hating food

July 23, 2014 | mollyeleen

I guess to say “hating” food isn’t really the best thing to do. We are teaching Kiddo that “hate” isn’t a word we use in our family (along with “can’t”) but at the moment I truly do hate food, and she can’t read yet, so I am going to use HATE. And…maybe not food in general, but all the companies who make food to make our lives a tiny bit easier… I am hating them at the moment.

Sneaky B has a difficult time with food. She has a difficult time gaining weight because of this; she has dark circles under her eyes. She is not “allergic” to any food but she reacts to food in a different way. Her little tummy will hurt so much from certain foods that she is unconsolable, scream-crying (we call it the emergency room cry) for hours. Typically 6-7 hours after bad food was eaten, it will begin by being overly fussy and not wanting anything but mommy. Then the emergency room cry will being and 3-4 hours later it stops by her purely exhausted self falling asleep. A few hours later we have the nasty “reaction” poop, or maybe we should call it radio active poop. It’s the most vial poop I have ever experienced. My poor baby, I hate when this happens. It sucks! Especially when I accidentally eat something she can not have.

Since I am still nursing, what I eat effects her too. “Luckily” I only have to avoid wheat, dairy, soy and corn. HA! Only! Have you ever read labels on food? Seriously, it’s completely ridiculous what “they” put in our food. I have eaten wheat/gluten free for years (before it was popular) so I am used to avoiding that. Dairy hides in food too, it seems a bit easier to avoid than the others.

But corn… corn comes in so many forms and it is Sneaky B’s worst so far. Corn syrup, maltodextrin (made from corn), corn starch these are in everything! If it’s gluten free, it’s typically made with corn. Want to take a headache medicine…nope corn starch. Corn is in ketchup, mustard, chewing gum, soy milk, some frozen fruits and veggies, salad dressing, even toothpaste, the list can go on and on. I was happy to find those little cubes of frozen herbs, basil was my favorite, a small connivence,… oh guess what, they put corn starch in it. Mommy’s sorry Sneaky B… It’s everywhere!

Next our dear friend soy. I used to be a soy consumer. I was a vegan before Sneaky B was born. But since this all started I was a total cranky bitch with eating just fruit and veggies. That lasted two days, to be honest, and then I had my first bit of meat in 4 years… wow! okay, it took awhile to get used to the texture but it was so good, and I was my normal happy again. It’s what my body need now. So no more tofu, soy-cheeze, soy sauce for me. HA do you know how many other places soy hides? Seriously it’s in more things that our dear friend wheat/gluten. Deli sandwich (on gluten, corn & dairy free bread of course) (and yes they do make that)- NO! Soy is in almost all deli meats. I have found one. just one, that I can eat and it’s labeled “Healthy Roasted Turkey” and it’s made with potato starch. Isn’t that funny, the “healthy” turkey has potato starch. Why does it have anything in it at all -other than freaking turkey???

I have become a pro at reading labels and it’s a good thing I enjoy cooking from scratch. I still try to find the “easy” food that I could eat, just maybe there is something out there I have not found yet. There have been a few occasions when I have the girls at the market looking for a quick dinner or lunch, they are whining and I am so hungry I don’t even care that everyone is watching me crying down the aisle picking up an item, reading the label “Nope! freaking corn!” “HA! Nope corn and soy!” It sucks! But I also know that for me this is a short lived moment in my life. Once I am done nursing, I can add back corn to my diet. I am not so sure I will add soy back though, we will see about that. But for Sneaky B, what is in store for her?

We find out next week what exactly she has, I have an idea as to what it is, but I will keep that a secret until we get the word from the doc. So far she can’t eat wheat, soy, corn, dairy, apples and pomegranates (which made her throw up!). I have my suspicions about potato too, but am waiting to try that again. It’s a slow process, and that’s okay. Its frustrating. At times I think I am crazy. How can my eating four pieces of popcorn make our daughter be so wildly miserable? But it all comes down to this. I know I am not crazy. I know food affects her in a different way than most. I know when we are eating only what she can, so far, she is happy, the dark circles under her eyes are gone, she likes to sleep (!) and she is starting to gain weight. She is always wonderful.

Sleep…please

May 10, 2014May 10, 2014 | mollyeleen

So, if you have ever had a baby you know this is the one time in your life you obsess about sleep. “How many minutes was that nap?” “How many hours is a 9 month old supposed to sleep?” “What!? Awake already!” “I know you are tired but I had 3 hours of interrupt sleep!” Lately, this past week especially, Im over it. Over the getting up & being up with Sneaky B from 330am to 5am every night plus 2 nightly nursings. Over rocking (I know- bad to some of you) her for an hour to fall asleep just for a 30 minute “nap”. (I used quotes here because I was told that its not considered a nap if its not at least 45 minutes… yet another obsession). Over it all!

So today we start… sleep training. Something we didn’t do with Kiddo, probably should have, but thats another day. For the past few days, in my non existent sleep stupor, I have been reading everything I could find on sleep training. Wow there are a ton of theories out there on how to sleep train. Let them cry, dont you dare let them cry, just except the lack of sleep (not!), it goes on and on and on.

What is our plan..a little of it all. Nap time will now begin with a quick rocking, I just can’t not do this, with Bun bun (the stuffed bunny), then into the crib. Then I sit next to her crib with my hand inside so she knows I am here but I stay quite and let her cry and fall asleep. Then as this works and the time of crying shortens (please let this be a short amount of days) I will sit farther away, and then out of the room. This is the plan as of now. We will see

And while I type one handed on my phone (love the wordpress app) this that’s what I’m doing; sitting on the floor in complete silence next to her crib with my hand through the slats of her crib.

So far Sneaky B is crying, but not nearly as forceful as usual when in her crib awake. (She is usually panicky…crying…screaming, I can’t handle hearing this at all.) She is reaching for my hand, aww, and I can tell she is starting to drift to sleep.

We will see if this works. Will I stay strong and let her cry and fall asleep by herself? I have too, I dont want to but I have to. The goal is to get her to fall asleep within 15 minutes all by herself. As in “Its time for naps” put her into bed and goodnight. Dreamy!!

Wait! Hold on a minute. ..holy hell its been 20 minutes and she is sound asleep! My hand is sound asleep too but so is Sneaky B!!! Okay don’t get to excited and contain the happy dance for when I get out of the nursery… I can’t even believe it, neither can Hubby or Kiddo!

While Sneaky B slept, we actually got to do some fun things around here. I started two projects that have been on the list for months, I will show you later. And Kiddo and Hubby got sneakily creative… later Kiddo said giggling “I can’t tell you what daddy and I where doing until tomorrow, but do you have anymore paint?” Must be a mother’s day something. After which they did this…

Can I just give a big shout out to my hubby… you are an awesome dad!

The other nap and bedtime went just the same, 20 minutes of crying and then sound asleep. I am hoping this isn’t a fluke, and that it’s the start of a great sleeping child that I have always longed for. Only time will tell.

Sprinkling: getting sh*t done

October 13, 2013October 13, 2013 | mollyeleen

How does one get sh*t done with a four year old and a two month old? I would guess the parents reading this are thinking you just do. You find a way to get all the sh*t done. It might mean staying up till midnight, but you just do. Sh*t has to be done, so we all just do.

Sometimes I think know I do to much. I have too many big projects happening at the same time. I can’t help it…its a flaw of mine. It my eternal need to be successful and helpful. I guess it’s a good flaw to have, but sometimes it means failing where I shouldn’t.

Lately I have been failing at going to the market. I’m not kidding you, I have broccoli, a half container of soy milk and apple juice in the fridge right now. Pathetic! I just seems that I can’t find the time. For sure this needs to change. Not a good place to be a slacker. Maybe I should look into getting groceries delivered…wouldn’t that be divine.
Where I have been succeeding, multi-tasking! I have mastered typing my posts (using my cell) while I nurse Sneakty B. Its amazing how fast one can learn to type using only a thumb. With Kiddo, I would have never done this. I just watched her, probably a first baby thing. Now I think what can I do while I sit here nursing- getting sh*t done
Here is a fine example of a normal day photographing items for Pink Floor Studio; an etsy shop my mom and I are opening soon. (Ill share more about that one day soon) For sure I never thought I could photograph, help Sneaky B with her passy and be a jungle gym for Kiddo all at the same time.

It sure is funny/odd how once you are a parent you can do so many more things at once. Maybe it’s just me, but I sure don’t need a quite home to focus. It’s almost as if my universe has shifted. If it’s too quite I think Kiddo must be up to something she shouldn’t be. When there is a good level of noise, i can focus on what needs to get done. Is anyone else like that?

If only I could figure out making dinner while folding laundry- my home home would always be neat and tidy.

Sprinklings of my reality a 31 day series…you need to read them all

sprinklings: don’t fail me now Pampers!

October 2, 2013 | mollyeleen

It all starts with this face, a slight downward curl of the lips and hand clenched up to the left, and then it starts. The grunting. The slow changes in her face, seriously it’s like slow motion moving. Then it comes…the forceful explosions happening down there. Whoever is in the room, or nearby for that matter, can hear it.

“Sweet Jesus Run!” Kiddo screams

“Poop, poop, poop. Poop baby poop” Hubby sings

I can’t help but giggle and think Sneaky B’s first word is going to be “Poop” I just know it.

After the process is over, we wait. I learned the hard way. No details her, just trust me, I learned the messy way to wait, hands to not stop poop. Then comes the big change. The oh please Pampers I hope you did your job to contain. Sometimes yes and sometimes no. When it’s a no, poop leaking everywhere, it’s the contortion diaper change. How to get the outfit off the baby without smearing the joy all over her body. It’s amazing how good you get at doing this.

Then come the farts. This baby can clear a room since she was born with her farting power. I really don’t know if this is normal. Reading all I want to know about baby farts (it’s amazing how your reading list changes when you have babies right?) I am still not sure if it’s normal. I believe it’s just her normal. She’s is just like her daddy… sorry Hubby. I know you are proud of this

I know for some this might not be delightful, but it’s a “sprinkling” of my day. Please tell me I am not alone? And if you are not a parent yet, sorry for the minimal details, but consider yourself forewarned.

Post is part of a 31 day series: Sprinklings for my reality, please read them all, I know you want to

The massive, overwhelming to do

June 5, 2013 | mollyeleen

We have been so busy, it’s exhausting! As in I have been reading a book now for two months and I am only on page 50, I just pass out by the time I climb into bed, arrange the crazy amount of pillows around by huge belly, grab my book and zzzzzzz— out cold. With the end of the school year craziness (even for a pre-schooler), a few free-lance design projects in the works, planning for Sneaky baby and being 30 weeks pregnant, it all makes me tired.

And today I’m overwhelmed. Totally and completely. It’s the first day in weeks kiddo and I just stayed home. Being home all day made me realize how much needs to be done before August. I spent most of the morning wandering around our small home, just wandering. Looking at furniture, walls, paintings, the dirty carpet, the dining chairs I can’t stand anymore, the kiddos room, the coo-coo clock still in the box, the mirrors I want to hang, the massive pile of laundry (didn’t I just do the laundry?)…just wandering around thinking “I need to get busy, but where to start?”

By the time Kiddo was ready for lunch, I decided to stop wandering around and just make “THE” to do list. “That’s what needs to happen, write it all down, make a plan, that will be the best thing to do.” Five pages later, it’s all on paper, or it’s at least started. And seeing the list doesn’t make me crazy, it’s almost calming, almost being the key word, it’s still overwhelming – very, but I know what needs to happen.

Among the list are things I will be sharing, like how we are going to change our office closets (which was at one point was our master closets) into Sneaky baby’s nursery. A tutorial or two will be coming too. Many things to sew and create are on my list for the nursery.

How the dining room is going to transform into an office & dining room.

Kiddo’s room will be transformed too. Since she is the big sister, her room will be first, she already picked out the fabric. We have a few projects planned too, thanks to Pinterest and the fact that I have gotten Kiddo addicted to looking at my boards for “something creative to do,” secretly I am very proud of this.

There are many steps to getting ready but it all starts Friday, when my mama is coming up to help me start packing a few things up for storage and Saturday when Hubby will be moving furniture around…

Any-who, I hope you will be along for this 8 week ride into transforming our little 1000 square foot home to welcome Sneaky baby in mid-August. I am sure there will be great successes, quite a few laughs and probably a few tears- albeit hormones or otherwise.

molly b

creating, stitching, designing, thrifting

baby!