xo
Jayme
P.S. Spare a click? We would love to be in the Top 50 again!
Friday, June 10, 2011
5 Years, 1 Baby
xo
Jayme
P.S. Spare a click? We would love to be in the Top 50 again!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
S'il Vous Plait
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| Our silly babies...they deserve a vote, right? |
We love sharing little bits and pieces of our lives as mamas with you! The Miskabelly blog has grown a LOT since we first started it about a year ago. A big part of that growth is from the readers we have gained from being listed on Top Baby Blogs. They've reset their counters and we'd love to be in the top 50 again! Please click the banner below (and then click through) to vote for us. Merci beaucoup!
xo
Amanda and Aurora, Jayme and Lyla
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
High Needs Baby
**I wrote this post a few days ago but wasn’t sure I wanted to make it public. I feel like some moms (or even non-moms) might think I don’t know what I’m talking about or that I’m doing something wrong (and blaming my parenting skills, or lack thereof, on my baby). But you know what? That’s okay. You may babysit Lyla (or another high needs baby) for one day (and one night) and THEN get back to me. Haha.
Oh Karma, how you love to bite me in the behind.
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| 36 weeks pregnant--that was the easy part! |
Morning sickness aside, I feel like I had one of the easiest, least traumatic pregnancies a gal could ask for. Shiny hair, perfect skin, AND bigger boobs? Yes, please! I left the hospital already back to my pre-pregnancy weight, having only gained about 9 lbs. total (yes, feel free to send me hate mail). I caved and had the epidural, so my labor was easy as pie. And then I was holding the tiniest, sweetest little being that ever existed. I thought to myself ‘I could do this again verrrry soon!’
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| Lyla at about 2 months...so tiny but SO loud |
Fast forward three weeks later. After a few very intense crying fits, Andrew asks me (hypothethically) “How long before you know if your baby will be a colic baby?” I laugh, “Honey, babies cry. She doesn’t have colic!” And then the fits get worse. The screaming is daily. Peaceful moments are few and far between. We spend our evenings pacing the floors, taking turns shhh-ing and bouncing our tiny girl. We wake each morning to gut-wrenching crying. We make numerous visits to the doctor. We don’t want to say it out loud, for fear that it is true. Our baby has colic. So we can expect the screaming, crying misery to last for at least the next couple of months.
The three month mark came and the fits subsided. Lyla became more manageable. We could leave the house without fearing a meltdown. But despite all our small victories, our baby is still not like most. I’ve been beating myself up for so long; blaming all our setbacks on my lack of parenting knowledge. I can’t get her to sleep through the night. She doesn’t want to nap. She still constantly wants to be held. She despises swings, bouncy chairs and the likes. I recently came across this article and it describes Lyla to a tee. I now realize it’s not my fault. We have a high needs baby.
Here’s a little rundown of the characteristics of high needs babies (via askDrSears.com):
1. INTENSE- meaning, cries are more urgent (Andrew and I always say “zero to sixty…”) and there’s not stopping until she gets what she wants.
2. HYPERACTIVE- if she’s laying down (awake) she is in constant motion—slamming her feet into the ground, flailing her arms. If she’s being held she wants to be facing out, while you WALK (no sitting allowed!).
3. DRAINING- attention required every. second. of. the. day.
4. FEEDS FREQUENTLY- um, yes.
5. DEMANDING- a quote from the article: “He will let you know quickly and loudly that you've misread his cues.”
6. AWAKENS FREQUENTLY- that too. Try every hour and a half at night.
7. UNSATISFIED- some days nothing will settle her.
8. UNPREDICTABLE- what worked to soothe her yesterday inevitably will not work today.
9. SUPER-SENSITIVE- both emotionally and physically.
10. CAN'T PUT BABY DOWN- though she’s getting better, Lyla certainly prefers to be held as much as possible.
11. NOT A SELF-SOOTHER- she just can’t figure it out (or doesn’t want to). We try giving her a pacifier, her thumb, etc. but Lyla refuses to calm down without our help. (usually this ends up being: my boobàher mouth)
12. SEPARATION SENSITIVE- this is the ONE on the list that describes her the least. As long as her needs are being met (being fed on demand, held in a comfortable position and walked/bounced) she is usually okay. Though she is starting to show some preference toward momma and daddy.
I know not everyone will agree that “high needs babies” exist and I feel like a lot of people will say that we are “spoiling” Lyla by always responding so quickly to her cries. But until you have lived with one of these babies you really can’t grasp the urgency of their cries. Her tantrums escalate extremely quickly and her stamina is mind blowing. ‘Crying it out’ is just out of the question. So we do our best to meet her needs with what she wants, when she wants it (within reason! We still are parents and we obviously set boundaries).
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| My sleep deprivation cure is seeing that smile! |
So, though I joke about my good pregnancy karma being answered with a difficult baby I don’t want it to be mistaken for un-thankfulness. I love Lyla more than I could ever imagine. For as much stress as she brings to my life she returns it with joy times ten. Her intense moments of crying are followed by equally intense moments of happiness. Those moments are filled with the biggest dimpled-cheek grins and belly laughs (and snorts!) that slay me. Part of me feels so blessed to have such a difficult baby. Like God handed her to us with a wink and said “This one’s special….not just anyone could handle her. But I know you can and I promise it will be worth it.” And it totally is.
xo
Jayme
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
A Secret Revealed
I'm not good at keeping secrets. And this "secret" isn't really a big deal, but it's just something I needed to keep to myself for a while so I could think, process, and develop a language to talk about it.
As most of you know, I have really struggled with losing the pregnancy weight. I wasn't just making bad food choices (although I was--out of convenience), but I also wasn't getting much activity. But I finally realized that the lack of activity wasn't because I was lazy--it was because I was exhausted. I felt unnaturally tired most of the time. Yes, Aurora still wakes up maybe once or twice in the night, but it was more than that.
I went to the doctor (but only saw my PA) to talk to her and hopefully get a remedy. She pretty much made me feel stupid, like, "You're just overweight, that's why you're tired." I told her I had started doing Zumba 2-3 times a week for 30 minutes, and she said, "You really need to step it up. You should be getting at least 300 minutes of exercise in a week." I almost cried. I almost needed to triple my exercise?! I felt more energetic after working out, most of the time, but it took a lot of effort ot get moving and motivated to work out in the first place. The PA (who I will NEVER see again) humored me with a blood test. The results revealed my iron was low, but she said that wouldn't be a reason I'm so tired all the time.
I've had mild acne since I was 18, with bouts of clear skin here and there (mostly thanks to medication/birth control), but since Aurora, my skin has gotten worse. Many people think acne is not a big deal, but it can be debilitating and embarrassing.
So here I was, feeling like the fat, pimply girl...at age 29! I wasn't a teenager with some blossoming to do. I was unhappy, not just with how I looked, but how I felt.
There was a moment of clarity for me when a bunch of different blogs and sites I read or people I would run into mentioned "veganism." I did some research, and here I am, over a month later, eating a purely plant-based diet. Yes, that's my little secret.
I am reticent to call myself a vegan for many reasons, the largest being that in the past, I have met a lot of vegans I didn't like, people who have been militant about their choices and seemed to care more about animal rights than real people. I know this is a common complaint, but I have to say it's been true for me. I think that the way we treat animals and our planet is a travesty, and something that needs to changed. But that change starts in the human heart. Until we learn to treat our own species better, I'm not sure we'll learn to treat other species with respect and dignity. And then, of course, Oprah and staff went vegan for a month and Bill Clinton went vegan, and it became sort of trendy--not to mention the association of the vegan lifestyle with hipster culture. It all made me feel a little uneasy about giving myself a label.
Then I discovered Alicia Silverstone's book (and blog!), The Kind Life, and realized there was a way to talk about these choices that was just that: kind. No one listens when you shout and throw red paint all over the place (looking at you, PETA). And I watched the film Food, Inc., which made me think a lot about the food choices I make, not just for me, but for my entire family! The animal industry has a huge impact on our lives. It's not about unethical treatment of animals (though it is about that too): it's about abuse of power, ignorance, and a scary, growing trend in our country where healthy foods are almost prohibitively expensive and fast food and processed meals full of chemicals, fats, and other unhealthy elements are so easily accessible.
Something just clicked.
What does it mean to be vegan? I don't eat animals (meat) or animal products (dairy, eggs, etc.) and try my best to avoid anything overly processed (this is a more RAW element of the diet. I occasionally have tofu, tempeh, or veggie burgers, but I try to avoid chemicals or any words on labels that I don't really know.) I eat a lot of veggies, fruits and whole grains. Yummy stuff, like this:
I made a decision for my health, and it's pretty much changed my life. I have an amazing amount of energy--Q and I have been biking 20 miles or more a week (I used to have trouble biking 5 miles). My skin as we speak is almost completely clear (though it did get worse in the first 2 weeks before it got better, which I read is pretty common). I've lost a little over 6 pounds in a month, pretty effortlessly. I feel healthy. I'm not on a diet, so I don't feel deprived. I love the food I eat. I love cooking new recipes. And all of that no-chemical stuff has become important to me as well..I switched my skincare products to all natural, and have been slowly replacing items in our house with natural products. Even Q is pretty much eating what I eat, except for the occasional milk/cheese or lunch item.
I think about cooking, but I don't think about "food" all the time. I feel good about my body, even though I'm nowhere near my goal weight. I love having the energy to do all the things I want to do and feeling my body getting healthier from the inside out.
Think I'm a little crazy for going veg? Q sent me this great article when I told him I was first considering the idea.
Why am I telling you all of this? Because I'm hoping to share a little bit of my journey here, including a family-friendly vegan recipe each week and some more posts/giveaways/etc. about eco-friendly living. You know what is really eco-friendly too? Buying vintage! :)
Thanks for letting me share with you. Do you have questions? Comments? Concerns? Share them below!
xo,
Amanda
As most of you know, I have really struggled with losing the pregnancy weight. I wasn't just making bad food choices (although I was--out of convenience), but I also wasn't getting much activity. But I finally realized that the lack of activity wasn't because I was lazy--it was because I was exhausted. I felt unnaturally tired most of the time. Yes, Aurora still wakes up maybe once or twice in the night, but it was more than that.
I went to the doctor (but only saw my PA) to talk to her and hopefully get a remedy. She pretty much made me feel stupid, like, "You're just overweight, that's why you're tired." I told her I had started doing Zumba 2-3 times a week for 30 minutes, and she said, "You really need to step it up. You should be getting at least 300 minutes of exercise in a week." I almost cried. I almost needed to triple my exercise?! I felt more energetic after working out, most of the time, but it took a lot of effort ot get moving and motivated to work out in the first place. The PA (who I will NEVER see again) humored me with a blood test. The results revealed my iron was low, but she said that wouldn't be a reason I'm so tired all the time.
I've had mild acne since I was 18, with bouts of clear skin here and there (mostly thanks to medication/birth control), but since Aurora, my skin has gotten worse. Many people think acne is not a big deal, but it can be debilitating and embarrassing.
So here I was, feeling like the fat, pimply girl...at age 29! I wasn't a teenager with some blossoming to do. I was unhappy, not just with how I looked, but how I felt.
There was a moment of clarity for me when a bunch of different blogs and sites I read or people I would run into mentioned "veganism." I did some research, and here I am, over a month later, eating a purely plant-based diet. Yes, that's my little secret.
I am reticent to call myself a vegan for many reasons, the largest being that in the past, I have met a lot of vegans I didn't like, people who have been militant about their choices and seemed to care more about animal rights than real people. I know this is a common complaint, but I have to say it's been true for me. I think that the way we treat animals and our planet is a travesty, and something that needs to changed. But that change starts in the human heart. Until we learn to treat our own species better, I'm not sure we'll learn to treat other species with respect and dignity. And then, of course, Oprah and staff went vegan for a month and Bill Clinton went vegan, and it became sort of trendy--not to mention the association of the vegan lifestyle with hipster culture. It all made me feel a little uneasy about giving myself a label.
Then I discovered Alicia Silverstone's book (and blog!), The Kind Life, and realized there was a way to talk about these choices that was just that: kind. No one listens when you shout and throw red paint all over the place (looking at you, PETA). And I watched the film Food, Inc., which made me think a lot about the food choices I make, not just for me, but for my entire family! The animal industry has a huge impact on our lives. It's not about unethical treatment of animals (though it is about that too): it's about abuse of power, ignorance, and a scary, growing trend in our country where healthy foods are almost prohibitively expensive and fast food and processed meals full of chemicals, fats, and other unhealthy elements are so easily accessible.
Something just clicked.
What does it mean to be vegan? I don't eat animals (meat) or animal products (dairy, eggs, etc.) and try my best to avoid anything overly processed (this is a more RAW element of the diet. I occasionally have tofu, tempeh, or veggie burgers, but I try to avoid chemicals or any words on labels that I don't really know.) I eat a lot of veggies, fruits and whole grains. Yummy stuff, like this:
 |
| black beans and tomato corn salad |
 |
| steamed artichokes w/ garlic "butter" |
 |
| roasted Italian veggie pizza (cheese free!) |
I think about cooking, but I don't think about "food" all the time. I feel good about my body, even though I'm nowhere near my goal weight. I love having the energy to do all the things I want to do and feeling my body getting healthier from the inside out.
Think I'm a little crazy for going veg? Q sent me this great article when I told him I was first considering the idea.
Why am I telling you all of this? Because I'm hoping to share a little bit of my journey here, including a family-friendly vegan recipe each week and some more posts/giveaways/etc. about eco-friendly living. You know what is really eco-friendly too? Buying vintage! :)
Thanks for letting me share with you. Do you have questions? Comments? Concerns? Share them below!
xo,
Amanda
Monday, June 6, 2011
Strawberry Season
I always know when it's strawberry season (I'm talking fresh, local strawberries, small and sweet). My mom always talks about the morning of Amanda's high school graduation how we went to pick strawberries. Pretty sure I used them to make that American flag cake from the Cool Whip ads (with the strawberry stripes and blueberry 'stars')...haha, was and always will be a nerd I suppose! So the beginning of June when schools let out (Lyla's Aunt Jill graduates this year--Congrats Jill!!) and Andrew and I's anniversary approaches (5 YEARS this Friday!) I know that there will be fresh, hand-picked strawberries in my near future.
This past Friday I met my friend Sandi at the Farmer's Market. We used to have weekly lunch break dates when I was still working, since we were both working on the same campus (Penn State University). We've been doing our best to keep those meetings going, even though now it means I drive down with Lyla to meet her at the Starbucks just off campus. We got our iced drinks and walked down to the Farmers Market, Lyla in her Beco front carrier. Sandi got a mini homemade blackberry pie for her boyfriend and I of course got fresh picked strawberries.
Saturday morning I made gluten free strawberry waffles (Bisquick's gluten free mix is amazing--I didn't even make a separate gluten laden batch for Andrew!) with strawberries and whipped cream.
And now it's already Monday. Where does the weekend go?
xo
Jayme
This past Friday I met my friend Sandi at the Farmer's Market. We used to have weekly lunch break dates when I was still working, since we were both working on the same campus (Penn State University). We've been doing our best to keep those meetings going, even though now it means I drive down with Lyla to meet her at the Starbucks just off campus. We got our iced drinks and walked down to the Farmers Market, Lyla in her Beco front carrier. Sandi got a mini homemade blackberry pie for her boyfriend and I of course got fresh picked strawberries.
Saturday morning I made gluten free strawberry waffles (Bisquick's gluten free mix is amazing--I didn't even make a separate gluten laden batch for Andrew!) with strawberries and whipped cream.
The perfect start to an almost-summer weekend. That, and waking up to this sweet little face....
And now it's already Monday. Where does the weekend go?
xo
Jayme
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Hot Child in the {Suburbs}
Virginia experienced a HUGE heat wave this past week, with temperatures in the mid-90s. We learned that our A/C was dead just time. I almost cried. We hadn't planned on several thousand dollars invested in air conditioning this summer, so we bought a few window air conditioners and some fans, and spent a whole lot of time in our basement (fortunately, it's fully finished and contains our family room, bedroom, bathroom and Aurora's nursery).
Aurora was about as cranky as her mama. She gets so sticky when she is hot! I decided, one one particularly hot evening after I had (foolishly) cooked dinner, to take her outside and hose her down before Q got home. We had experimented with the hose mister after a long bike ride last weekend, so we knew she liked it.
I love watching her facial expressions, and her cute little belly in that bathing suit (Baby Gap, thrifted for $2!). She had a blast and slept through the night too.
Does it get much cuter? Answer: No. I love this girl!
Thankfully, the temperatures have cooled down, and it looks like a beautiful weekend ahead! Go out and enjoy it!
xo,
Amanda (& Aurora)
Aurora was about as cranky as her mama. She gets so sticky when she is hot! I decided, one one particularly hot evening after I had (foolishly) cooked dinner, to take her outside and hose her down before Q got home. We had experimented with the hose mister after a long bike ride last weekend, so we knew she liked it.
I love watching her facial expressions, and her cute little belly in that bathing suit (Baby Gap, thrifted for $2!). She had a blast and slept through the night too.
Does it get much cuter? Answer: No. I love this girl!
Thankfully, the temperatures have cooled down, and it looks like a beautiful weekend ahead! Go out and enjoy it!
xo,
Amanda (& Aurora)
Thursday, June 2, 2011
A Peek at Our Weekend
I thought about starting this post with a little apology (again) for not blogging in a while (again). But you know what? I'm not sorry! As we've said in the past, this blog is just a complement to our etsy shop and something we do for fun. We are so grateful we have as many readers as we do!
Memorial Day weekend is pretty big around these parts (Central Pennsylvania). It's one of those weekends that I look forward to for weeks prior. It marks the beginning of summer. It means lots of picnics. It involves lots of yummy food. (We missed you Aunt Amanda!!!)
The weather was honestly too hot to handle. And heat and babies do not mix. So we tested the waters (both literally and figuratively!) by taking Lyla for a swim in the baby pool.
Memorial Day weekend is pretty big around these parts (Central Pennsylvania). It's one of those weekends that I look forward to for weeks prior. It marks the beginning of summer. It means lots of picnics. It involves lots of yummy food. (We missed you Aunt Amanda!!!)
The weather was honestly too hot to handle. And heat and babies do not mix. So we tested the waters (both literally and figuratively!) by taking Lyla for a swim in the baby pool.
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| Lyla's flamingo suit is from Gymboree--a gift from her Grammy! |
Lyla gets the post-weekend blues worse than any working adult I know. So needless to say, Tuesday after the long weekend she was quite the grump. But the heat is finally subsiding and we have plans to remove ourselves from under the ceiling fan in our living room and go for a walk today. Then tomorrow we are meeting a friend at the local farmer's market. Then it's the weekend again!
xo
Jayme
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