Molly Anne's First Flight

Yesterday was Molly Anne's first flight and she was awesome!  There was a lot of planning involved to travel with her by myself but it worked and was pretty easy.   It was funny because I told Kevin on Wednesday that I was nervous about flying with her and this is coming from someone who flies almost every week.  There are just so many unknowns with an infant so I had to plan carefully.  

First up, parking.  Well initially Kevin was going to take us but that turned into a mess with a meeting he had so at 6am yesterday I eliminated one of our suitcases so I only had one to roll.  I knew I only had so many hands.  I also had her diaper bag and my big bag of my purse and important stuff.  Those were my two carry ons.  That meant I had to check my suitcase and I went ahead and checked her car seat base.  I was going to stick that in the gate check bag either stroller but it was one less thing to worry about if I just checked it, so I did. Plus I get free checked bags with my status so it was a no brainer. 

Back to parking.  I ended up parking in business valet because I knew they would help me with my luggage all the way to the desk if I wanted.  My other option was the hourly deck where I could walk right into the terminal.  Biz valet is easy and I know everyone over there so it was extra easy.  

I had to think about when I got back to Charlotte as well because I will have to get our stuff in baggage claim and be able to get to the business valet bus by myself.  Therefore I truly could only roll one suitcase.  See I told you I overthought the whole thing!  

We cruised through the tsa pre check line with putting her stroller and car seat through the X-ray machine, also our two bags. I carried her through the metal detector.  They checked through her diaper bag because I had three bottles of water in there.  They just tested the liquid and swiped the bag to be sure all was good. You can bring whatever liquid you want for your baby.  To the club we went to see all my friends who work there. They went crazy over her!

The club called to the gate for me to see if they would block a seat for Molly Anne's car seat instead of me holding her the whole time.  They made it happen and that was so nice. 

We went out to get on the plane and I threw the stroller in one of those big red gate check bags. A couple sweet ladies offered to help me. People are so nice. 

On the plane!

The flight attendant couldn't have been nicer.  Molly Anne was asleep the instant the plane began moving.  I was prepared with a bottle at takeoff to help her ears with the pressure but she didn't care an ounce. She was out!

We got to my parents midday and yesterday we just hung. Molly Anne has a horrible cold, we think.  I'm probably going to take her to the doc here this afternoon. She had a 103 fever last night. I was in panic mode but thankful for my parents, the voices of reason.  It's like they raised two children or something. Ha!

I'm up here for work so I'm on my way now to meet with a municipality and see a site.  Then the snow is coming!  I may be here for awhile..!!  Worse places to be! ;)

Chat soon friends. Stay safe!

Babysitters and Nights Out

Yes, my life has changed since I started writing this little blog of mine!  Kevin and I had just started dating when I started writing back in July 2009.  My blog has seen me through dating, engagement, wedding planning, wedding, being pregnant and now life with Molly Anne.  It is a true diary for me and for us and I can't wait to print it one day to be put it in a big three ring binder...or many three ring binders.  Crazy and I love it!

So let's talk babysitters...something I never thought I'd be discussing here!  But why not?!  

I was sort of against having a babysitter before Molly Anne was 6 months old.  I was a first time Mama who had no clue what I was doing.  I certainly couldn't trust someone else to take care of my babydoll.  Right or wrong, I was a huge worry wart (and still am!)!  

Now that she is 6 months old (I have no idea how I decided on 6 months) I felt much better about having someone other than family or Ms. Becky take care of her.  A few weeks ago some of my girls and I were talking about babysitters and how much to pay them and where to find one etc and I thought to myself, I'm going to get one of these girls lined up to watch Molly Anne!  So, I texted a gal from the neighborhood, Kathryn.  I'm friends with her Mom, she's babysat for my friend Lisa's kids and she has 9 other siblings so she's taken care of kids, a lot.  

She was available for the following Saturday night so we planned a night out with friends!  She came over after 7 so Molly Anne was already in bed.  All she had to do was hang out with Mills.  I think Mills was most excited of all of us to have Kathryn there haha!  So yeah, basically Mills got a babysitter for the night!

Let's talk cost - I really had no clue what to pay.  Infants are harder than older kids especially if they have to feed or bathe them or both.  I've heard anywhere from $10-15/hour.  I asked my friend Lisa who had Kathryn sit for her a lot (Lisa has two older children) and she said $12/hour and they round up to the next hour if they come home at like 11:15.  When we went to pay Kathryn, I just told her that I talked to Lisa and she said $12/hour.  She said yes usually I charge $10-12/hour.  So there you have it.  We were out from 7-11pm so we gave her $50 and called it a day.  Does this seem right in your area?  I know friends that pay more than this and that pay less.  I think it depends on the time of day, what they have to do and how many children.  

Yes we have Kevin's parents in town and tons of friends that would gladly watch Molly Anne for us and we cannot express how thankful we are for that!  Some of my fondest memories growing up are when my brother and I had a babysitter.  My parents went out with another couple most Saturday nights and we would go hang out with their kids too.  I can't wait for Molly Anne to get to do that with our friend's kids!

Oh and on going out when you have kids...  Kevin and I think it's important.  One of my co-workers told me awhile ago that if he and his wife weren't happy, then their kids wouldn't be happy.  Isn't that the truth?  Going out to dinner or hanging with friends sans kiddos is a good thing in our book.  And we had such a good family weekend this past weekend.  We spent every moment with Molly Anne that she was awake and had the best time.  And Kevin and I got some time together.  Win win!

Do tell...how do you feel about having a babysitter?!       

Molly Anne's Meals

Thought I'd give a little update on how Molly Anne is doing with eating "real" food!  

A short recap - at four months old, our doctor said GO on eating one veggie or fruit a day.  At five months old, our doctor said GO on eating two veggies or fruit a day.  At six months old, she said GO on all food except milk and honey and she gets three meals a day plus a sippy cup of water.  She wanted her to eat whatever we ate just pureed.  

Kevin and I talked about it and got some advice from Mama and Ms. Becky.  They still thought we should go slowly (like in the olden days!).  Ultimately, we decided to go somewhere in the middle.  We aren't giving her spicy Mexican burritos but mostly she gets what we have for meals.  As she gets older in the next few months, we'll give her more complicated stuff but for now, we are sticking to the basics to confirm there are no food allergies.

Also, the pureed versus baby led weaning.  Doc said no to the baby led weaning and I agreed because I would be so incredibly paranoid about choking.  We've already had one freak out when I gave her chicken parm and I didn't get it pureed well enough (stay tuned, I've learned) and she coughed and got herself back together.  No thank you, we will puree.  Plus I think the Doc likes puree because she knows it's getting in Molly Anne and she's actually eating a good amount.  I don't know, to each their own. We're on the puree train at our house, for now!

When we started at 4 months, she had lots of fruits and vegetables that I roasted or steamed and pureed in the blender.  Now that she is 6 months, we're experimenting more.  A couple weekends ago, she had chicken for three days in a row and oatmeal for three days in a row.  All went well.  Her little tummy was in good shape and she ate it all.  The doc said to do each food for three days in a row to confirm no allergies.  It's kind of hard for me to introduce a lot of different foods during the week because we don't want to do it at night then her go to bed and we may not know if she had a reaction.  The weekends are pretty much my only time to try new stuff with her.  

This past weekend I quit freaking out and got up the nerve for her to try eggs.  Please don't laugh but she had them at Dean and Deluca which is conveniently located directly across from an ER.  I did plan this.  And she was fine.  I'll be doing the same with peanut butter though I'll probably sit in the ER parking lot and give her that.  Haha.  Our Doc did say the earlier in her life the better to try this stuff and it avoids food allergies.  And yes, I believe every word she says.  We LOVE her doctor! 

Oh and I haven't bought any pre-made baby food.  I know, I know, I'm crazy to not be using the little pouches or jars of food.  I've just always said I wouldn't give Molly Anne anything I wouldn't eat and I wouldn't eat those (just being honest!).  I may end up trying a pouch at some point just for convenience but for now, this whole food thing isn't that hard so I may as well keep on.  

Here are some sample meals.  Rotisserie chicken in tiny pieces (via my regular blender which I won't use any more, see below), organic vanilla yogurt and peaches pureed through the garlic press.   

Apple sauce, avocado (through the garlic press) and spinach.

Chicken parm (not small enough pieces) and pears (through the garlic press)

Eggs and an entire banana pureed in the Baby Bullet.

Yes, I got smart and quit using my huge blender.  This has made the BIGGEST difference for me and cuts the time by a ton.

I scored a Baby Bullet off of a local Facebook group in Charlotte called Moms In Charge for $10.  I looked on Amazon and it's more expensive than Babies R Us.  Mine didn't come with all the extra containers but I didn't care about that stuff - I just wanted this below and the mini container that you can also use on the bullet.  

I finally got it out this past weekend and it's so easy to use.  Just like the regular Magic Bullet for smoothies but this bad boy purees things in point two seconds.  And the parts go in the dishwasher.  It is worth every penny.  Now I'll just put everything in this (separately) then pour it on her plate (that you see above which I got at Wal-Mart) and dinner is served!  I usually feed her at the same time I'm eating.  Kevin cleans up the kitchen while I finish feeding her.  

Now that I have this little contraption, it doesn't feel like I'm feeding her 8 times a day like I am (5 bottles of 7 ounces each plus three meals a day).  This is obviously only on the weekend.  Ms. Becky feeds her breakfast and lunch at her house.  

We started yesterday eliminating her 4pm bottle.  I only gave her 3.5 ounces so we'll do that for a week or so then that one should be gone as her food intake is going up.  It's all a process but it's fun seeing her grow and learn new things!

Oh the sippy cup...that was an interesting thing our Doc suggested we start.  I'm sure she wants her to start getting used to it so come one year, she only uses that and no bottle.  I ordered a few options off Amazon then picked up a couple at Wal-Mart while I was there.  So far MA likes the one that has a nipple like her bottle.  The same sippy cup comes with a regular top too so I will switch it out soon after she gets the hang of drinking water with her meals.  

As I've learned throughout this whole "being a mama thing," it's all a phase and everything is constantly changing!  

Tell me your tricks of how you've done food for your baby!

Nice Lil Fam Weekend and First Babysitter

We had a nice weekend and hope you did too!  Friday night, we hung out and recouped a bit from the week.  

Saturday morning was a real treat.  Kevin didn't work like he usually does so we got up and went to Southpark and hung all morning.  First we had breakfast at Dean and Deluca then we headed to Verizon and Kevin got his new phone and iPad (I ended up getting a 6s on Friday, thank you for all of your suggestions!).  Then we scooted over to a shop called Paul Simon and Kevin got a few things.  We had to go to the Apple store and make a return in the mall so we strolled around there as well.  

Saw our friend Shep!

We got home and Molly Anne took a 2.5 hour nap then got up and we all played outside.  She is bundled up but it was 60 degrees and gorgeous.  She loves her Radio Flyer that Santa brought her!  She squealed the whole time!

Saturday night Molly Anne had her first babysitter - a gal named Kathryn from our neighborhood.  I'm friends with her Mom from Bunco.  We put Molly Anne to bed then went out so Kathryn kinda just hung out with Mills.  Mills was probably more excited to have a babysitter than Molly Anne haha!  

These two are double trouble.

We went to this hole in the wall called Brews Pub with Brad and Shauna and had the best time.  Wicked Powers is the band that played and they were awesome.  He sung Tennessee Whiskey by Chris Stapleton and No Diggity - that was his range.  Amazing.  

Sunday morning breakfast in bed.  I need to do an update on her food in the next few days.  She tried eggs this weekend and all went well!

First time seeing snow and it lasted 2 minutes!

Lazy like Sunday morning.

We pretty much did this all day, watched the Panthers win again and just hung out.  

A perfect weekend!

Five on Friday

1.  Who preordered Emily Maynards book, "I said yes?"  I did of course. I really like her.

2.  Thinking about getting an iPhone 6S. My 5S battery dies so quickly and I'm over it. Any thoughts?  

3.  Got these govino wine glasses at a girls gift swap in December and finally got the monogram put on at the lil shop they came from. How cute did they turn out?  Perfect gift!

4.  I won $4 in the powerball drawing on Wednesday. I told Kevin and he said, "well actually that means you only lost $6 instead of $10 but ok."  #voiceofreason

5.  Finally got the rest of my Lilly clothes from the sale. Technically the box came Tuesday, I got home Wednesday night late, I searched for it all day Thursday then Thursdsy night I could tell in Kevins face that he had played a lil trick on me by putting it under one of his boxes.  I like most of it. One of the dresses needs big time alterations. Now summer needs to get here!!!

Working Mama

Let's discuss - working and being a Mama!

It isn't easy but it's doable.  Right?!  

I went to Salt Lake City this week. I left super early on Tuesday morning and came back really late last night. As in I got home close to 1am. I was only gone one night but I didn't see Molly Anne from Monday night when I put her to bed until Thursday morning when she woke up.  I made it through with videos from Kevin and being super busy on our site tour.  It was actually really good for me to get back in the groove of overnight travel and I loved getting back in that market which is a huge priority for me at work. I hadn't been there since last April or May.  I could have gone in the Fall but I didn't feel completely comfortable leaving MA for that long yet and my work was totally cool about that.  Anyway, Kevin did everything by himself this week and everyone survived...including me who I guarantee was most worried over nothing!!  ;) 

I know all of this sounds nuts but I'm a control freak! This was a big step for me!  It helped that I was with five guys and four of them are dads.  So they get why I was watching videos of Molly Anne at a stoplight that Kevin had just sent me! 

So maybe I can be a mama and have a demanding career and make it work?

PS I exchanged emails with a dear reader named Ruth this week and she was so encouraging of being a mama and woman working in a mostly man's world type career.  Thank you for the inspiration, Ruth!

Back to being Mama. We are off to her weekly band appointment!  Then work.  In that order, always. 

Powerball

Let's discuss the powerball and how it's over a BILLION dollars now. 

I've never played before but I did stop at a gas station on Monday and bought five tickets.  For four of them I let the computer generate then on the last, I picked the numbers.  I chose numbers like 7 (month Molly Anne was born), 4 (day MA was born), 3 (day we got engaged), 16 (my fav number) and then some random one.   And another random for the powerball. Ha, I spent less than five seconds filling it out so not much thought was put into it.  But it'd be crazy if we won. So let's think what we would do if we won!

1.  We would pay off our house. 

2.  I'd probably still work because I love it. 

3.  I hope Kevin wouldn't work because well, because. He can invest our winnings because he's so good at that and loves it.

4.  Molly Anne and our (hopefully) future child would be set for education and all of life's big events.  We would still make sure she got educated and had a normal life just like we have. 

5.  We would buy a beach house. 

6.  We would travel.  And we would take both of our families.  I really want to travel with my parents. 

7.  I'd get a navy 5-series BMW with tan interior. 

8.  Kevin would want to buy a plane. 

9.  We'd probably do a lot to our house or move to a nearby house.

10.  I'd have a fancy party for all of our friends and family because why not?  

The drawing is tonight and I'll be checking the numbers via wifi on the plane!  Cheers!