thing about this was that I combo feed between breastfeeding and bottle feeding expressed breastmilk since little man had to go to daycare once I returned back to work(something I wasn't really thrilled with dealing with all of this). I will say that once the dairy cleared both of our systems, the eczema & diaper rashes stopped, but the thing that we struggled with was the mucus and blood in the stools still(and honestly as I'm writing this post we're still dealing with it.)

It's FRUSTRATING. 

The amount of contradicting information on non-IGE mediated allergies is baffling and family's going through this don't know how to get their baby better! Sure, there are support groups and they are GREAT, but a lot of kiddos that have these non-IGE mediated allergies have more than one thing that is plaguing their poor little GI's. 

So what do you do? 

Stop breastfeeding and switch to a hypoallergenic formula? 

Let me preface this by saying there is absolutely no way shape or form that I am anti-formula; however, I really do enjoy breastfeeding and something in my gut is telling me to push through. Fortunately for me his care team is incredibly supportive and gave me the referral to GI that I desperately wanted. After speaking with him, his only concern was his slow weight gain and would only recommend formula if we couldn't get his weight to go back up(which we had just gotten over a stomach virus the week prior and since then he is trending upwards). 

In addition to this, I have also made a friend that I discovered through a local mom group on Facebook who went through the same thing I did with her daughter. She has been an incredible breath of fresh air and a tremendous support to me through late night conversations, crying through every slip and even the occasional(okay frequent) diaper pictures I've shared with her. She even led me to what is called muscle response testing, which could totally be a placebo; however, it's currently working on pinpointing his non-ige allergies so if it works it works! 

So currently we know dairy for certain is an allergy, with the theories of peanuts & wheat. I'm currently top 9 out of my diet, which pretty much leaves just meat, fruits & vegetables in my diet. Once I get him to baseline I do plan on trialing eggs and rice(not instant) because he appeared to have tested okay for those; however, I'm not about to add things back into my diet prematurely. I will say I'm a heckova closer to getting him to baseline than I was 4 months ago and I will have to say I have Laurie to thank for that. 

I've learned SO much in the past four months than I ever dreamed of and I know I have A LOT more to navigate through as we make it through the next year. My goal is to continue breastfeeding him up to a year with the hopes of being able to hit 18-24 months if we start outgrowing these intolerances.  I will say that dairy has probably been the easiest out of the top 9 to avoid, since living in an AG state soy is literally in EVERYTHING and wheat is so hard to avoid. Not to mention canola oil tends to trigger him as well. 

All I can say is my heart goes out to these kiddos that have IGE-mediated allergies or anyone who suffers through allergies/food intolerances. Eating out is virtually impossible, holidays seem like a nightmare(I'm currently planning an allergen friendly Thanksgiving...talk about OOF, but I'll be sure to share how successful/unsuccessful it was! ) and getting everyone on the same page is nearly impossible. It's been a struggle, but deep down in my heart I know I'm still doing the right thing by him. 

He's growing, he's happy and who knows in a few months time I may look back and be like "Huh, that seems like a lifetime ago!" 

Do I miss pizza? Macaroni and cheese and Chinese food? Heck yes I do! Though Laurie gave me some sage advice "Try focusing on the food you CAN eat and not the food you CAN'T eat' and it has saved me some sanity. 

That being said...I'm already planning my feast I'm going to gorge myself on. 

Long story short, if you are currently going through this know that you are not alone and I'm a firm believer that we're going to see an uptick of these non-IGE mediated allergies in the next few years with our processed food sources here in the USA. If anything, this experienced has humbled me, made me more empathetic and has opened my eyes to the amount of garbage that is in our food sources here in the United States. I've gotten really good at reading labels, learning a lot of the derivative names for allergens and basically navigating this journey the best I can. 

Until next time. 

-xoxo Midwest Mommie

MASSIVE Update!

 Clearly it's been a hot minute since I've last updated this blog and boy oh boy do I have A LOT to update to you all! 

The last blog entry was June 14th and FIVE days later, I woke up in the middle of the night going into June 19th going into labor! I had always joked with our family that I was probably going to go into labor early with this little guy; however, I never anticipated two weeks early! Let alone the day after Father's day! 

The day itself was actually spent pretty relaxed. My husband got to hang out, relax and we even took Lou to the local city park and fishing(where my husband accidentally got a hook through his finger and needed to go get an updated tetanus shot since it had been an embarrassingly long time since he had last gotten one). After bath time, bedtime stories and Lou was tucked away into bed, we settled down for the evening ourselves catching up on whatever TV show we were watching at the time(I think it was probably Sopranos...but to be fair I couldn't quite remember). 

All I remember was feeling really tired and wanting to go to bed, so I went to the bathroom and noticed a 'warm' feeling that I quickly disregarded as me just peeing at a little after midnight. I tried to get. back into bed, but noticed a radiating cramping from my lower back to my abdomen area(again, disregarding because I had been having Braxton hicks for WEEKS up to this point). I tried to relax, but simply couldn't get comfortable, so instead of tossing and turning in bed I decided to go out to the couch and see if that helped. When I was pregnant with Lou for the last two weeks the couch was my bed because I could wedge myself into a comfortable position. 

WELL, that was NOT how this was going to go. 

The cramping started to intensify and it suddenly clicked "Oh....I need to start timing these". So I got out my Ovia app and started the contraction timer and noticed they were intensifying and getting closer and closer together. I decided to call nurse triage at that point and once connected to the nurse hotline they instructed me to go to the hospital, because it sounded like I was going into labor. By that point, my husband heard me talking on the phone and something instinctual kicked in as if saying "It's go time!". LUCKILY we had our bags already packed(all 3 of us) and we scooped up my poor 4 year old out of bed and headed over to my friend's house who was on baby watch to take care of our 4 year old while we were in the hospital. 

I remember sitting in the front seat, nearly in tears because the contraction pain hurt SO bad and my sweet, four year old saying "It's going to be okay mommy, I love you" in the back seat. We eventually made it to the hospital around 2:15 AM, where they took down our information and went to check to see if my waters had broken. Sure enough, my amniotic sack had ruptured and we were going to have a baby! 

This birth was SO different compared to our first where he was 3 days late and I had to evict him out via induction, and although I went into this kind of wanting to go without an epidural I decided after a couple hours of labor pains I personally NEEDED it. While waiting for the anesthesiologist, the only way I could get comfortable was standing up, leaning over the bed and having Hubs put counter pressure on my back through every time I would feel a contraction. Needless to say, I was very happy once the anesthesiologist came into the room with his kit. I laugh at the conversation we had because it literally went like this. 

Anesthesiologist: Have you had one before? 

Me: Yes. 

Anesthesiologist: Do you have any questions? 

Me: No.

Anesthesiologist: Do you just want me to start? 

Me: YES! 

THANK GOD for epidurals, because once the meds kicked in I was able to relax for a couple of hours, look at my phone(message my contact at work to let her know I would NOT be showing up to my shift the next day) and wait for baby to come. I swear, my kids always want to come during shift changes, because once the OBGYN was about to clock off, that's when I started feeling a little pressure(again nothing like my first where I felt EVERYTHING) and requested for the nurse to check me. I'm pretty sure the poor L&D nurse almost went into panic mode because baby boy was RIGHT there and the doctor barely had time to get into his gown before it was time to push. 

12 minutes of active pushing I had my sweet, beautiful, BROWN haired little boy in my arms! 

I'm not going to share his name, nor his face as I'm wanting to respect and protect my boys' identities through the internet, but for the sake of the blog I will add his little nickname we have for him here like we do for Lou's, Wooly Bear. 

Hence my 12 week absence to the blog. It's been a wild 12 weeks adjusting to a mom of two, navigating through our breastfeeding journey as well as discovering that Wooly Bear has a food intolerance that we discovered around week 4. 

So that in itself has been a wild ride that we're still navigating through and I'm sure I will write more about it being as I am now dairy free and working on being wheat/gluten free as we continue on our breastfeeding journey. 

In addition to the food sensitivity, we also discovered after taking him to an IBCLC he had a severe tongue and lip tie, which made reflux symptoms awful as well as nursing to be painful for me.  Luckily we got it correct and he's been nursing great ever since! 

Now at 12 weeks my supply is starting to regulate, which scares me since I always had an over supply with Lou and with Wooly I have just enough to feed him, which is great; however, I always liked to have a little extra...especially since I may never be able to use any of the milk I have frozen pre-dairy/ wheat/gluten(if the later two are the culprit). 

Other than that, the four of us are adjusting well to being a family of four. Big brother is completely over the moon in love with him and always wants to hold him AND Big Brother also started Preschool this year! That in itself nearly made me want to bawl my eyes out seeing him so grown up with his Spiderman backpack and brand new dinosaur shoes we picked out especially for his school year. 

I can't wait to continue to share my journey through motherhood with you all and I hope you all enjoy this journey together. 

-xoxo Midwest Mommie

Nursery & 37 week update!

 Oh my goodness, I'm not going to lie.....this pregnancy feels like it has simply flown by compared to my first with Lou. Maybe it's because I'm considered a 'veteran' mom now and have gone through the process already or maybe it's because I'm constantly on the go between work and my VERY active toddler's social life that has made it feel like I literally just found out I was pregnant compared to being nearly 2 weeks away from my due date! 

It's wild to think that I'm going to be a mom of two, rambunctious little boys soon and I can hardly wait! I can't wait to see what color of hair he has(if any), his little personality and how my boys' relationship will develop throughout the years. It's going to be a bit of an adjustment for ALL of us, after all we've been a family of 3 for nearly five years, but I just know that he was the missing piece to our family dynamic. 

I'm officially now at weekly appointments and things have been going fairly well on the GDM front. My sugars have been well maintained through diet, which makes me happy, and I have gotten permission from my care team to be able to drop down to two readings a day. I take my first morning, 'fasting' sugar to make sure that while I was sleeping my liver didn't glucose dump me(I've so far never had a high reading on this and only a handful of 'lows') and then I spot check between lunch or dinner two hours past meals. I usually opt to test the sugar where I eat something a little more 'risky' than I normally would have or if the meal is more 'carb' heavy. Since I'm all about accountability my spike number has gone up to an 8, but I kind of figured some of those spikes due to not drinking enough water, lack of movement and eating more 'junky' foods during those meals. Still though, they aren't awful spikes and my care team so far is very happy with my numbers, especially since little man looked perfect at our growth scan at 36 weeks. 

I did go ahead and opt for a cervical check at my 36 week appointment(this is a total preference) and my OBGYN said that my cervix is very low and I was already 1 cm dilated. Which, I know can or cannot mean anything being as you can walk around dilated for weeks before you go into actual labor. I was just happy that little man is head down and in position to start making his entry into the world and we are VERY ready to meet him. As for induction, as of right now(obviously this could change by the time I go to my 37 week appointment on Friday, June 16th) since my ultrasound looked great, they see no need to induce me and I can go up to 41 weeks(Hopefully it wont take that long!). 

Now, without further ado, let's hop into what I'm sure most of you are really interested in....the nursery. 

We ended up purchasing a gently used crib from one of my friends(her son ended up being more of a cosleeper and never used it) and I think it tied in perfectly with the sagey green and cream colored accent wall. Above his bed(don't worry it's really anchored in there) we have his name sign mounted. For privacy, I'm opting to keep his name off of the blog and will have a little nickname like I do for big brother once his little personality peaks out. 

We do have a Halo basinet we intend to use in our bedroom for at least the first month; however, if he's anything like his brother he will want to be in his own space/bed quickly. We'll just have to see. 

I found his dresser on Facebook market place for $100 and completely fell in love with it. It fits perfectly in his woodland/boho/whimsical room and the detail on it is absolutely perfect. Above I hung a little magnet board and just wrote one of my favorite sayings on it: Not all those who wander are lost and hung a little 3 hook piece to hold hats, swaddles or anything else I might opt to put there. I have his wipe holder next to the changing pad and a whole stack of Newborn clothes that I still need to wash, but admittedly I'm waiting to see how big he'll actually be before I commit to keeping those items since his big brother BARELY fit into newborn when he was born at a whopping 8 lbs 14 oz. 

I honestly probably need to organize his drawers a little bit better since I've simply crammed a bunch of items into the drawers between socks, swaddles, etc. However, I do have ONE drawer organized. I've opted to primarily do cloth diapers this go around and have a mixture between AIO(All in One) diapers by Bumgenius and AI2(All in 2) diapers by Best Bottom/ a couple of Texas Tushie covers. I'm hoping to be able to start cloth diapering once her meconium is out of his system or whenever he can fit into my covers. The plan is that we will do about a 80/20 format between cloth diapers and disposable. 

When he goes to daycare, he'll be in disposable diapers since that'll be the easiest to coordinate, but when he is home he will be in cloth diapers. Obviously if we're on vacation, our washer breaks or I just need a mental break from it, we will do disposable, but I primarily plan to put him in cloth. 

During the height of the pandemic, we actually had to use cloth diapers with Lou due to not being able to find diapers and that was when I slowly started to fall in love with the idea. I always had the misconception that they were 'gross' and hard to do; however, it is safe to say I have been converted. Now the hardest part is not to get carried away with all of the cute prints! I'll be sure to share some cute, fluff-butt pictures on Instagram once he's in them. 

One of my biggest regrets with Lou's nursery was not having a reclining rocker in his nursery. Between the late night diaper changes, feeding sessions and just being in that room frequently, I struggled being comfortable in the standard glider we had found on Facebook Marketplace for his nursery. This time around we ordered this super comfortable reclining rocker in Beige from Walmart. It rocks back and forth flawlessly and reclines like a dream. My husband joked that we might be fighting over the recliner when little man gets here. 

Right next to the recliner I have my pumping/ nursing cart where I have everything that I may need pump wise or nursing. I also have my nursing pillow(Mybreastfriend) hanging on some hooks I have attached to the cart. If you would like, I can go into more detail on what is on the cart, especially after I've utilized it once he's here. 

On the back of the rocker I have his little circle quilt I found on Kate Quinn that fits his nursery perfectly. For whatever reason, I have an obsession with toadstools/ mushrooms(I had bison on my mind with Lou's), so that was the main 'theme' for little man's set up was woodland/mushrooms/whimsical. 

The best part about having a carpenter husband is that when you have an idea, he can typically build it. He had some left over wood from a project, so he built me these little floating book shelves for all of his storybooks he received at his shower. I love the raw wood look in this room, so we chose not to stain them. You can also get this look by using a couple of the IKEA spice racks(jealous of those who have an IKEA in their state!). 

We had a little side table just hanging around the house and in a basket I put extra swaddles on the floor, a little mushroom toy he received at his sprinkle and a set of books that are actually SLP endorsed. On top I have a little basket caddy with extra pacifiers, burp rags and bits & bobbles he or I may need throughout the night. There are also a couple lovevery toys we were handed down as well as his Hatch Sound machine. 

His closet is a little messy and I probably need to work on it a bit more between now and then. On the top shelf is extra pumping parts from my last time, some boxes of the big, ticket items we have received either via hand-me-down or gifted and of course some unwashed clothes/ bottles we aren't quite sure if he'll take to or not. 

I'm planning on primarily nursing, but we'll see if he latches better than his brother did. I'm HOPING I wont have to exclusively pump like I did last time; however, I've done this rodeo before and know that I have a good support system/ method to be able to exclusively pump if I desired to do so. 

His room is basically finished aside from the few loads of laundry that I need to do and a couple of other house keeping things. We may or may not put a rug down on the floor in the big area space between the crib/rocker; however, I haven't quite found anything that screams 'THIS WILL BE PERFECT!". 

For now, my main focus is just keeping it neat & tidy, which is hard since big brother loves to go into his room and play with all of the new toys. 

At the end of the day, we are ready(for the most part...we still need to get our hospital bags in order)....now all we need is little man. 

Gestational Diabetes: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

 Ah the Glucola test. 

The ONE test that all us mama's dread and some get the opportunity to do it twice. In my first pregnancy, I failed the one hour Glucose test, but passed the three hour with flying colors; however, with this current pregnancy, I unfortunately failed both the one hour and the three hour Glucose test. 

It was a complete shock to me. After all, I had passed with my previous pregnancy and the only risk marker that I hit was being of an older age(though 32 mind you isn't old). I ate healthy, I was kind of active, but unfortunately when those results came in through my online portal I couldn't help but feel my heart sink down into the pit of my stomach. 

Like most mama's that get the news of their diagnosis, it was a culture shock. All the what-ifs and what did I do? swarmed my head; however, it's as simple as this: I did nothing wrong, it just happens and all I can do now is watch and track what I eat throughout the remainder of my pregnancy. Fortunately, it SHOULD go away once I deliver and it's fairly rare that diabetes sticks around even though I do have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes later on in life. 

So what now? 

About a week after my initial diagnosis, I got my supplies from the pharmacy, went through my diabetic classes with a registered dietitian and then was instructed to test my blood sugars 4 times a day: Fasting sugar first thing in the morning and 2 hours post breakfast, lunch and dinner. I'm reportedly NOT a breakfast eater at all, pre-pregnancy you were lucky to just get a cup of coffee in me(which I've actually cut out for the duration of the pregnancy as I have read that caffeine can elevate some people's blood sugars) and then be solid until lunch time. Now I'm finding it's all about balance with GDM and you are constantly on the tightrope doing a balancing act of making sure your sugars are in a nice, happy medium place and not dipping too low or spiking too high. 

For me personally, my OBGYN wants my fasting sugars to stay between the range of 70-95 mL, then post meals 70-120 mL. I've found that each OBGYN wants something different, so if you get your GDM diagnosis, go with what your care team wants you to do. 

For the most part, I think I have a fairly good handle at it, I've been going at this for about 4 weeks now and only had four spikes in total(though I'm sure as the pregnancy progresses that number is sure to change). Everybody tracks their levels differently, but as we all know I'm extra with a capital 'E' and I created a Google-sheet where I could access it either via computer(which I'm tied down to a lot during the work day) or my cellphone(which I always have on me). 

I have the Freestyle Lite machine, which works pretty well. The lancets don't hurt(though I will say that my fingertips are starting to get sore) and the machine itself reads pretty quick. 

This is a reading two hours after drinking some water and eating a multi-grain skinny with peanut butter on it. A pretty light breakfast, but since I had to go to the office this morning after dropping Lou-bird off at daycare, it was something easy for me to munch on when I drove into work.

This is a pretty typical breakfast reading for me, which is good since they say your blood sugar levels can be harder to control in the morning.  

The Good ole' ball and chain, I have this little bag on my person everywhere when I'm out and about. It fits nicely in my Lululemon belt bag(yes I'm one of those girls) next to my wallet. I have plenty of lancets, the test strips and the machine itself for quick readings if I'm out and about. I always try to wash my hands when I need to get a reading for the most accurate result; however, I also have some alcohol pads tucked away in the pocket as well as a bandaid if needed. 

All and all, I've kept a pretty positive outlook on my diagnosis. Sure, I have downs where all I want to do is eat ALL the cookies and ice cream my little heart desires; however, I wouldn't say my diet itself has changed drastically. I've always generally ate pretty low-carb, but there are certain things like french fries and potatoes that make my blood sugars go bananas(learned that the hard way). I generally always try to load up on protein and healthy fats, veggies that are complex carbs(broccoli is a staple in my household) and always look at nutrition labels and menus when shopping for groceries or even going out. 

Which is a whole other can of worms when dealing with GDM. 

So far I've had good luck with Chick-fil-A and Mexican food. When eating Chick-Fil-A I opt for the 8 piece chicken nugget(regular not grilled) and the side salad. I'm actually not a dressing eater, so I always just eat my salads dry and toss the chicken nuggets on top of the salad with 1/2 a bag of those crunchy bits. I've eaten this combo twice and my numbers have always turned out amazing! 

Mexican food I've had a couple of things that have so far worked for me. For starters, I stay away from the tortilla chips(ugh I know torture) and opt for either the chicken fajitas or I had the pollo loco(it's basically a grilled chicken breast smothered in cheese sauce and onions) with refried beans. Beans are one of those complex carbs that take longer to break down and I can usually tolerate a few bites of them as long as I eat my protein first. Again, great numbers, just have to stay away from the tortillas! 

Now I know what the next question is.....what about if I have a sweet tooth? 

It's simple, moderation; however, as I progress I'm trying to stray away from eating too many sugars just to give myself peace of mind. Though if I am hankering for ice cream(it's starting to get warm in Iowa), I always opt for either a Yasso bar(so far my favorite is the Mint Chocolate Chip) or the Enlighten bars. They're lower in carb and satisfy that sweet craving, also I've heard that dairy helps stabilize your blood sugars over night so that your liver doesn't glucose bomb you because you've fasted too long. 

In addition to me making subtle diet changes I've tried to increase the exercise....and not including chasing around a VERY active 4 year old little boy. During my lunch breaks I try to at least get a mile walk in if not a mile and a half. If the weather is nice outside, there is a trail right outside of my office that I can walk and enjoy the sunshine, otherwise I fully take advantage of the treadmills my work provides for us. If I'm working from home, I take the opportunity to take our doggo Rey on our 'hot girl walk' around our neighborhood. She loves it, though I think lately she thinks mommy is probably pushing her too hard.(Yes, I'm one of those weirdos that refers to her dog as one of her kids, she'll ALWAYS be my baby). 

All and all if I have any words of wisdom to provide for you if you are going through this as well is "It's going to be okay". 

It's completely normal to feel guilty when you spike and to go through all the emotions when you are going through this, because IT IS HARD. I always try to take it one day at a time and make the best decisions for that day and if you have ANY questions, contact your care team with your concerns. That is what they are there for! :) And it is perfectly fine that even if you cannot be diet/exercise controlled and need to get put on Insulin or Metformin, that is okay too! At the end of the day, we're doing this for our little babes growing inside of us and it'll be all worth it in the end. 

So chin up mama, it's not forever <3 

I hope to continue to be able to manage my numbers with diet and exercise alone and so far I'm doing very well. I will have a growth scan around 35/36 weeks to make sure that he isn't too big(though Lou was a whopping 8 lbs 14 oz and I anticipate him being around the same size), but other than that my OBGYN care team have told me that as long as my numbers continue to stay managed and nothing else changes, I could technically go all the way up to 41 weeks; however, if I wanted to get induced around the 39 week mark I could have that option as well. We'll just have to see, he'll come when he comes. 

-XOXO Midwest Mommie

I'm back! With a couple MAJOR life updates!

 Hello! 

I can't believe it's been over a year since I last wrote an entry in my blog and there is SO much to update you all on! 

I think like the rest of the world, I hit the survival mode button and was just trying to live life to the fullest while trying to keep out heads afloat with raising a toddler during a global pandemic. I've always thought about coming back to my creative, writing space; however, between career shifts, trying to stay present and in the moment while taking care of my little guy, this blog just kind of got thrown on the back burner(Something I'm actually hoping to change now that I've got a tiny bit for breathing room for creativity....for now). 

So without further ado, let's go with MAJOR LIFE UPDATE #1....drumroll please.....

We moved and bought a house in our dream community! 

Hubs and I decided to seize the opportunity when houses were going like hot cakes and happened to find the perfect house in the community we've been dying to get into since Lou-bird was really little. We've honestly have not done a whole lot to the house other than painted one bedroom, hung some stuff up on the walls and got a new couch/dining room table; however, I'm sure as this blog progresses I will update you on all of the cute, homemaking things as we slowly start to make this new space our own. 

Now for MAJOR LIFE UPDATE #2(And this one is a BIG) one. 

We're officially becoming a family of four in July! 

I'm currently sitting at 31 weeks pregnant with another baby boy and Big brother is absolutely over the moon because he REALLY didn't want a baby sister. So it looks like I'm officially in boy mom status! 

Around 14 weeks we went to This Little Piggy Ultrasound in a nearby town and did a gender reveal scan. I absolutely HATE surprises, so I could never wait until birth for the gender. I absolutely love the idea of it; however, I'm too much of a planner and would want to know so I can plan for cute outfits, room decor, etc. Though to be completely honest, I've been leaning more towards gender neutral decor for the nursery and clothing items aside from the hand-me-downs that I was able to share from big brother. 

All and all this pregnancy has been very different compared to when I was pregnant with Lou-bird. I was sicker during the first trimester and unfortunately I failed both the 1 hour and 3 hour Glucose test, so I officially got my Gestational diabetes diagnosis around 28 weeks. It's been a challenge and some days are easier than others; however, I keep trying to stay positive(which is hard when all you want is ice cream and cookies!) by telling myself that there's only 'x' amount of weeks left and the reward will be having a healthy, happy baby boy and once he's out I can have ALL the cookies and carbs my little heart desires! 

A couple of weeks ago we ended up having my baby sprinkle at my house. My mother-in-law & sister-in-law did such a good job hosting and coordinating everything and it turned out so cute! 

We went simple on the decorations, putting in little pops of greenery, gold and of course toadstools for a cute, whimsical boho-woodland vibe. I honestly loved all the decorations and put them up into storage to repurpose for his first birthday party if we decide to go with that them. 

We invited family, close friends and a couple of my work colleagues with my new position where I'm currently working. Everybody had a great time and I was so honored and happy with the turn out to help celebrate baby boy. I know it can be a little bit of a hot topic on having multiple showers; however, I firmly believe that every baby should be celebrated and with him being born during a different season and almost 5 years apart, I was lacking with some things that needed to be updated. 

Can we take a moment to marvel at the food table? 

During college I worked at a Delicatessen and learned a few tricks of the trade to create food platters. We had ham & provolone/ turkey & cheddar croissants, a fresh mozzarella salad(my go to recipe for BBQ's or potlucks), a fruit tray, veggie platter & these cute little bundt cakes from Nothing Bundt Cake. 

Although I have GDM(Gestational Diabetes) I did allow myself to enjoy one of the little cakes, which of course my Glucose spiked afterwards and had to discuss with my OBGYN about. 

My sister-in-law, Jaylia, also made a cute little balloon garland for above the TV. She's the master at making balloon arches and garlands and does it for all of her kid's celebrations. So OF COURSE I had to recruit her to make me one for my sprinkle.

I was so over joyed with all the support from my tribe and am ready to go into my nesting stage for baby boy. Though if I'm being completely honest, I'm starting to panic a little as I'm running out of time! He'll be here before we know it and with my GDM diagnosis, there may be a possibility that he'll arrive sooner, rather than later! 

I know I was a little rambly, but I hope to have more concise, clear thoughts as I start to dedicate more time towards my blog. I've really missed writing and hope to get on a better schedule to hammer out posts; however I'll allow myself a little grace as I transition from a mom of one to two in the next upcoming months. 

xoxo-

Midwest Mommie.

Where the Wild Things Are: Our First trip to the Omaha Zoo(Weekend Recap)

 Whew! What a weekend! 

Most weekends in the DeMoss household tend to be nothing short of crammed with fun activities for this family of three. Since Hubs and I both work full time, Monday through Friday, we tend to try to fit in at least one fun activity for the family to enjoy compensating for the hectic work week filled with day care drop offs and pick-ups, cooking dinner and of course working the traditional 9-5 job(in my case 8-4). One of our really good friends from high school moved to Blair, NE a few years back, and each year we make an effort to go out and visit him and his family for a weekend. They actually live only 30 minutes away from the Henry Doorly Zoo(Omaha Zoo) so after careful planning the DeMosses and Smiths decided to plan a trip out to the zoo. 

I ended up being off work  on Friday due to me needing to attend a memorial service for my uncle that had passed away in December during the heat of the pandemic here in Iowa. I dropped off Lou at day care around his usual time and then headed straight to the service that was located in Kamrar, IA(which was about a hour drive).  I was driving solo(Hubs needed to work) so to bide my time and make my hour drive a little more bearable I put on Bailey Sarian and listened to her episode about a twisted love triangle. I always joke to Hubs that he would never be able to premeditate a murder because I would see it coming with all the true-crime shows/podcast/movies I watch.

 It was a lovely memorial service, and it was nice to see how loved and celebrated my uncle was. He most certainly will be missed. After the memorial service, I ran home to finish up some last minute errands(post office, grocery store, etc.) before packing for our trip. I'm a BAD procrastinator when it comes to packing and always wait until the very last minute to pack up everything Lou and I will need for the weekend. 

Luckily, Hubs got off early himself and was able to help gather everything we needed and load it up in the SUV. We opted to bring our big stroller instead of our pop-up, umbrella stroller we use at our local zoo and of course we couldn't forget the pack n' play for Liam. We also had ordered a stroller fan from Amazon due to the weather being rather steamy the past few weeks. Here is the one that we purchased, we liked it because it had a rechargeable battery and was able to wrap around the stroller(or any base) securely. 

The original plan had been to pick up Lou from day care, hang out at home for about a hour, and then drive the 2.5 hours to Blair, NE. Since Josh had gotten off earlier than expected, and we were already loaded up, we saw no point of unloading Lou only to load him back up again 30-45 minutes later(and risk a nuclear toddler meltdown). So we decided it best to just drive to day care together and then head out from there. We ended up stopping at a Casey's just before we headed outside of town to pick up the essential snack items(which can be also be found on the impromptu anniversary weekend getaway post) with a few alternations(a juice for Liam and nerds rope for me-been craving them lately) and checked on our tire pressure before making our trek to Nebraska. 

Honestly, I'm so surprised and happy with how good Lou did on that long car ride. Usually after about a hour in the car seat he gets a little restless and wants to be out of the car. I really can't blame him because I'm the exact same way(I've never been a fan of road trips). It probably helped that we also had his iPad charged up and plenty of snacks on hand in case he needed them. I totally recommend the following apps for the 2+ age range, they keep Lou entertained and also have some educational value to them so it feels like he's not JUST playing a video game: DuckDuckMoose's Fish School & DuckDuckMoose's Trucks are two of our favorites(and the best part is they are 100% FREE). 

We made excellent time and were at our friend's house around 7 PM. By that time we were ALL ready to get out and stretch out legs as we started to lug in everything to the house and get Liam set up before we could relax and visit with our friends. Hubs and his buddy, Smitty, ended up popping out to the local grocery store to grab a frozen pizza for us, milk and some adult beverages for the weekend. While the boys were out running that errand, the girls(and Lou) hung out downstairs and just caught up(which we joked there really wasn't much to catch up on because it felt like there really hadn't been anything new or exciting happening in our lives). Lou and I ended up tucking in relatively early for the evening, opting to get some rest for our big day ahead of us. 

The next morning was a fairly early one since we wanted to get to the zoo right when it opened. So after we were showered, dressed, and I had a cup of coffee in me(I cannot function without at least one) we were already to load up into our vehicles and head out to the zoo where we were meeting another set of mutual friends with their two littles. If you ever have the opportunity to go to the Omaha Zoo, DO IT! Seriously, this place is massive and they keep adding onto it with attractions and exhibits. Since we are members of the Blank Park Zoo, we got 50% off our tickets and Lou got in for free due to him being only two. We also opted to add on the String Ray package for an addition $4 per person leaving the grand total of our zoo visit to be just a little over $33(that's a steal!). 

The first year that Hubs and I went to the zoo together(about three years ago) they hadn't completed the Safari Exhibit where they were getting elephants, so that was totally on my priority list to go see. We ended up working backwards through the zoo exhibits, leaving the desert dome and the aquarium for last as we left the zoo. The weather was honestly perfect, it never getting about 85 degrees, but needless to say I was happy we had purchased the stroller fan and I got a little bit of sun on my shoulders. We ended up breaking a couple of times, once around 11 AM to grab a hot dog and another time around 1 PM for the littles to have a snack break. The really cool thing about the Omaha zoo is they allow you to bring in your picnic lunches, so if you're looking for a way to cut cost that is totally the way to do it! 

After our little snack break(I might've gotten Lou and I a strawberry sundae to share) we headed towards the aquarium(my favorite exhibit). The aquarium is MASSIVE and has an array of fish as well as other sea creatures and aquatic animals(puffins and penguins). The place was crowded, so unfortunately we did more of a quick walk through much to my disappointment, but by the time we exited the aquarium Hubs and I both agreed it was time to probably head out...so we decided to skip the desert dome. Besides, Lou was tuckered out and was in dire need of his nap that had been pushed off an extra 30 minutes in favor of finishing up the zoo. 

We ended up meeting our friend's back at their place and we grilled steaks, potatoes, corn on the cob and asparagus for dinner. After a busy, fun filled day Lou didn't even fight me to go to bed at 8 PM and I followed suit around 10 PM after visiting with our friends a little while. 

(I think it's safe to say someone got spoiled at the zoo with TWO new stuffed friends-Thanks Uncle Smitty!)

Hubs and I ended up sleeping in a little later than we had wanted to(albeit the brief wake-up period at 7 AM that Lou thought we needed) and rose up around 10 AM. We showered, got dressed, and I made myself a cup of coffee as we gathered up our things and got ready to pack up for our long trip home. On the way out we ended up stopping at a gas station to fuel up(jealous of the gas prices over there!) and stocked up on some more snacks before it was time to hit the road. 

We really did make excellent time, other than the brief detour we had to take to avoid construction, and all three of us were happy to be home(our dog was especially happy to see us!).  I always joke that the worst part of vacation is coming home from vacation and doing all the odds and ends things to get ready for the work week ahead of us, such as: laundry, getting our house back in order and decompressing from the weekend. 

Needless to say, we had an amazing time and cannot wait to visit with our Nebraska friends again!(hopefully we'll get to see them soon and not wait a whole year!).