Monday

Mondays aren't my favorite...especially rainy Mondays.  But, if I needed a smile today, I just listened to this link of my sweet baby laughing himself silly...



I went to the doctor today and got some meds for a sinus infection.  I am already feeling much better!  Thank goodness for modern medicine!

Not the best weekend of record

As a working mom, I truly live for the weekend.  I like my job, but right now it is in a state of transition, and I don't love it like I used to.  I love having 2 days at home with my family.  Things usually fall into place, and we make the most of every minute. 

Friday - oh Friday started off pretty bad.  I have been battling the same cold for almost 3 weeks, so that sets the stage.  I had to be at work at 7:00 to help with registration for a conference.  We all woke up at 5:00 AM and started the day.  Lucky was dropped off at daycare at 6:45, and I think he might have been the first child to arrive.  After dealing with ornery conference attendees (one lady was upset because her nametag read N-a-n-c-y.  Mind you, that spelling came from her check.  However, she goes by J-e-n-c-y.  Drama ensued), I walked back to the office and hit the ground running with one request after another.  My new boss called with a list of things to do.  It wouldn't have been so bad if I had felt better and had everything I needed to get the job done.  I am in a temporary office and didn't have access to everything I needed.  I have a sweet suitemate who let me use her temporary office for a while (they are building a wall in our former suite to make two separate offices for us.)  Long story short, as the day went on, I felt worse and worse.  I left at 4 only to pick up a baby who had fallen and bumped his two front teeth.  Everything seems to be OK, but it's pretty scary to pick up your child and see that his gums are bleeding above his two top teeth. After a dose of tylenol (for both of us) and a dinner of leftovers, I was able to get him to sleep without too much trouble and got in bed at 7:30 or so. 

Saturday - Still not feeling up to snuff and blowing yellowish-green out of my nose. Lucky wakes us up at 4:49. AM.   Hubby goes for a morning run and I entertain baby with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while I nurse a cup of Theraflu.  I don't even remember the number of fits that Lucky threw.  Maybe he is getting the sickness all over again, too?  To distract ourselves from the frustrating circumstances, we decide to go out to lunch, to Target, and to a birthday party for 4-year-old twins.  Honestly, the bouncy-house birthday party was the highlight of the day.  Lucky fed off the energy of the older kids and had a great time. We went home, ate a frozen pizza and went back to bed for 11 hours or so.

Sunday - still sick.  When will it end?  I am thinking of swiping the humidifier from Lucky's room! Oh - we ignored all advice in every baby book and placed a warm mist humidifier in his room.  I am sidetracking here - we had a cool mist humidifier and used it whenever he was congested for the first 9 months.  Then he got the croup.  The cool mist did nothing to help.  The only relief we got for the 6-or-so days with the croup was from steaming up the bathroom and giving warm juice - all recommendations from a nurse at our pediatrician's office.  After that illness, we ditched the cool mist and bought a warm mist humidifier.  I clean it after each use, and it actually helps.

Back to Sunday...I would have loved to stay home and sent Hubby to church with the baby. BUT - I had to teach Sunday School this morning.  I am teaching 8th grade girls, and after 4 months, they are finally opening up.  For a while there, I was the only one who did any talking.  Anyway...we went to church, came home, put Lucky to sleep and just as I was lying down to nap, he woke up...Dang!  I truly understand and relate to the phrase, "No rest for the weary!"  Last, but certainly not least, Lucky peed all over my shirt and pants just as I was putting him into the tub.  It wouldn't have been so bad if i didn't have my cell phone in the pocket he peed on.  It didn't turn on for a while, but seems to be working after a couple of hours of drying out.
So now, I am here typing and counting the minutes till I can go to bed.  I don't feel rested, and would love to call in sick tomorrow.  But - I can't selfishly use up any more sick days.  I will go to work, start a new week, and pray that things are better next weekend.

Am I the only one who lives for the weekend?

How I lost 20 pounds in 4 months

I have never liked the word, "diet." It stresses me out, and makes me want to eat more.  I have never been completely happy with my body.  In high school, I had what could be termed as an eating disorder.  I went off to college and didn't think much about food, but didn't obsess over thinness.  After graduating, I developed a love for cooking.  Thankfully I married a man who also liked to cook--even though he was in the restaurant business.  Six years later, we had a baby.

I was back to my pre-maternity weight about 6 months after "Lucky" was born, but I was still overweight.  Spanks were my best friend. About that time, my husband went to see his primary doctor and she encouraged both of us to go to the Diabetes Nutrition class.  Honestly, we dreaded going to that class as much as we dreaded the birth classes we had to take the year before!  But - something finally clicked for us both after going to that class.

We first met with a nurse.  She explained the way your body acts and reacts to food.  She spent the first hour and a half helping us understand the disease and how differently it affects different people.  I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia (basically the opposite of diabetes) about 10 years ago, and the nurse suggested that I follow the nutritional plan as well.  We had read the book New Glucose Revolution, and knew the difference between eating the good kinds of carbs and the carbs that are bad for you. What we didn't know is that serving size makes an even bigger difference than the types of carbs you are eating.  For the next three hours, we met with a nutritionist.  She taught us how to count carbohydrates and helped us with a special formula to determine how many servings we needed each day.

The most interesting thing I learned is that the portions we were eating were entirely too big.  I wasn't eating the wrong foods--and this was very nice to hear--I was eating the wrong amount of those foods.   We were taught how to read the labels on the back of food packages and determine how to add those into our daily totals.  Since I love math and statistics, I turned it all into a game. 

I do not claim to be an expert on anything, but I feel like I have mastered this meal plan.  One "carb choice" equals 15 grams of carbohydrates.  Some examples of 1 carb choice would be a small (very small) apple, 1/2 cup of pasta, 1 granola bar, and 1 slice of bread. I started out eating 3 carb choices at breakfast, 1 snack around 10AM, 3 carb choices at lunch, 1 snack around 2, and 4 carb choices at dinner.  I think this was equivalent to about 1400 calories a day.  I did not go to bed hungry!  The snacks throughout the day really helped.  And the best part is, after about 3 weeks of following the plan, I got to the point where I felt full after eating the right amounts.  If we went to a restaurant and there was a huge portion, my stomach told me when to stop eating. 

In the class, we learned that it is so important not to deprive yourself anything - especially if it is something you are craving.  It can be very easy to incorporate a craved food into the plan--1/2 cup of ice cream after dinner, for example, equals one carb serving.  I also went to CVS and bought dark chocolate morsels.  3 of those made up one carb choice, and many afternoons, that snack allowed me to make it through to dinner.

We started this meal plan in mid-July.  Several nights each week after work, we would walk 2-3 miles.  It was harder to do that once the weather changed and the time change occurred.  I will say that it was a great way to catch up on the day and just visit with each other.  Our walks were a nice reatreat from work and stress.

About 2 months later, people started noticing that I had lost some weight.  3 months later, I would get comments like, "you look great!"  Those comments and the fact that none of my pants fit were the fuel that motivated me to stick to the plan.  I am at the point now where I feel like I need to tone the typical problem areas.  If I can add 10 minutes to the day, I want to start crunches, arm weights, and lunges.  In the meantime, I take the stairs at work, walk 6 blocks to meet a friend for lunch instead of driving, and continue to follow the plan.

If you are interested in this system, I can send you the formula for determining the nubmer of carb servings you should eat each day.  It's not rocket science, and it's not a diet.  It's a nutritional meal plan that is very easy to follow.  I would be happy to help you with explaining the meal plan as well.  I don't have before pictures, but I will try to upload some current photos soon.

Little things that really make a difference

Since I leave the house just before 7 AM, I have found that it is important to plan ahead.  It's no easy feat, but I will say that getting to work by 7:30 is do-able.  Below are some little things that I do to be sure I make it to work on time.

1. As soon as "Lucky" wakes up, usually around 5:45 AM, I change his diaper and put his school clothes on.  He drinks milk and watches Disney while I get ready.
2. Drink a cup of coffee.
3. Before he switched to sippy cups, I would make 3 bottles every night and put them in the fridge.  We would grab them just as we were walking out the door.  Now, we don't make meals or take milk/juice because it is part of the childcare program.
4. Similarly, I would pack his bag every night.  Since he spit-up often, we would pack 3-4 changes of clothes.  When he was eating baby food, I would pack that in his bag as well.
5. Keep a roll of paper towels in the car.  I keep mine hidden under the seat--they have really come in handy.  Additionally, keep some diapers and wipes in the back pocket of your car seat. It almost sounds like I am preparing for battle.  In a way, I am!
6. Whenever I look over Lucky's take-home note and see that he is low on diapers/wipes, I put those in the car as soon as I get home. (We have a good stockpile of diapers and wipes thanks to the Amazon.com Mom's program.  I get a 3-pack of the wipes listed for 15% off just for being a mom.  Then, for using subscribe and save, I get an additional 15% off...a total of about 12 shipped!  Amazon Mom's get a free 2-day shipping (Amazon Prime) for one year---you get 1 month's credit for every $25 you spend in the baby/child section.  Even with a coupon, one pack would cost about $7 at CVS or your local grocery store.  This is a great deal! You can get a similar deal with diapers.  We buy Luvs Size 5 and use the extra 20% off coupon in Parenting magazine each month.  In all, we pay about $17 shipped for 150 diapers.)

7.  I accidentally cut my hair very short.  I didn't mean to do this.  See that short haircut in the right sidebar?  Just before she started cutting, my hairdresser said, "now you like it short, don't you?"  I said, "yes..." and before I knew it my hair was on the ground.  It worked out well, though, because I can wash, dry, and straighten my hair in no time. 

8.  This one is a strange thing--I think about what I am going to wear as I am trying to go to sleep the night before.  I usually fold laundry at night, so I know what I have to choose from for the following day(s).  If I already know that I am going to wear a certain dress, I am not changing clothes a million times before getting ready for work.

9. Since I lose my keys so frequently, I have to be sure that I put them in the same place time after time.  They belong in my purse, so when I turn off the car, and before I get out of the car, I place them in the front pocket of my purse.  If I forget and they end up in the pocket of my jacket, well, I have just wasted 3 minutes the following morning looking for my keys.  One friend told me to verbalize where I am putting things and it helps remember where you have put them.  "I am putting my keys in my purse."  I haven't tried this--I will let you know if it works.

10.  I try to think about what I will take for lunch the following day the night before.  The easiest option is lean cuisine.  I can grab this out of our freezer as I am heading out the door.  Sometimes I will use leftovers, but if I don't have a container handy, this is not the fastest option. Side note: I don't know where all the lids to those containers go--does the dishwasher eat them?  I guess the most reasonable thing to do would be to fill containers with leftovers in lunch-sized portions after dinner each night..  I am not that organized...yet!

Getting all of your ducks in a row makes the biggest difference in getting to school/work on time.  Please leave a comment and let me know your suggestions.

Shanghai Chicken Salad

Shanghai Chicken Salad

I adapted this recipe from one in "The Good Carb Cookbook."  I discovered this recipe while on maternity leave, and have made it about once a week thereafter.  This recipe is easy, tastes great, and is healthy, too.  Babysitters, grandparents, and even little "Lucky" love this dish.  I frequently take this recipe to work to eat on my lunch break since it is served cold.

Secret's out - we buy chicken and fish from Sam's, and it is frozen when we buy it.  One large bag of 5 oz portions will last us about 3-4 weeks.  It is so easy to defrost in the microwave, marinate, and throw on the George Forman Grill or into the oven for a baked recipe.  You can also put the frozen chicken directly into a pot of boiling water for use in recipes like the one below.  I am sure there are those who have arguments against using frozen chicken, but it works for us.

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Shanghai Chicken Salad

Ingredients
8 ounces fettuccine
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup plus 2 Tb Sesame-Ginger Dressing (below)

Cook the noodles until al dente.  Drain and toss with chicken, green onions, and cucumber.  Pour the dressing over the mixture and toss gently.  Cover the salad and chill for 2 hours before serving.  

Serve over a bed of fresh spinach leaves with extra dressing.

Sesame-Ginger Dressing
1/2 cup rice vinegar (I made this yesterday with Red Wine Vinegar because I didn't have rice vinegar)
1/2 cup orange juice
4 Tb reduced-sodium soy sauce
4 Tb creamy peanut butter
2 Tb olive oil
2 Tb light brown sugar
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp ground ginger

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.   Refrigerate.

Changing it up

• If you are in the mood for a little spice, add a few red pepper flakes to the dressing before blending.
• Instead of cucumber, I have also chopped a zucchini and blanched it with the noodles just before draining.  I like the flavor cucumber adds to the mix a little better; but the zucchini is nice, too.

When Sickness Strikes

Just imagine for a moment.  You had 8 full weeks off with your little one--a brand new member of your family.  To try and keep that precious one well, you enlist the help of your parents two days a week for the last 6 weeks of your part-time 'maternity leave.'  The baby has reflux, and frequently projectile spits his formula across the room; but he is healthy otherwise. 

For two months after starting back to work full-time, sweet "Lucky" stayed well.  Then, as he became more mobile and able to utilize the daycare center's toys--we endured what can only be characterized as a week from Hades.

The day before the roseola rash appeared...poor baby!

Not only did "Lucky" get sick with double-ear infections and an upper respiratory virus, but my husband and I got the same virus.  You, the caring and loving mother, are knocked out by a hacking cough, persistent stuffy nose, and an ear infection, too. 

Now that we've put this in perspective, two weeks after "Lucky" recovers from his first full-fledged illness, he gets roseola.  Two weeks later, another ear infection and two teeth make him miserable.  A few weeks later, he has a stomach virus that lasts 4 full days including a high fever.

You get the picture.  Now, we all know that taking time off work the first year is rather difficult for new moms.  At my company, we can accrue sick and vacation time past one year.  I was able to use accrued sick and vacation days to "pay for" my maternity leave.  That did not leave me many sick days to care for myself or family when plagued with  illness. 

Then, there is the guilt factor.  How many of you feel guilty when you have to call your boss more than one day in a month to let her know you are home with a sick child?  It's part of the package.  It's all part of being a woman; wanting to be a dedicated employee while struggling to be a loving mom.  It's a no-win situation; you will feel guilt either way.  There are many days I have worked with a migraine - just because I knew that I might need to use my one last sick day for "Lucky".  That's what happened last month - I used my very last sick day when the daycare called at 3:30 PM - the week before Christmas - to say that he had a 102.7 fever and that I needed to come and pick him up.  We were home sick the next three days.  Thankfully, I had just finished a big project and didn't have a heavy work load.  I work in an office that is pretty understanding.  I was able to do some work from home while using vacation and personal days.

Sick at Christmas-time--the worst time to be sick.

So what choice do you have when there is work to be done and you have a sick baby?  I am thankful and so blessed that my parents have been extremely helpful.  They have stepped in to watch "Lucky" when he is sick on multiple occasions.  They live clear across town, but it is worth the 1.5 hour round-trip to be able to show up at work and save a sick day.  I know how fortunate we are to have families in town. 

But, what do you do if you do not have family in the town you live/work?  What do you do if you are a single mom?  Daycare will not keep your child if they 1) have a fever > 101.5; 2) vomit or have diarrhea;  3) have a rash or 4) have a persistent cough. 

So, how do you cope with having a child in daycare where he or she frequently gets sick? 

Chicken Pot Pie

I titled the recipe category of this blog, "Mixing it Up," because I never follow a recipe exactly.  Many times, I will use bits and pieces from several different recipes to get the perfect end-product.  Below I have posted a LONG version - the version of Chicken Pot Pie that tastes best and a SHORT version - the version that is very good--just not as good as the long version.

Long Version Chicken Pot Pie
1 16 oz bag of frozen mixed vegetables
4 chicken breasts-cooked; shredded or cubed
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 can chicken broth
1/2 cup whole milk (I have also used half and half for this part of the recipe)

Cook chicken and then shred it using 2 forks (or cut into cubes); set aside.  Melt butter in a sauce pan, then add chopped onion.  Cook until translucent; about 4-5 minutes.  Add flour and cook for another 2-3 minutes.  Slowly add chicken broth and milk, stirring constantly.  When mixture is thick, add salt, pepper, celery seed, frozen mixed vegetables and shredded chicken.  Pour this mixture into a 9x13 glass baking dish and set aside while you make the biscuit topping.

Biscuit Topping
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted

Combine flour, milk and butter in bowl.  Spoon evenly over the chicken and vegetable mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes; or until the topping is golden brown.  Enjoy!

Note:  Before adding the biscuit topping, you can cover and refrigerate the mixture for up to 6 days.  Frequently I will prep this dish - doing just that - while "Lucky" is napping on a Sunday afternoon.  That way, when I get home from work on a week night, all I have to do is mix the biscuit topping, and put the whole thing in the oven.  Served with fruit, this is a perfectly balanced evening meal.

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QUICK Chicken Pot Pie
4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 16 oz bag of frozen mixed veggies
2 cups chicken broth
1 ready-made frozen pie crust

Place frozen veggies on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.  Evenly top with cubed chicken.  Mix broth and soup until smooth.  Slowly pour this over the chicken.  Top with pie crust--you will have to get creative b/c it takes a little patience and creativity to top a rectangular dish with a round pie crust.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes - or until pie crust is golden.

A Supportive Spouse

Let me start off by saying that I truly know how lucky I am.  Some women reading this blog are doing it alone--working full time and single moms.  I will address these women in another post, and please know that I am amazed at what you are doing.

Several years ago, I was frightened at the amount of laundry that came with signing a marriage certificate.  I honestly felt like I was doing laundry all the time!  Of course now that we have a child, I really feel like I do laundry all the time.  My husband worked weekends when we first got married, and I used my "free time" on Saturdays to clean house.  I would spend hours mopping, scrubbing, vacuuming, dishwashing, and laundry.  Because he was working two jobs that year, I felt it was my responsibility to make sure the house was perfect. 

However, when he cut back to one job, we had a family meeting.  We talked about the household chores that we were good at and also discussed the things we disliked.  At that point, we agreed to the following:

• Bathroom cleaning - Him
• Vacuuming - Her
• Putting clothes in the washer/dryer- Him
• Folding clothes - Her
• Dishwashing - Neither of us liked this one, so we both do it.
• Mopping- Her
• Dusting - Her
• Yard work - Him

You get the gist.  Well, again all of that changed with the arrival of "Lucky."  During my maternity leave, I could barely find time during the day to eat a sandwich.  Seriously.  I remember looking at the clock at 1:45 one afternoon and realizing that the only thing I had ingested during the day was coffee. 

Side note: I was so used to being on the go- taking classes, working a full-time job, going on outings with friends and family, that I did not adjust well to being home 24-7.  Having a baby in the winter months did not help, either.  Our pediatrician scared us to death - warning us against getting our baby out of the house for fear of introducing germs.  I didn't even take him to Target until he was 8 weeks old.  Even then, he was completely shielded from the Target world with a receiving blanket. 

Thankfully, my husband embraced the role of "daddy" and was so helpful; especially when maternity leave left us.  "Lucky" started sleeping through the night (an 8 hour stretch) the week that I went back to work.  Hubby would wake up with the baby at 5, feed him his bottle while I got ready, and entertain him until I pulled myself together enough to walk out the door.  Many days he took the baby to daycare (I will write about finding a great childcare center in another post).  One thing that helped tremendously is cooking ahead and/or eating leftovers.  My husband would typically arrive home before me and would start dinner before I got home.

My point to all of the above is that to make things work at work and at home, for me, it takes a loving, supportive husband.  I can honestly say that I don't think I could do it without him.

Childcare Options

Finding the right childcare option is not an easy task.  One thing that I found particularly daunting was the fact that most daycare centers in our region had a waiting list several hundred people long.  I started researching childcare centers when I was just a few weeks pregnant.  I built a spreadsheet with information on each of the centers we were interested in and spent several days calling the directors of each center.  I looked at the following criteria:

1. Location - were they closer to work or home?
2. Start date of the new school year - this would make a difference in the timing of starting a particular program for some centers that did not accept students throughout the year.
3. Student-teacher ratio - this was very important to me.  You want that ratio to be small for your precious itty-bitty bundle!
4. Hours of operation - Believe it or not, this can make a big difference!
5. Accreditation - If a center is NAEYC accredited, you can be assured that your daycare is taking the appropriate measures to ensure your child has the optimum childcare experience.
6. Website link - for future quick reference
7. Cost - most importantly, what will each childcare center cost you on a monthly basis?

I made appointments at several of the centers and toured each facility.  I met with the teachers in the youngest classroom to learn more about the typical day.  One thing that I think is so important is to look at staff turnover.  In one center, there were 2 teachers who had taught in the same facility for 27 years with the same aged children.  You know these women had to love their jobs--to be with the babies for 27 years!  All I can say is, "Wow!" 

We ended up choosing a daycare based on the location, facility, and staff interactions.  Additionally, they had an opening the week I was coming off of maternity leave. There were two main negatives to this choice - it was more pricey than we were looking for AND they did not open their doors until 7AM.  I get to work by 7:30, so this quickly became a problem.  Thankfully, my supportive spouse stepped up to the plate and helped me out.

15 weeks old--first day of school!

"Lucky" was 15 weeks to the day when he started going to a daycare that was fairly close to our home (4 miles away); however it was four miles "out of the way."  It was an NAEYC accredited program and was a beautiful facility. The classrooms were nice and roomy, and the staff were extremely friendly.  However, when he turned 6 months old, he got sick. I will post more about "When Illness Strikes," but just know that he was sick every other week (and sometimes every week) until he was 10.5 months old.  We quickly learned that the daycare nearest home was not the best option.  Several times I would have to leave work to take "Lucky" to the doctor.  It would take me about 30 mintues to get to his school, check him out, get him snug in the car, and then another 20 minutes to get to his pediatrician.  By the time the appointment ended and we were back on the road, I would have been gone from the office for almost two hours.  At that point (unless it happened to be a morning appointment) it didn't even make sense to go back to the office. 

After several months, and to our surprise, another opening became available at a center 2 blocks from my office.  I was on the waiting list for 15 months before I got the call from them. The "new" center opened at 6:30 AM each day and was almost $1000/year cheaper.  Just as the first daycare, there was very little staff turnover.  Because of the proximity to a university, the ratio for our current daycare is more like 1 teacher for every 2 students.  There are student teachers that hold regular positions in the center and work daily as part of their curriculum.  The new center feels like a family, and I know that "Lucky" is in the best care 5 days each week.

First week at the new center

In the end, you need to find the option that works best for your family.  Choosing a childcare center is an arduous process.  In the end, go with your gut feelings.  If you have any uneasy feelings about anything at all, you should feel comfortable calling or meeting with the daycare director.  Trust your instincts, and rest assured that your child is in the best care for the 8 or so hours that you are at work. 

Title Explanation

So, I lose my keys at least once a week...well, maybe more than that.   I am a working mom and do not claim to have all of the answers.  I do have some tips and tricks that I have learned in the last year that I hope will help someone else with their journey.  I welcome suggestions along the way.  My goal is to find keys to balancing work and family--to be the best wife, mom, and employee that I can be.