Mommy's Musings

Call it "Mommy Brain", but all this sleep deprivation and multitasking has fried my brain. It has become so hard to actually complete a task...let alone blog. The weeks are literally flying by. FC is growing like a weed. I've started back to work. John's Navy summer camp that I was dreading has come and gone. We really are doing pretty great these days!

As promised by many wise mommies and daddies out there, the early days of baby fog has lifted and we are truly beginning to love life again (FC  included!!). FC is now 3 1/2 months old and hitting all her important milestones. More importantly, she is happy and thriving. We sing - she sings back. We smile and laugh - she does too. I can honestly say that it is a joy to just "be" with her.

3 Months Old! Do you see that reddish-blonde hair?!?

Such a cutie - she loves to be naked.

FC was baptized on July 1st. We were surrounded by our family and close friends. It was such an emotional experience - for both FC and myself. FC cried throughout much of her baptism! As Catholics, we believe that baptism washes away original sin and sets the stage for a new life in Jesus Christ. She was sealed in prayerful blessing by both John and I, her Godparents Nathan and Ashley, and our Deacon. We asked for Jesus and her namesake, Saint Felicity, to pray for her and us as we strive to lead and guide her new faith. She was annointed with oil and a candle was lit to symbolize God's light and our faith as a light in this fallen world. I am overcome with the great responsiblity God has given John and I!



We experienced our first 4th of July...one that won't be soon forgotten. I, for some odd reason, thought that FC would actually enjoy the loud explosions. Ha! That was quite possibly the longest 4 minutes of my life - trying to soothe a scared baby with booming explosions and loud barking dogs all around us. So. Much. Fun. (read sarcasm please) We are also enjoying having my mom with us this summer to help with FC when I'm at work. How we managed to talk her into this, I don't know!! We are so thankful to have her in our life...she is such a huge help and made my transition back to work tolerable! Imiss my baby, but am so much more at easy knowing Mom is with her.

Before the fireworks started...

Comming soon...First Vacation and Escapades in babyfood making!

I have a two month old!?!

I have a two month old today! Is it really possible that I've been a mommy for TWO months? No way! I feel kinda like I've been in this 'baby fog'...you get so immersed in baby's needs, her smiles and cries, and all the other mundane daily stuff that you don't realize how quickly this precious time together is passing. That said, we're doing great! I head back to work week after next which is only going to be okay because my fantastic mom is comming to stay with FC when I work this summer. The past two months have also surprised John and I by what we've learned in such a short amount of time regarding baby care....

1. I didn't know what tired was until now.

 

2. You can actually explode water in a microwave. Oh, and it's never a good idea to microwave a bottle of breastmilk, thinking it is the water - you'll get an even bigger explosion. Trust me.

3. Bathtime can almost always stop a fuss attack in its' tracks.

Aunt Ashley Time!

4. Pacifiers are NOT a bad thing. Crying IS a bad thing. Funny how being an SLP will warp your mind.

5. Boppy's are a great way to get a child to sleep. What...your's has THREE tags telling you NOT to let baby sleep in the boppy? Huh. Funny, mine doesn't. (She's sleeping, Mommy is watching, All is good.)

Murphy gaurds his little master.

 5. Family time is sacred. It comes in many different forms...but don't mess with our time together. Having a baby has made it crystal clear how special our time is together.

6. Some times will be bad, awful bad...(like driving in your pajamas at 11:00 at night in a desperate attempt to calm a baby that's been screaming for hours, like vacuuming your entire house three times with baby strapped to your chest because it's the only thing that will calm her).

Her outfit was so cute I couldn't resist...tears and all!

 BUT....it ALWAYS gets better. When times are good, they give you happiness beyond imagination.

Litle duck and her daddy. Melts  my heart.

7. A Father's hands snuggle way better than a swaddle sack.

8. There is really no wrong way to care for a baby when done with true thought and care. I'm the mommy and I get the final say on taking care of this sweet baby. As a good friend told me recently, "It's just love"- it won't hurt her. So I will continue to happily love my baby (hold her, sleep with her, feed her as I see fit, and the list goes on) - what a gift she has been to my life.

Happy Two Months Sweet FC!! Mommy and Daddy love you to no end.









We Love Family Time!

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;
I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.—Psalm 9:1

I am starting to like my Bumbo!

The past two months has been such an emotional journey full of blessings, milestones, and moments of sadness. My baby girl, FC, was born nearly two months ago...it is AMAZING how many wonderful changes our family has experienced in such a short amount of time. Early morning cuddling now includes three - and is typically more of a midnight to 4 am timeframe. We are now elated by simple milestones such as that first purposeful smile (at Daddy I might add), steady head control, and weight/height gains. I am warmed by my husband enjoying these early moments of fatherhood for the first time. He sings to FC, bounces her with love, and shows a level of concern for her wellbeing that I havent seen him show for anyone else, including himself. I give thanks to God for all that we have experienced - even the fussiness and colic - as I do believe it has tightened our family's bond that much more.



Daddy and FC love to snuggle - She won't sleep like this on my chest!

As I elluded to, we have also experienced sadness and grief as a family in the past couple of weeks. My dear grandfather passed away. While his death was not unexpected given his age, general health, and dementia, it was sudden. I think you can never be "prepared" for death...it is still a shock. It took my breath away and brought immediate heartache despite my mental prepartion for the "news". While we all deeply miss him, we also rejoice in knowing that he is free from pain and is no longer lost and confused...we will see him some day again in heaven. Praise the Lord! I give thanks to God for all the time I had with Pappa, for his full life, and for the legacy he passed on to his family. I look forward to taking FC to his farm in Arkansas this summer to meet Mammy for the first time and to experience some of the sights and smells of my childhood.

I was also blessed with the opportunity to spend an extended period of time with my family in Huntsville. My godmother, Miss Carol, was even able to come and spend part of the week with us as well! I am so very grateful for such a close-knit family - parents that continue to care for me despite my age, brothers and sister-in-laws to dote on my little one, and an extended family of brothers, sisters, and parent in-laws with whom I truly enjoy their company and friendship. FC has been snuggled by all!



Lula and Grammy on Memorial Day

John and RM - see the resemblance!

Pap and Nate teaching FC a little bit about basketball - Go Celtics!

FC likes her Uncle Nate - this picture was taken a week ago and it amazes me how quickly FC has grown!!

Aunt Carol could get FC to sleep when no one else could.

Nana just had to get a play mat for FC!



These pictures are just precious to me - My dad has taken to walking FC around the yard in the evenings. You can hear whispers of their conversations from the back porch - Im thankful I caught one of their sweet exchanges last night.

Snuggling with Pap.

Playtime is rough!

Seize the moment!

Seize the moment...that is what I am currently doing. Im seizing a moment to catalogue pictures, eat a bite of food, and serilize baby stuffwhile FC snoozes in her Moby wrap. It appears that as we have hit our one month birthday, Miss FC has decided to fall apart this week. There is no longer any semblence of a schedule, she refuses to be happy unless held, eating, or taking a bath so that leaves little time for Mommy or Daddy to take care of all other daily details. However, fussy baby aside, there have been so many special moments that we have been blessed to have in the past weeks. My baby girl has met her aunts and uncles, went for her first walk in a stroller, and is beginning to laugh and smile in response to Mommy and Daddy. I have felt like (and unfortunately been told) I was doing something wrong as FC's prefernce for being held and rocked has become stronger...I mean really - who can ignore a baby's wail (and believe me, this child can WAIL!)! But today I am saying who cares if Im cuddling this baby too much...Im choosing to seize these precious moments (and honestly just doing what is necessary for survival at this point). Because as I have been told, these special moments with my infant girl are fleeting - soon she will not want swaddled in her mother's arms or snuggled on her Daddy's chest. She will not care to be squished close to my heart in her Moby wrap or need to feel our closeness during feedings. I'll deal with the issues regarding her independance later...for now I think I will just hold my baby just a little while longer.

FC and her Lola!

Uncle Bill gives good snuggles.

FC loves her Uncle Matt.

Grammy meets FC.

We love Aunt Rebecca!

Pap doesnt mind early mornings.

Ducky baths at Nana's are so much fun!

How anything gets done around here!

Give Me a "T"!

TEAMWORK - you need it to have a productive relationship with co-workers, you need it when you play sports, and as I have learned these past three weeks, you NEED it to successfully care for a child. Note I said "care"...I have no earthly idea how to "raise" this sweet baby yet - I will just be happy right now to know she is well fed, clean, and comfortable. Who would have thought that giving a child these simple things would have been so difficult?!? So caring for our child these past three weeks has tested our parenting instincts and stamina, but it has also tested John and I's ability to work together while still loving and respecting each other. My heart twinges as I admit this, but there have been nights where just the sight of my husband has made me tense and frustrated. Sorry babe! Thankfully, the good outweighs the bad, and we really are enjoying FC immensly. I'm just glad that I picked John to embark on this journey - I don't think anyone else could have handled me and all this pressure! Today I was following up on some blogs I read and came across this tid-bit of advice - it's great advice for any relationship important to you. It is definitely something I will try to do more of...starting now.

Lots of Scotts: A Few Phrases to Memorize:  "I'd like to teach you 4 three-word phrases which will save you thousands of dollars in counseling and perhaps a divorce. Here they are: ...

Felicity is Finally Here!

Ready to head home!

With great joy and happiness, John and I are so happy to share that our baby, Felicity Catherine, was born last week! She is perfect in every way possible. Childbirth and the overwhelming responsibility of raising a child have been quite a shock to this new Mommy's system, but we are all doing very well! My mom, "Nana", spent the past week and a half taking care of us while I tried to acclimate to this new role - I am so very thankful for my mom and I's special relationship - these past few days would have been so hard without her encouragement and help. We have had many special visitors as well - my brother Nate and his fiance' Ashley and my Dad, among others. This weekend we look forward to introducing sweet FC to some of my husband's family. We are so happy to share this time with all of them!


Proud Daddy!



Proud Nana and Pappy talking with sweet FC!












I have been told by many people to savor these days - as FC will grow and change faster than I can imagine. But this will be hard! Given sleepless days/nights, seemingly endless feedings and widely unpredictable newborn schedules...it can be so easy to get lost in it all. I want desperately to savor these days with my sweet baby. I want to bottle her smell and preserve her changing facial expressions and baby noises. This love and awe I have for her is completely ovewhelming at times and easily turns into run-away anxiety for her safety and health if I'm not careful. So what should I do to truly savor these precious moments of her life?? It is quiet in my house most mornings - FC is a very good baby! - so I have been trying to spend the time taking care of myself and making time for God. I came across a scripture reference this morning that simply states the obvious. I will cling to this verse when FC is fussy and can't be comforted, when I feel 'mommy guilt' over the hard decisions I must make, and when I have no control over the circumstances surrounding myself and my family. My child has been entrusted to me by God and is ultimately protected by Him - Praise the Lord!! So I will try and remember that it only takes a moment - the touch of her hand, the sight of a smile, or an extra few minutes of snuggling  - to soak up my blessings from God.

Psalms 127:3 My children are a reward and a gift from the Lord, and I will enjoy them.

A few joyful moments of this past week....



The Rock n' Play is our best friend!

One week old!
Nana and Pap went shopping this past weekend to buy FC some new clothes - most of what we had for her was too big!

Sunbathing - Dr.'s orders...ha! She didn't mind one bit.

My cup runneth over....Praise the Lord for this precious new life!



Food, Food, and More Food!

Oh the things that bring us joy as adults! This Lindgren household finally has a deep freeze! Let the food prep begin. Today was super productive....John studied and I made 5 casseroles and about 5 dozen muffins to help us out once Peanut arrives. As promised, I wanted to share some ideas for a couple of easy recipes that I fall back on in a pinch.

Harvest Muffins (This is a spin off of the Weight Watcher's recipe!)

Muffin Ingredients:
1 Box Spice Cake Mix
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup of dried fruit (I usually use cranberries, raisins, or chopped figs)
(optional) 1 small banana or apple chopped
1/4-1/2 cup ground flax seed (a great way to get in your Omega's...I add it to all my muffins!)
1t good cinnamon

(optional)Topping Ingredients:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oats
1t cinnamon
2-3 T chopped butter

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees (drop your temp if using dark pans). Mix muffin ingredients together until blended. Batter will be stiff. Spoon into muffin tins sprayed with non-stick spray or into tins lined with paper liners. Mix together topping ingredients with a fork - mashing the butter. Sprinkle over the muffins. Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned and the muffins spring back when you touch them. If freezing them like I did today, wrap each muffin individually in a small piece of plastic wrap then put all muffins in a freezer storage back. When ready to enjoy you can thaw at room temp or the fridge and then heat in the oven or in the microwave. OR, do as we do - pop them out frozen two at a time, zap in the microwave for 15 minutes and ENJOY! Super fast breakfast when you're on the go.

Easy Chicken and Rice Casserole
-This casserole is GREAT for leftover chicken and dinner veggies. I have substituted leftover broccoli and carrots, roasted green beans and mushroooms, and even asparagus. It is all yummy.

Ingredients:
1 small rotisserie chicken, shredded
1 can green beans, drained
1 small onion and 1 small bell pepper (your choice depending on taste), diced and lightly sauteed
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, reduced fat/sodium
1 small can of chopped water chestnuts
1 small jar of pimentos packed in water, drained
1 box of wild rice, prepared according to box directions - if making your own approximately 4 cups cooked wild/brown rice
1 cup sour cream, reduced fat - I never use fat free, it tends to be too watery
2 cups shredded low fat cheddar cheese, plus about 1/4 to 1/2 cup reserved

Mix together all indgredients. This will make 1 large or two smaller casseroles. Sprinkle top with remaining cheese. Bake at 375-400 until bubbly.