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You are here: Home / Lifestyle / Full Hands, Full House

September 17, 2012

Full Hands, Full House

Saturday.

We had both our hands and house full this weekend! Mazen had lots of fun with his aunt, uncle and grandmothers, and we enjoyed our first major outing and lots of delicious food.

I had a simple breakfast when I got up while my mom played with the baby – cereal (raisin bran) with mixed fruit and milk. I was craving oatmeal, but didn’t have enough time to make it since we had plans to leave the house!

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When we were all fed, we set out on a walk downtown to the city market!

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Maze went in his carrier (for germ protection and mommy comfort) but we took the stroller as well. It was a bit scary leaving the house – I had no idea what to expect! The Bugaboo was great with the car seat adaptor. {We got the Bugaboo as a hand-me-down from a friend of a friend.}

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The weather was amazing and it felt GREAT to be walking!! My body was definitely ready for some movement. I’m feeling nearly all healed, although it will still be weeks before I’m ready to do much more than walking. That’s just fine with me though! Walking is great because we can do it together.

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Daddy had to be up at 5 to work, so we went to see him first.

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And several friends were waiting to meet M for the first time!

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Mazen did great (although by this point I think we were both sweating all over each other!) and slept in the wrap the whole time we were out. We stopped by Paradox Pastry on our way home to pick up desserts for the night and he woke up hungry. I quickly sat down to feed him in the corner, which went better than I expected.

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Afterwards, we put him in his stroller and were pleasantly surprised when he loved it and snoozed the whole walk home!

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LOVE my diaper bag!! It’s Skip Hop and snaps onto the stroller. So convenient! The big outer pocks and water bottle holder are also so nice.

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Once back at home, I made salads for mom and me while she was on baby watch

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Greens, noodles, leftover chicken, figs, Woodstock dressing (forgot how good that stuff is!), candied pecans

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A little Guinness on the side, but I didn’t end up drinking more than a sip. Water is the preference! So far breastfeeding hasn’t really made me much hungrier than normal, but my thirst is most definitely over the top.

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I don’t even remember how we spent the afternoon since my days are blurring together a bit, but I got in a short nap and Maze got a long one. We don’t always have luck getting him to sleep. He seems to take 1-2 long naps a day, but I feel like he should be sleeping more!? Any tips on getting a baby to sleep other than Happiest Baby on the Block techniques? We just got the swing down from the attic, so we might try putting him in that soon.

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We all gathered on the porch for cocktail hour.

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Mazen enjoyed a milk-tail while Larbs, Matt and Matt tried this fancy Dogfish variety

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I saved my taste for a little glass of the Schlafly Pumpkin!!

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One of my favorite pumpkin beers that was on tap at Beer Run so we picked up a growler when I was in labor : )

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We hung out on the porch all evening. Totally normal to have sheep in the picture now

Winking smile this !
 

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Long enough that Larbs and Matt learned how to shush : )

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And then headed inside for a wonderful dinner that Matt made

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Davis Creek Farm steak with grilled okra and roasted potatoes. I covered those taters in ketchup!

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We shared 4 amazing kinds of dessert: leftover birthday cake along with Paradox Coconut Crème Tart, Peanut Butter Torte and a vanilla layer cake

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YUM!! I love dessert variety plates : )

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We are doing pretty well overall around here. Breastfeeding is going a LOT better (pain is almost gone – I will be thrilled if I have gotten past the worst this early – meeting with LC on Wednesday anyways) and sleeping is going OK too. We are just making our nights really long – 9pm – 9am – and in those 12 hours, getting 6-8 hours of broken sleep plus one nap a day. I generally feel pretty great during the daytime and just crash a little in the early evening.

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I am loving being Maze’s mom!

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Comments

  1. Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table says

    September 17, 2012 at 8:03 am

    such a fun weekend! i need to get my hand on some pumpkin beer soon. i’m thinking a whole food “build your own 6 pack’ is in order.

    Reply
    • Andrea says

      September 17, 2012 at 1:18 pm

      You can do that there?! Awesome!

      Reply
  2. IdaBaker says

    September 17, 2012 at 8:05 am

    I love your baby carrier, from both the baby’s viewpoint and yours. Talk about comfort!!

    First outings are always fun. I remember when my first daughter was born, and at 5 days old, we went shopping. Low and behold, my husband locked the keys in the car, so there I was, breastfeeding while sitting on someone’s front stoop waiting for AAA to come and unlock the car.

    Thanks for bringing back a wonderful memory!!

    Reply
  3. Fran@ Broken Cookies Don't Count says

    September 17, 2012 at 8:18 am

    I just LOVE baby feet pictures!!

    Reply
  4. Danielle says

    September 17, 2012 at 8:26 am

    Love reading about your baby days!! I have about 4 weeks left and had a quick question for you. You had mentioned when you were pregnant that your taste buds didn’t seem to be the same as before pregnancy. I know mine were so off in the beginning, got better in the 2nd trimester, but have been off again since about 32 weeks. Have you noticed whether yours have gone back to normal?

    Reply
    • KathEats says

      September 17, 2012 at 9:11 am

      My taste buds are pretty normal, but my appetite is still kind of off. Like I get full faster than I used to. Maybe my stomach is still shrunken down?

      Reply
  5. Erica { EricaDHouse.com } says

    September 17, 2012 at 8:29 am

    Your mother is just beaming in that picture with Maze!

    Reply
  6. Ashley @ Coffee Cake and Cardio says

    September 17, 2012 at 8:30 am

    So adorable Kath!!! You look fantastic and oh so happy!

    Reply
  7. Nicole says

    September 17, 2012 at 8:34 am

    The one thing I’ve learned about newborn sleep over the past 15 years with my three boys and all the reading/training I’ve had as a postpartum doula and infant massage instructor is that you can’t wake a baby when they want to be asleep and you can’t make them sleep when they want to be awake! LOL

    The other thing–and this is one I hated to discover with my third son–is that every baby is different and every baby’s sleep requirements vary greatly. My first son was a major sleeper and routinely took 3 hour naps every day until he was a little over 2 years old. My second son didn’t sleep quite so much–maybe more like an hour and a half nap a day but my third son–he took the cake! He NEVER–and I mean NEVER– took more than a 30 min nap each day. He also required much less sleep at night than the other two. And now that he’s 10, he still shows this same sleep personality. So all this to say that each baby will have their own unique sleep requirements and unfortunately, some require very little as compared to other babies! I often wondered how my third son wasn’t walking around like a zombie…but he wasn’t and still does just fine on very little sleep. It was a tough “babyhood” with him because of this but he’s such a wonderful young man that I don’t look back and question it now–it’s just who he is 🙂

    Reply
    • Cheryl says

      September 17, 2012 at 9:17 am

      I agree with Nicole, had similar experience with my two kids. My son, you could set a clock by him, he was so regular in his sleeping patterns, my daughter, if she slept more than 20 minutes at a time ever during the day it was a miracle, however, she went to bed at 7 and slept till about 5 the next morning once she started sleeping through the night. Both kids were sleeping through the night by 8 weeks. As much as you might “want” to go by the book, all babies will do it their own way and I have no doubt you all will find a routine that works for you all.

      Reply
    • Sara says

      September 18, 2012 at 6:57 am

      I can’t agree more. We had our non-sleeper first and our sleeper second. I thought I was doing something wrong with our first until our second came along and then I realized that people are just born with personalities and that they’re all different from the beginning! To this day, our son (age 9, the non-sleeper) requires much, much less sleep than our daughter (age 7.5, the sleeper).

      Reply
  8. Allie@LiveLaughEat says

    September 17, 2012 at 8:35 am

    Oh I can always count on you to make me crave okra. Such a big stroller for such a tiny baby!

    Reply
  9. Kristi says

    September 17, 2012 at 8:36 am

    Seriously you’re making it all look very easy!! I hope my expectations aren’t being set too high for our expected arrival in December!!

    Reply
  10. Lindsey says

    September 17, 2012 at 8:43 am

    One trick to get the baby to sleep or at least callmed down is to hold the baby securely and bounce while seated on an exercise ball. This worked for my brothers 2 LOs and mine. I found that my baby sleeps when he wants and my job is to keep them happy and comfortable until ready for sleep.

    Being outside also improves my baby’s mood almost instantly.

    Reply
  11. Katie @ Talk Less, Say More says

    September 17, 2012 at 8:44 am

    He is so precious!!

    Reply
  12. Jessie says

    September 17, 2012 at 8:44 am

    What an adorable face Mazen’s making in the stroller! And the picture with your mom = precious 🙂

    Reply
  13. Megan@funsizedfitness says

    September 17, 2012 at 8:47 am

    He is absolutely adorable!!!

    Reply
  14. Laurie says

    September 17, 2012 at 8:49 am

    All the pictures are gorgeous. I clicked on the link you had in an earlier post and saw them all! But today I just love the one of Grandma Buzz! She looks overthetop happy. Uncle Matt looks pretty comfortable with holding a newborn!! And those salads look amazing. I need to buy figs!!
    I just knew you would love being a mother and you are doing a great job!

    Reply
  15. Jennifer S. says

    September 17, 2012 at 8:50 am

    We would bounce on the exercise/birthing ball with our son, Mason :-), to get him to sleep during his first few months. We got into a rhythm of bouncing and then transferring to the baby swing and he slept great. The ball really was like magic…if he was fussy, we’d bounce him and he’d be happy. Worth a shot….

    Reply
  16. Courtney @ Translating Nutrition says

    September 17, 2012 at 8:50 am

    I absolutely love that you went to buy your celebratory beer while in labor! And those pictures of you and Mazen at the end are gorgeous. Enjoy being mom!

    Reply
  17. Leslie says

    September 17, 2012 at 9:07 am

    I had my kiddos on a “schedule” as early as I could. We did the wake, eat, play, sleep thing over and over throughout the day and then at night just let them sleep as long as they could. They ended up being amazing nappers and sleepers!
    While I have no tips on how to get them to sleep, I do remember one thing I learned which is that babies often start to wake about 45 minutes after falling asleep, but they are really just moving from one kind of sleep to another, and if you let them fuss a few minutes, they go back to sleep. I remember it was always 45 minutes on the dot, but if I didn’t get them up, they often slept another hour.
    I am still fascinated with the shushing. Wish I had known about that when I had my kids!

    Reply
  18. Claire says

    September 17, 2012 at 9:10 am

    Sounds like you’re settling in really well, and Mazen just gets cuter and cuter!

    There really isn’t anything you can do besides the basic Happiest Baby on the Block-type of stuff to get a newborn to sleep! They will sleep, eat and wake when they want to at this age. They really set their own schedules, and all you can do is go along for the ride at this point. I carefully tracked all of my baby’s sleep and nursing sessions for the first four months, and it wasn’t until the end of the third month that she started to fall into a discernible pattern. Each baby is different, and they change all the time anyhow! The best bit of advice I got in the beginning was sleep when the baby sleeps (obviously), and to enjoy any bit of good sleep while it is happening – things will get better and worse and better and worse in the sleep department over the first year (6, 9, 12 week growth spurts, 4 and 9 month sleep regressions, teething, hitting milestones, etc. can all make your baby’s sleep go south) so enjoy 6-8 hours a night while you can!

    I’m curious – how is cloth diapering going? We really enjoyed it from the day we got home from the hospital, and it’s still going well for us at 9 months. Are you trying out elimination communication like you wanted to?

    Reply
    • KathEats says

      September 17, 2012 at 9:15 am

      We’re waiting on the cloth until he grows into his Bum Genius and we get a little more used to being parents. And I’m not going to try EC until he’s older too and a little more predictable in the waste department. I think the websites says to start around 3-4 months.

      Reply
      • Claire says

        September 17, 2012 at 9:20 am

        Cool! I didn’t know about the age to start EC, I don’t think I’d ever have the patience to do it!I can’t wait to hear about your experiences with it when you start.
        We chose prefolds and Thirsties covers in part because we could start right away (our girl was even smaller than Mazen when she was born and we could cloth diaper from day one w/out any issues). I’m sure you will love CD’ing when you do start; our girl is now 9 months old and we’ve never had a single diaper rash!

        Reply
  19. Cara @ I Don't Believe in Diets says

    September 17, 2012 at 9:13 am

    Aww mazen is so adorable. I love watching you being such a great mom!

    Reply
  20. Susan H. @ The Food Allergy Chronicles says

    September 17, 2012 at 9:14 am

    I totally agree with Nicole’s comment! My first son was not a good sleeper, mind you, he had other issues such as multiple food allergies and severe eczema that made sleeping intolerable. The only way to get him to sleep was to move with him…no sitting around…he loved movement. So I would take him for walks in the stroller and then bring the stroller insided and let him sleep in it. Sometimes, I would walk about the house pushing the stroller, other times I would walk around with him, he always fell asleep in car trips and I became a master at transferring him into a stroller in the house to continue the nap! As he got older, I would sing to him and rub his back to calm him. I had a special song for each of my boys that I would sing to them at bedtime. My second son…no problem with sleeping! He ate and slept in a schedule…still to this day he knows when he is tired and just goes to bed. Every child is different…there is no right way or wrong way…just their way. Figuring that out is part of being a mother! Good luck!

    Reply
  21. Lauri says

    September 17, 2012 at 9:15 am

    Swing = Lifesaver!!!

    Reply
  22. Claire says

    September 17, 2012 at 9:17 am

    Oh, and this is a minor thing and I know you were walking and not driving around, but the buckle on the 5-point harness in the car seat needs to be at nipple/armpit level and not stomach level. My husband’s a firefighter so I have been well-versed in proper car seat protocol! 🙂
    Glad you’re enjoying babywearing! I loved my Moby when my girl was little.

    Reply
    • KathEats says

      September 17, 2012 at 11:46 am

      Oh thanks. The car seat is tricky and scary! I’ll adjust it better next time

      Reply
  23. Katie @ Peace Love & Oats says

    September 17, 2012 at 9:17 am

    That’s so great that your mom is able to come spend time with Maze! I’m sure she absolutely loved it! And those salads you made for lunch look amazing!

    Reply
  24. Stephanie @ Food and Fitness 4 Real says

    September 17, 2012 at 9:20 am

    I agree with you, my days would run together during those first few weeks after the baby was born. I know I was off work for 6-9 weeks for maternity leave (for my two babies) but I could not tell you what I actually did during the day besides eat, sleep, change diapers and nurse.
    My best advice for new mommies is to not try to do too much the first few weeks. You might feel like you can but the sleep deprivation will catch up with you. With my second, I sat around a lot the first few weeks and let people cook for me/clean for me/do laundry/etc. That way I could focus on the baby and getting some rest, it really helped my recovery time. It was also precious time I spent with the baby.

    Reply
  25. Michelle says

    September 17, 2012 at 9:21 am

    What kind of carrier is that? It’s amazing!!!

    Reply
    • KathEats says

      September 17, 2012 at 11:44 am

      Boba! I was sent it to review and love it. Going to review it on BERF soon

      Reply
  26. Julie H. of Spinach and Sprinkles says

    September 17, 2012 at 9:21 am

    Glad you’re feeling healed already! That is great- I still wouldn’t say that I’m healed yet, and it’s been almost a month. (sidenote- geeze where did the time go?!)
    Glad breastfeeding in ‘public’ went well! I’m always super paranoid and nervous to do it anywhere other than my home. Ugh- it’s just not comfortable yet…..
    Dessert variety plate are my FAVORITES!!!!

    Reply
    • Spice Chicken says

      September 18, 2012 at 7:33 pm

      I love the dessert variety plate too. Why did this never occur to me, especially since I love dessert so much?! Glad to see the grilled okra as well. I started grilling mine too and it’s fantastic. Thanks for the tip!

      Reply
  27. Presley @ Run Pretty says

    September 17, 2012 at 9:22 am

    It’s amazing how you learn to function off of less sleep. 🙂 Maddux had JUST started sleeping for 6 hours each night… until this weekend. We’re back to two hours at a time. I swear he’s teething early! Hope y’all get lots of rest!

    Reply
  28. Barbara says

    September 17, 2012 at 9:25 am

    Baby feet! Nothing cuter. There was one picture there where Mazen looked amazenly like Matt.

    Reply
  29. Liz Dean says

    September 17, 2012 at 9:27 am

    Hey there…I recently found your blog and just love your updates! I have a 2.5 yr old son (and gave birth to a stillborn daughter 2 months ago) and am just getting back to reading blogs that involve new babies 🙂
    I’m not sure how schedule oriented a person you are, but with our son Sam, we started Babywise right off the bat. We didn’t follow it strictly or anything, but the whole feed, wake, sleep cycle really helped us figure out his sleeping patters, protect his sleep and help him thrive. Every baby is different, but Sam was so, so fussy around 6:30 every night, that we finally figured out he just wanted to go to bed for the night. He started sleeping 7pm-7am around 3.5 months and I was diligent about protecting his schedule and following that cycle. It seriously paid off!
    To this day, he thrives on his daily nap around 12:30 or 1pm, for about 2-2.5 hours. He goes to bed around the same time as well, unless we’re out for a special occasion or traveling.
    Good luck and I know we don’t even know each other, but I just love your blog! Mazen will do great, it’s just tricky these first couple months until they really start getting into a routine (and he will!)
    Liz

    Reply
    • KathEats says

      September 17, 2012 at 11:44 am

      Welcome, and I’m so sorry to hear about your daughter. Thanks for the advice!

      Reply
    • Allie says

      September 17, 2012 at 7:59 pm

      Liz, I just read your birth story and that honestly was the most beautiful thing I have ever read. You and your husband are so inspirational and strong. I will be following your blog, if that is ok. Your son is adorable too!

      Reply
    • Heather says

      September 18, 2012 at 1:25 am

      Liz,
      I just wanted to say how very sorry I am for your loss. I also had a stillborn daughter last December. My water broke at 5 months pregnant and my daughter passed before I gave birth to her later the same day.
      I just want to give you kudos for having the strength to give Kath mothering advice despite the fact that you are grieving. I hope that you find peace and comfort as you learn to cope with your new normal. ((hugs))

      Reply
  30. Ella says

    September 17, 2012 at 9:30 am

    Congrats on your first (?) successful public breastfeeding! (I think you said you did it in the ped’s office, but in a restaurant or other public area is much scarier) That is a big milestone. It’s all downhill from there – soon you’ll be BF’ing just about anywhere 🙂

    I love that you are prioritizing your sleep. Do not stop!! Go mama!

    Reply
  31. Emma says

    September 17, 2012 at 9:36 am

    Just tasted Schlafly Pumpkin for the first time at a tasting recently – and I think we’re going to tour the brewing facility this weekend and sample some more! Yum.

    I imagine you were self-conscious feeding M. in public, but it looks/sounds like you both did great!

    Reply
  32. Averie @ Averie Cooks says

    September 17, 2012 at 9:44 am

    Kath it’s amazing that you’re out walking around, totally have him in the wrap (Moby?) and look 100% comfortable, sat down to just nurse him in public like it’s no biggie…I remember struggling with all of that for a long time! If I didnt have the MyBrestFriend all lined up and ready to go, little Missy didn’t want to latch. And I love your black & white cover on yours! Congrats for getting the hang of all this stuff so quickly!

    And love the 4 dessert combo platter 🙂

    Reply
    • KathEats says

      September 17, 2012 at 11:43 am

      It is tiring on the arms and back!

      Reply
  33. Rachel says

    September 17, 2012 at 9:47 am

    He is adorable! I love the sack you can wear haha

    Reply
  34. Anele @ Success Along the Weigh says

    September 17, 2012 at 9:49 am

    Love the pics! Looks like you had a nice day out. He’s such a cutie!

    I showed the Mr the “shush” thing and he was amazed. (Ooh, that could be considerd a pun!) Does it work every time? He then tried it on me when I was having a meltdown and I laughed and then threatened him with bodily harm if he tried to make it a regular thing. HA!

    Reply
    • KathEats says

      September 17, 2012 at 11:43 am

      Haha. It works nearly every time

      Reply
  35. Lani says

    September 17, 2012 at 10:09 am

    He’s so cute! Love his feet! You’re a natural, Kath. And the pics with grandma are the sweetest.

    Reply
  36. Simone says

    September 17, 2012 at 10:14 am

    Best advise for me which I wish I had taken was don’t compare baby sleep. I spent many hours frustrated comparing my daughters lack of sleep to “the baby in the book who slept from this time to this time” to friends babies who slept etc. etc. It didnt make her sleep any better and it didnt make me feel any better. Tricks to try, (we also read happiest baby on block) putting her in the wrap and bouncing on an exercise ball, she napped in the swing from 3 months – 5 months and than we bought her a baby hammock which she uses for naps. I also did the going to bed early, as you are, for the first 5 months, so I could get some sleep (she would only sleep if I was lying next to her), also we played music for her when it was nap time to associate with (James Blunt). We also would play this in the car, and try and plan trips in car at same time as naps. I agree with above comments every baby’s sleep is different. Trust your own mother instincts and do what feels best for you, when it comes to sleep, no one knows your baby better than you.

    Reply
  37. Jennifer says

    September 17, 2012 at 10:15 am

    My oldest was not a good sleeper at all. He would sleep in two hour intervals all night long so my husband and I just had to split up the night in shifts.

    One thing that worked with my second son was giving him a bath at night and that would totally relax him and he would be asleep before I had the tub drained. (haha) To this day, any warmth of any kind such as a nice warm blanket on him and he’s out. He’s 8 now. 🙂

    I think the schedule you have sounds perfect! Maybe the less naps during the day will help him sleep longer at night.

    Reply
  38. kathleen @ the daily crumb says

    September 17, 2012 at 10:15 am

    those last 2 pictures are beautiful! love his little feet 🙂 glad to hear things are going so well.

    Reply
  39. Sarena (The Non-Dairy Queen) says

    September 17, 2012 at 10:15 am

    Being a mom is pretty incredible isn’t it?! Things start to get into a groove and it starts to work like clockwork. There will definitely be ups and downs, but all in all, it’s the best thing I’ve ever done!

    Looks like a great weekend Kath! I’m so glad you got to spend time with your family!

    Reply
  40. Debbie says

    September 17, 2012 at 10:21 am

    Yeah for Schlafly Pumpkin! My hometown of St. Louis is very proud to have KERF as a loyal fan! Congrats on your beautiful baby and an AMAZING birth story. We used the Happiest Baby technique with our son as well. I would often find myself bouncing gently on the big exercise ball while holding him. Kind of took the load of my shoulders and back and he enjoyed the movement. Wishing you long stretches of uninterrupted sleep during this time which I fondly remember as “Baby Boot Camp”! Take care!

    Reply
  41. Jenica says

    September 17, 2012 at 10:22 am

    Mazen is just the cutest! And your mon is positively glowing as a grandma. Sounds like a lovely wknd.

    Reply
  42. Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says

    September 17, 2012 at 10:24 am

    Awwwwh, first outing! I went out on my niece’s first outing – it was so exciting. Perhaps not for my brother though, he was so nervous.

    Reply
  43. chris says

    September 17, 2012 at 10:26 am

    Sorry I missed meeting your Mom this weekend! Since I was gone so long Bob was in charge of the day’s agenda. A tip for baby sleep – the love bug has a big giraffe that makes some great sleep sounds in her crib. We could reliably put her in (on her side which she loves) and pat her a little, and the giraffe did the rest. And if you are not against pacifiers, get the perfectly round type for nursing babies!

    Reply
  44. Shelley says

    September 17, 2012 at 10:27 am

    I agree with the wake/eat/play/sleep. After about 2 weeks I did try to encourage my kiddos to have a morning wake time (my goal was 7 am, but I tried to stay within an hour of that). All three of my kids slept 10 hours a night by about 4 mos. I was very blessed. Good luck with your little guy; he’s adorable!

    Reply
  45. Jen says

    September 17, 2012 at 10:30 am

    Loving the new format of your posts!! The shot of your Mom and Mazen is beautiful!

    Question: do you eat organic foods/vegetables? I’ve never been strict on it but thinking I should…your skin glows and wondering if org foods help..?

    Reply
    • KathEats says

      September 17, 2012 at 11:42 am

      Not a ton. I buy organic berries. Our garden is sort of organic. I buy organic greens. But most of our other stuff is just local.

      Reply
  46. Meg says

    September 17, 2012 at 10:48 am

    Hi Kath,
    I just started reading your blog, and it’s quickly become my favorite. I have an 8-month-old and a 2-year-old, and before I had kids, considered going to school to become a dietitian. So, it’s great to read about someone on the same life path!

    ANYWAY, about the sleep issue: When I was on maternity leave, I was a big fan of taking baby to bed with me during the day and nursing her to sleep (on your side). Then I could either get a nap, or let her sleep while I read or whatever. As for getting your son to sleep in the crib, it will come with time. I don’t think either of my kids napped outside of my arms for the first two weeks!

    Good luck. You have a beautiful family!

    Meg

    Reply
    • KathEats says

      September 17, 2012 at 12:23 pm

      Welcome!

      Reply
  47. Paige @ Healthy Hits the Spot says

    September 17, 2012 at 10:48 am

    So cute! I’m calling it- you’re going to give so many newlyweds baby fever with these adorable posts!

    Reply
  48. Jordan @ Eat for Health, Eat for Fun says

    September 17, 2012 at 10:58 am

    1) Schlafly pumpkin rocks 🙂
    2) I agree on the dessert front- variety is best! (A little of this, a little of that…)
    3) This shushing thing is remarkable to me. I had never heard of it and will definitely try putting this in practice whenever my husband and I get around to the baby thing 😉

    Reply
  49. Amy says

    September 17, 2012 at 11:01 am

    Re: sleep. The thing that helped me was to start soothing him to sleep THE MINUTE he started showing signs of sleepiness — at this point he probably doesn’t want to be awake for longer than around an hour. Still, it would often take a lot of rocking and shushing to get him to settle down for the first 2 months or so.

    Do you have “Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child”? Great resource. I would definitely check it out if you haven’t yet.

    Reply
    • KathEats says

      September 17, 2012 at 12:22 pm

      Just bought it.. 🙂

      Reply
      • kate says

        September 17, 2012 at 8:29 pm

        My goal was to have her back asleep 2 hours after she woke up. So I always started about 20 minutes before. I had great luck with pacifiers (but only for sleeping!), and rather than sway, I swaddled her, put her on her side on my thighs/knees, and jiggled. Soon he will settle into a three nap a day pattern, but that’s still weeks away

        Reply
  50. Susan says

    September 17, 2012 at 11:17 am

    Gorgeous pictures of a special time with family. And to think you’ll be able to show these to Mazen in a few years!

    Reply
  51. Lindsey @ Pas de Deux says

    September 17, 2012 at 11:21 am

    His little feet are just too cute! It was so fun to see you guys on Saturday. Maybe next time he will be awake 🙂

    Reply
    • KathEats says

      September 17, 2012 at 12:22 pm

      🙂

      Reply
  52. Eating 4 Balance says

    September 17, 2012 at 11:29 am

    That okra looks like dragon claws! HAHA 😀

    Reply
  53. Ellie@Fit for the Soul says

    September 17, 2012 at 11:30 am

    Niiice that is the most pimped out stroller I’ve ever seen! haha. And it looks like everyone’s spoiling the little guy~he deserves it! 😀 And I can’t believe how innovative baby carriers are nowadays.

    Reply
  54. JessicaE says

    September 17, 2012 at 11:39 am

    Its hard to give sleep advice because every baby is so different.

    My son is 8 weeks old now and WOW, those first few weeks really are a blur. It does get better and better, sleep-wise, but it does take some work. In the early days, the baby really is on his own schedule. Until 5 ish weeks my son was up every hour and a half to two hours to eat… I really thought I would die of sleep deprivation lol 😀 But of course you never do.

    What worked for our son when he was in the first few weeks of his life was making sure his tummy was very full, swaddling him tightly, and holding him while we walked/bounced/jiggled etc. We could get away with the rocking chair once he was drowsy, but being up and moving around normally is really what put him to sleep (and still does!). He only likes certain positions and needs some white noise to help him drift off.

    Some random tricks that helped him fall asleep when he was a new newborn 🙂 :
    Hair dryer
    Vacuum cleaner
    The head jiggle from THBOTB
    Walking around the apartment while he was swaddled
    Standing in the bathroom with both fans and the dryer on 🙂

    Good luck and hang in there.

    Reply
  55. mandyp says

    September 17, 2012 at 11:46 am

    kath, congrats on your beautiful, perfect baby! curious if you’d be willing to do a post on alcohol and breast feeding? i’m 28 weeks, and have been doing some research, but everyone seems so biased based on their opinion of the matter… but i can’t wait to (hopefully) enjoy some holiday brews this winter after our little one arrives!

    Reply
    • KathEats says

      September 17, 2012 at 12:21 pm

      Not something I am authorized to discuss 🙂 But talk to your doctors and lactation consultants. Mine all said a drink here and there was totally fine. A few even recommended it during the “witching hours” of the evening.

      Reply
  56. sarah (SHU box) says

    September 17, 2012 at 11:46 am

    picked up some pumpkin ale at whole foods this weekend and though of you! no schafly though – just big boss. they did have a 22 oz pumking that i considered though! looks like an awesome weekend. we handled the sleep similarly to you (just made the nights super long). and i will say that the bfeeding hunger did take a couple weeks to set in but it DEFINITELY did hardcore!

    Reply
    • KathEats says

      September 17, 2012 at 12:20 pm

      You gotta try the Pumking!

      Reply
  57. Mom says

    September 17, 2012 at 11:50 am

    Thanks everyone for your kind words about me with my new buddy Mazen. I’m wondering what Kath and Matt would think if I moved into their guestroom….

    Reply
    • jane says

      September 17, 2012 at 2:19 pm

      better yet-what would your husband think! 🙂

      Reply
  58. Lauren says

    September 17, 2012 at 11:58 am

    Kath, he is simply amazing! Loving all of these recaps of your early motherhood moments. Thanks for sharing. 🙂

    Reply
  59. Margaret @ WellnessCircle says

    September 17, 2012 at 12:00 pm

    That’s a very adorable angel you have there. Congratulations, Kath! It seems you really have a fun weekend. I love the salad you made and the desserts are yummy.

    Reply
  60. Diana @ frontyardfoodie says

    September 17, 2012 at 12:01 pm

    You just make me so freaking happy! Seeing you as a happy mom is totally inspiring. I feel like I am the same way with my kids but am bombarded with negative parent agenda all the time. It’s so encouraging to really feel the positivity somewhere other than my own mouth haha.

    Naptime tips? Well, my two are opposites. With my first it was a matter of swaddling, paci and setting him in his crib every time his eyes sagged a bit. With my second it’s a matter of nursing, rocking and laying him unswaddled on a soft surface like my bed or a thinish pillow. My first took four to five naps a day and my second takes two or three suuuper long naps (2-3hr). Hope that helps!

    Reply
  61. Shana says

    September 17, 2012 at 12:15 pm

    I just tried the Sah’Tea on Saturday too! I liked it a lot. After drinking a million pumpkin beers, the chai spice was a welcome addition to the fall beer line-up.

    Reply
  62. Kate says

    September 17, 2012 at 12:32 pm

    Glad everything is going so well — you seem like a natural! If Mazen isn’t acting fussy, then he probably isn’t tired, so I wouldn’t worry too much about him not getting enough sleep. They tend to be really good at letting you know when they’re tired, as I’m sure you’ve noticed. Our daughter could be hard to soothe to sleep, but bouncing on the exercise ball plus white noise worked like a charm. Unfortunately, bouncing on the ball at length was ultimately quite hard on my back, and I had to go in for physical therapy when she was about 5mo and “wean” her off the ball. As he gets bigger, to avoid aches and pains, remember to keep carrying him in the center of your body rather than on one side.

    Reply
  63. Tracy says

    September 17, 2012 at 12:56 pm

    Ahhhh…I remember those first weeks when my oldest was a newborn and I kept thinking “I’m a mom!” So great, right?!

    Reply
  64. Andrea (@FrSeed2Stomach) says

    September 17, 2012 at 1:05 pm

    CONGRATULATIONS! Mazen is so handsome. 🙂 So happy for you, Matt, and the rest of your family! I love that this post has the perfect balance of food and baby pictures and love that wrap carrier… you wear him so beautifully. 😉 Good luck getting him on a sleeping schedule that is more restful for you both.

    Reply
  65. Lisa says

    September 17, 2012 at 1:07 pm

    Sweet baby feet! You are doing a great job, Kath. Newborns don’t settle into any kind of real routine until they are around 3 months old (usually). He seems like he is sleeping really well. Newborns just doze around the clock.

    Reply
  66. Kim @ Living, Laughing & Losing says

    September 17, 2012 at 1:21 pm

    He’s adorable and you look great! Sounds like you have a very good support system. 🙂

    Reply
  67. Heather Eats Almond Butter says

    September 17, 2012 at 1:39 pm

    Hi Kath, I’m sure this has been mentioned but Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child was our sleeping bible! I had no idea how much sleep a baby needs and turns out we were mistaking signs of being overtired for hunger. We refer to those few weeks as operation overfeed. 😉 we quickly learned to put baby down after no more than 90 mins to 2 hours of awake time until regular nap times began to develop at around 4 to 5 months. Worked out great for us and now we have a good sleeper who loves her crib. We’re doing the same with the twins and so far so good.

    Reply
  68. Heather Eats Almond Butter says

    September 17, 2012 at 1:43 pm

    PS they’ll sleep a ton those first few weeks and set their own nap schedule. Key for us has been not letting them get overtired. Seems counterintuitive, but for babies, sleep begets sleep.

    Reply
  69. Jennifer says

    September 17, 2012 at 1:47 pm

    Best sleep advice I got:
    – For the first 3-4 months, get them to sleep any way you can. Rock, nurse, bounce, swing…whatever it takes. We personally did a lot of swaddling/rocking until drowsy and then let him nap in his swing. He would stay asleep the longest with movement.
    – By 3-4 months, transition to non-motion sleep. I still swaddled and rocked him but put him to bed in his crib. This is when that stupid 45 minute sleep cycle was killer for us. I would try rousing them around 30-40 minute (just barely) and patting them back to sleep; I would try rocking them back to sleep after they fully woke up. Everything was sort of hit or miss but by 6-8 months they were both napping better again.
    – Don’t let him get over tired. I didn’t read “Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child” until my first was 6-8 months old but I was prepared for baby #2. I was honestly shocked how much more often our second child napped. I don’t know if he just requires more sleep or if I was more educated…probably a mixture of both. Our first child would literally take 2-3 cat naps a day until he was about 8 months old. The second one….he’s a totally different story. The second one was never awake more than 45 minutes at Mazen’s age. By the time he was a few months old he could make it an hour to an hour and half. By six months, he finally could stay awake about 2 hours. Just watch him for sleepy signs and then have a routine…I would always change his diaper, swaddle him, turn out the lights, turn on the sound machine and rock him until he fell asleep. They start to understand routines and it gets easier.

    Reply
  70. Jeri says

    September 17, 2012 at 1:49 pm

    I look at the amount of steak you have on your plate to what I normally have and realize that I need to re-evaluate my carnivorous ways. I try to use a scale and weigh 4 ounces cooked, but it mine still looks like a brontosaurus burger than a piece of steak.

    Reply
    • KathEats says

      September 17, 2012 at 2:30 pm

      Size of a deck of cards!

      Reply
  71. Hope @ With A Side Of Hope says

    September 17, 2012 at 1:50 pm

    Awww your first outing! So cute! Mazen is just adorable. 🙂 I love the end of your post when you say you love being Mazen’s mom.

    Reply
  72. Aaryn says

    September 17, 2012 at 2:02 pm

    Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child is the BEST book about sleep! I love that the author doesn’t tell you just one right way but gives you many options so you can figure out what works best for your family. It’s an invaluable tool.

    Reply
  73. mary @ minutespermile says

    September 17, 2012 at 2:13 pm

    looks like he’s keeping you busy! So nice to have family around to help. Random, but do the ends of okra taste weird? I always cut them off but perhaps will eat them whole next time.

    Reply
    • KathEats says

      September 17, 2012 at 2:32 pm

      I only eat them on the smallest pods… They can be a little tough

      Reply
  74. Brianne says

    September 17, 2012 at 2:22 pm

    LOVE the last photo on the dressing table…precious. Also, cracked up when I saw the sheep because i’m pretty sure its a sound-maker (could obviously be wrong) and if it is….we had one and it slowly became part of our little family…the boys loved it, especially for bedtime!

    Reply
    • KathEats says

      September 17, 2012 at 2:29 pm

      Yup!

      Reply
  75. Emily M. says

    September 17, 2012 at 2:50 pm

    that picture of your hand with M’s feet is to DIE for….absolutely a dream. i bet life overall is so surreal right now but so amazing as well.

    Reply
  76. Erin K says

    September 17, 2012 at 3:29 pm

    I have twin girls who were born premature. For so long they ate and fell right back asleep. A little past their due date they started being awake more and more, and not necessarily falling asleep immediately. After one day of virtually no naps, I went back to the books. I followed the eat/activity/sleep pattern. They napped with each feeding (they ate every ~2.5 hours). It gave a rhythm to things, and the swaddle helped them realize when it was sleep time.

    Also, when babies get overtired, it gets harder and harder for them to fall asleep. Faster rocking can help on those cases. I knew people whose babies would only fall asleep on the fastest swing settings. Mostly, it’s trial and error!

    Reply
  77. robin says

    September 17, 2012 at 3:32 pm

    Awww youre doing a fantastic job with him:)

    Reply
  78. claire says

    September 17, 2012 at 3:56 pm

    are you willing to give mazen a binky? that might help him fall asleep!

    Reply
    • KathEats says

      September 17, 2012 at 5:22 pm

      I’ve been putting it off a bit longer, but I’m not opposed in maybe a week?

      Reply
  79. Ellen @ Wannabe Health Nut says

    September 17, 2012 at 4:50 pm

    Oh holy cow I have serious food envy right now! Looks like Maze did great on your outing. You really do seem so happy and you look great-love the shades.

    Reply
  80. Ange says

    September 17, 2012 at 4:57 pm

    i recommend babywise for sure. white noise in the bedroom is a must. when his hearing gets better, you’ll be glad you have it to drown out other noises while he sleeps. double swaddle. (wrap in muslin wrap very tight then a velcro swaddle over it; the summer infant swaddles are best. dress him in only a onesie if you are worried he will get too hot. that’s a night nurse trick we learned that works wonders)

    also- wait until 6 mos. (seems like a while away, but it flies, trust me!) at 6 mos, his waking early (typically 45 mins in) during naps will subside and he will sleep longer stretches. it’s a chemical that kicks in and they are able to sleep past that mark.

    Reply
  81. j3nn says

    September 17, 2012 at 5:18 pm

    I really, really like these long summary posts vs. Three smaller posts! Sort of like a large meal vs. Grazing all day. So much fun! And you are looking fabuloussssss! So healthy and vibrant in your market pics. 😎

    Reply
  82. Jenn says

    September 17, 2012 at 7:14 pm

    Can’t wait to meet Mazen! What a great time.

    Reply
  83. Michele Sparrow says

    September 17, 2012 at 10:56 pm

    I love the comment about sheep being a totally normal part of the photos now and I also loved the photo of his adorable little feet!

    It looks like you guys are doing great with Mazen! So wonderful! Just curious, did you ever see the woman who appeared on Oprah for her ability to understand babies’ language? Her name is Pricilla Dunstan. You can watch the video of her spot on Oprah on youtube. It was fascinating to watch and although my “baby” is 16 today, I would have loved to know about her techniques back then! 🙂 Here is a link detailing some of the info for first time mothers, if you are interested! 🙂

    http://www.dunstanbaby.com/first-time-mother/

    Reply
    • KathEats says

      September 18, 2012 at 12:18 am

      Yeah I love that concept! I’m very bad at it, but I did catch a neh cry once!

      Reply
  84. Kayla says

    September 18, 2012 at 4:52 am

    kath you are glowing! you look so healthy & happy 🙂

    Reply
  85. Amelia says

    September 18, 2012 at 5:34 am

    I’m loving all of your posts lately. Glad you are enjoying time with family and are loving being a mom. Have a wonderful TUESDAY <— just in case you forgot what day it was. 😉

    Reply
  86. Cait says

    September 18, 2012 at 7:59 am

    I ADORE those last two photos!

    Reply
  87. Jen says

    September 18, 2012 at 11:15 am

    Hi Kath. Congrats on baby Maze. I’m due with my first in 7 weeks and I’ve been reading a few books that friends have loaned me. One of them is Babywise, and while I don’t necessarily agree with everything in the book, I do think that getting the baby in a pattern of sleep, eat, awake, sleep makes sense to help with the sleeping (rather than nursing to sleep–which I obviously have no idea if you are doing or not doing). It doesn’t seem that newborns take well to scheduling, though, so it might just take time. Good luck! You are doing great!

    Reply
  88. Melissa says

    September 18, 2012 at 2:05 pm

    We’ve always done Babywise with our boys -Eat Wake Sleep. Another good reference is Marc Weissbluth, M.D’s book: Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. He mentions that babies have a wake window of 45min-2hours. It’s like riding a wave and catching it. If having trouble with fussiness he recommends cutting back on your wake times by 15 min increments till you get it right. That being said our 4th boy, almost 9 weeks, is fussier than all our others and does not lay down for his naps during the day as we think he should. We are still working with him, but some of it may just come down to personality!

    Reply
    • KathEats says

      September 18, 2012 at 2:07 pm

      Just started reading HSHHC!

      Reply
  89. Yelena says

    September 18, 2012 at 9:01 pm

    Mazen is nothing short of amazing ! Congratulations to you both, again!

    Reply

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    hi! Im Kath.

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