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Archive for July, 2009

packing up the pump

Friday, July 31st, 2009

Haven is still nursing. Barely, but I will take whatever she can get. Sometimes she nurses three times a day, but more often it’s twice a day, morning and night. I am no longer pumping or any other tactics to increase milk supply. And, while I don’t think I will ever fully come to terms with all the twists that happened with nursing, I am making peace with the situation. After all, Haven is thriving…I’m the one suffering. I’ve compared the remainder of our nursing stint to palliative care. I’m not going to stress out about the end. I know it’s coming.

So, today, I am returning the hospital grade pump we rented and am packing up the pumping supplies. And, as very sad as I am to know that nursing is almost over, I am looking forward to wearing normal bras again and plan on enjoying a few too many cocktails to celebrate our accomplishments.

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hot off the press

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

la11 la2

************ NEWS FLASH ************

Bunco babe gets her 10 minutes of fame in Southern Living Magazine’s Southern Living Source! Go Leigh-Anne!

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secondhand news

Wednesday, July 29th, 2009

It looks like purchasing used baby/kid items is a growing trend. In our household we are all about used stuff, but especially baby things. Our house has an assortment of used baby items. Freecycle finds, Goodwill bargains, Craigslist steals, donations/loaners from friends and yard sale purchases can be found splashed throughout our house. The coolest items are the vintage toys and clothes our mothers kept from when we were little. The beauty of used stuff? You don’t break the bank. You are helping the environment by not buying something else to go to the dump. When you no longer need the stuff you can sell it or pass it along. But, the bottom line is this. Forgoing the designer stroller will allow you to make larger contributions to Junior’s college education or your retirement savings. That sure beats a Bugaboo.

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plat du jour : july 2009

Tuesday, July 28th, 2009

Click on the picture to see Haven wearing her food. A friend told her that blueberries are better snorted, so she is giving it a try. Oh, and take a peek at her two pearly whites hidden behind blue lips.

Haven is now extremely interested in eating big girl food. She continues to venture out when it comes to finger foods and is mostly feeding herself. A few weeks ago, we went out to eat to Del Merei Grill where Haven had a taste of our garlic cheese grits and smashed potatoes. She was hooked immediately. No longer will standard homemade baby food concoctions satisfy her, however, sometimes she will eat baby food out of a jar. But, she much prefers real food with taste and texture. While it can be challenging to figure out a menu for both baby and adult, I am longing for the day where she can pretty much eat whatever we are eating.

Right now Haven really enjoys:
hummus
chicken and dumplings
corn fiesta casserole
scrambled eggs
french toast
bread
sweet potatoes
applesauce
spinach pie
teething biscuits
cheese
animal crackers (thanks to Aunt Carolyn)
pancakes

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public breastfeeding

Sunday, July 26th, 2009

Early on I debated on exactly how to breastfeed in public. Should I use my Hooter Hider or should I be tastefully discreet? While I carried the nursing cover everywhere, I rarely used it. Haven never seemed to need it, and for the most part, I had no problems nursing without it. After all, women for years have been breastfeeding, why should we feel obligated to hide nursing our children? We’ve been doing it in public since, well, forever.

I am ALL FOR public breastfeeding and have fed Haven just about anywhere and everywhere. For shits and giggles I kept a list of all the public places Haven bellied up to the boob. In our ten months of nursing, not once have we been asked to leave or nurse elsewhere. Not once has a patron made a nasty comment or snide remark. I have even had one waitress talk to Haven when she was nursing! Haven just smiled, drooling milk as the waitress took our drink order.

Macaroni Grill : Alexandria, Virginia and Annapolis, Maryland
Mallory Square : Key West, Florida
Starbucks : Key West, Florida
Brown’s Mazda : Alexandria, Virginia
Longwood Gardens : Kennett Square, Pennsylvania
Truman Little White House : Key West, Florida
The Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum : Savannah, Georgia
Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace : Savannah, Georgia
The Shrimp Factory : Savannah, Georgia
The Crab Shack : Tybee Island, Georgia
On the Beach : Tybee Island, Georgia
Applebee’s : Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina
Silver Diner : McLean, Virginia
Caroline’s Cafe : Key West, Florida
Yoga Birth and Beyond : Alexandria, Virginia
Kelly’s Caribbean Bar and Grill : Key West, Florida
Lovely Nails : Key West, Florida
Caboose Cafe : Alexandria, Virginia
Ruby Tuesday : Wilson, North Carolina
Super Wal-Mart (in the shoe section) : Glen Burnie, Maryland
Not Your Average Joe’s : Leesburg, Virginia
Coastal Flats : Tysons Corner, Virginia
Chick-fil-A : Chesapeake, Virginia
American Craft Council Show : Baltimore, Maryland
McDonald Pediatrics : Ashburn, Virginia
ALL Pediatrics of Alexandria : Alexandria, Virginia
Northern Virginia Lactation Consultants : Fairfax, Virginia
Advanced Pediatrics : Vienna, Virginia
Evening Star Cafe : Alexandria, Virginia
Harry Savoy’s Bar and Grill : Wilmington, Delaware
The Fashion Centre at Pentagon City : Arlington, Virginia
Smithsonian National Museum of American History : Washington, DC
Ikea : Woodbridge, Virginia
Buy Buy Baby : Springfield, Virginia
Reagan National Airport : Washington, DC
Conch Republic Seafood Company : Key West, Florida
Cheeseburger In Paradise : Key West, Florida
Ft. Lauderdale International Airport : Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Costco : Woodbridge, Virginia
Charles Towne Landing : Charleston, South Carolina
Boone Hall Plantation : Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
A.W. Shucks : Charleston, South Carolina
Laundromat : Charleston, South Carolina
Cracker Barrel : Pooler, Georgia
City Market : Savannah, Georgia
Jammin’ Java : Vienna, Virginia
National Zoo : Washington, DC

Posted in motherhood, trips and travels | 2 Comments »

we’re having a party : 2009 edition

Saturday, July 25th, 2009

Matt and Laura’s Anniversary Party

Hot diggity dog! It’s party time again! And let’s be frank, we’ve got a lot to celebrate this year. Eight years of marriage, two years in the same house (a near record for us) and Haven’s arrival. We are grillin’ up dogs (the hot kind, not the hairy kind) and awarding prizes to the best dressed frankfurter. So, bring the kids and come on over!

Date:
August 8th, 2009, 4pm - 9pm

Location:
Matt & Laura’s House

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and they call it puppy love

Friday, July 24th, 2009

Up until recently the dogs have pretty much ignored Haven. Lyndsey practically walked over Haven in order to get to grandpa’s lap during the early weeks. But, now that Haven is on the move, the dogs are a little frazzled. Lyndsey, our deaf dog, retreats upstairs where it is safe so that she can rest, because you never know when a sneaky little infant is going to crawl up on you. But, Emme’s life seems to be changing a little more dramatically

Emme clearly understands she gets to eat whatever Haven discards from her tray, which I am sure she views as a great thing. But she doesn’t understand I am teaching Haven to stay away from electrical outlets or dog bowls. She takes it personally. So much so that Emme, our competitive eating dog, is nervous about eating out of her own bowl. Maybe this is the diet Emme needed all along!

But, I think the love they have for each other will grow more and more each day.

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june pictures

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

haven-squinting1

As promised, here are the pictures from June. Despite Haven’s face, she really does like the water!

With proof of the Elmo cake….

elmo2

…and Cookie monster cupcakes (thanks Shanna for taking this picture!)….

cookie-monster

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matt’s fortune

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009

photo-31

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corn fiesta casserole

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

1 Tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
2 Tablespoons diced onion
2 Tablespoons chopped pimentos
¼ cup chopped green pepper
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
1 cup cooked pinto beans
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon chili powder
2 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon whole wheat flour
2 cups milk
1 cup yellow corn grits
1 ½ cups grated cheese

Sauté onion in oil till tender; stir in next five ingredients and heat through. Melt butter in saucepan, stir in flour; slowly add milk and grits. Stir until thick, mix in vegetables and one cup cheese. Pour into square baking dish. Sprinkle with ½ cup cheese and bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes.

Notes: I did not add the pimentos, green pepper or corn, but added canned chopped chilis instead. AND HAVEN ATE IT! I believe this dish also needs salt and pepper to taste. We did not The box says you can use soy milk and I imagine you could probably use soy cheese to make a vegan dish?

Recipe found on the back of the Arrowhead Mills Organic Yellow Corn Grits.

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a journey of life