A Day in the Life of Staying at Home with a 5 Month Old

Just for fun and to document history, I thought it would be interesting to record everything I do today with regards to staying at home with my 5 month old son. I've been fortunate enough to take a year off of work to be at home with my sweet boy and I'm so thankful for this time...but let's not kid ourselves, it's a tough job. I have the highest respect for stay at home moms.

7:00 am Wake up with baby being sweet and teething...cooing and trying to wake me up. 

7:15 am Try to close my eyes a little more but baby is ready to get up.

7:16 am Change diaper (also changed him at 4am)

7:20 am Play on living room blanket with baby...practice standing up and sitting up. 

7:30 am Realize hubby took all the coffee this morning so I start a fresh pot. Go scrub toilet since people are coming over later.

7:35 am Put cloth diapers in the dryer. 

7:38 am Let dogs outside. Play with baby and kitty on the floor...pour a cup of coffee and forget to drink it for another 10 minutes.

7:45am Nurse baby.

7:50am Drink a sip of warm coffee. 

     Play with baby on floor.

8:15am Let dogs in and wipe off muddy paws.

8:22am Change wet diaper. 

8:30am Nurse tired baby...on and off ...he's now fighting a nap.

8:37am Put baby in crib since he's acting like he's not tired...go pluck eyebrows.

8:40am Pick up whiny baby. Bounce around nursery.

8:46 am Rock baby to sleep....

8:52am Lay him in crib for morning nap. 

....finally drink coffee! Cold now.

9:00am Heat up yesterday's leftover omelett and eat breakfast. 

....catch up on MSNBC commentary regarding Ben Carson endorsing Trump.

9:27am Baby wakes up and nurses.

 9:34am Retrieved clean diapers from dryer and put dirty diapers in washer for rinse cycle. Folded clean ones.

9:39am Change wet diaper. 

...Get baby dressed in today's outfit. 

9:46am Put baby in bouncy seat in bathroom so I can take a shower. 

9:58am Nurse baby after shower...not that hungry just needed some comforting cause I was out of reach for a whole ten minutes...

10:04 am Trying to get ready...get super tangled hair brushed and dried...make up on...

10:16am baby is ready to be picked up

Tummy time on the bed while I get dressed

10:18am Let dog outside.

Put baby in sling and attempt to go outside only to realize it's misting...come back in and do wash cycle on diapers.

10:26am Read a book with baby

Watch dogs wrestle...free entertainment! 

10:32am Change wet diaper...naked tummy time in the nursery...

10:36am Get baby back in cloth diaper and let him hang out on changing table cause he seems to be enjoying himself 

10:40am Move back into living room...nurse baby.

10:45am Rock baby...lay him in crib so I can tidy up the house.

10:55am Pick up fussy baby.

Put baby in sling and go rinse diapers.

Try to lay down with baby...he's not tired enough to nap yet...back to the living room for playtime.

Baby spits up everywhere...go clean toys and baby.

11:11am Realizing I'm getting hungry...decide to make a salad...baby in bouncy seat.

11:19am Made big beautiful salad but accepting harsh reality that eating said salad will have to happen later cause baby is fussy and presumably ready to sleep now.

11:21am Rock and nurse baby...dogs start wrestling again and distract almost asleep baby. Ugh.

11:27am Now I'm starving, dreaming about that salad ...still nursing baby...trying to fall asleep for his second nap. Sound Sleeper app is at full blast trying to tune out these dogs. 

11:33am Baby asleep in crib...finally me and that salad get together.

11:55am Baby wakes up...most likely because of whining dog who will now be exiled to her cage...

Nurse baby...now he's awake...go put cloth diapers in the dryer.

Let dog outside...again.

12:06pm Change diaper.

12:15pm Read some books on blanket...

12:20pm Baby spit up...changed outfit and another wet diaper.

12:33pm Prep work space for private art lesson...student running a little late...baby is acting tired. 

12:50pm Private Art Lesson started 

student's mom played with baby while I taught lesson.

2:00 Art lesson ended...changed diaper and it wasn't wet! Miracle!

2:10 Nursed baby to sleep...got him in crib.

2:16pm Eating a snack and watching Portlandia.

2:25pm Filled an etsy order...

2:39pm Baby woke up...ugh...supposed to be sleeping a couple of hours during this nap. Bummer.

2:50pm Put baby in swing to try and lull him back to sleep....getting jewelry making station set back up. 

2:55pm Baby is done with swing...pick him up to soothe him. Rock in nursery...

Playing in book nook.

Getting hounded by Millie....wanting something...

3:17pm Let the dogs out...finally getting some fresh air..kick ball around for Millie but she slips in the wet grass and gets embarrassed so she doesn't want to play  anymore. 

3:27pm Change diaper.

3:31pm Try to nurse, but baby would rather chew on shirt.

Come into living room to stack blocks...

Use amazing "nose frida" tool to extricate boogers from baby's nose. (Sadly one of my favorite things to do.)

Stare at Millie for awhile...

Now trying tummy time...started to get fussy. Definitely getting ready for another nap.

3:51pm Nurse baby. Play toys in book nook.

4:13pm Change baby's outfit...short sleeves seemed too cold. Trying out the swing to see if he will fall asleep. Nope. 

4:19 Carrying baby around the house to get sleepy. Hubby calls and is on his way home...picking up dinner...yay!

#thaiphooket

4:37pm Baby finally falls asleep! Yesssss!...now to delicately transition him from my shoulder to his bed.

Decide our bed will be easier than crib...smart move. 

4:41pm Freedom! Gonna watch Bob's Burgers instead of working on jewelry. 

5:00pm Decide I should probably make some earrings...can watch tv later. Getting really hungry though. 

5:09pm Baby wakes up...nurse him. 

5:18pm Baby falls asleep nursing...hubby is home with dinner! Yay.

5:26pm Baby wakes up again...hubby gets him. Daddy changes diaper. I eat while daddy holds baby.

5:48 pm Daddy's turn to eat...playing with baby on blanket.

Millie holding the baby....awww.

6:03pm Daddy takes over again...

6:20pm Holding baby, playing on blanket.

6:33pm Friends come by to hang out for a minute.

7:00pm Hubby leaves to go do a friend thing.

7:10pm Friend holds baby for a minute. 

7:30pm Baby falls asleep in my arms while talking to friends. 

8:02pm Baby wakes up...

8:25pm Friends leave, change diaper.

Let dogs out...

8:32pm Nurse baby...bedtime

8:53pm Spit up...outfit change.

9:00pm Baby seems hungry and wants to nurse...almost asleep then gets second wind.

9:18pm Took funny videos of baby who is not at all tired. Watching CNN about Trump rallies getting canceled because of protestors and excessive violence. 

9:30pm Go make a low carb dessert treat...bring baby to kitchen.

9:40pm Baby spit up...get him cleaned up..change my shirt. 

9:50pm Baby wants to nurse...but not for long.

10:00pm move into nursery to rock baby...

10:11pm Changed diaper.

10:15pm Bounced baby around the bedroom...finally just laid him down in the bed.

10:26pm Baby fell asleep! 

5 Things I've Learned About Motherhood

1. Your nipples are no longer "your nipples", no, they are mangled up, calloused, sore spickets for nourishing and comfort. (Not your comfort...)

2. Breastfeeding is hard! Really hard! You'd think it's such a natural process that you could just jump right in but it takes practice and patience out the wazoo...discipline....tears of pain....and then all of a sudden after weeks of piercing pain and battles with your newborn it just clicks. And then you really get to enjoy the most amazing experience that only you and your baby can have.

3. You will hold in every sneeze when you have a sleeping baby in your arms....and you will have to pee but hold it extraordinarily long if you have to. Remember when you had to pee like 30 times a day when you were pregnant?...yeah now you pee like twice.

4. Maintaining an intimate relationship and special cuddle time with your significant other is hard. But you gotta try. And guess what...you probably don't want to have sex...for awhile. It hurts and you're probably not in the mood. Also, you know how you give your heart and soul into taking care of your baby every second and then your loving partner comes home and they want attention...yeah that's a tough one...who's giving you attention? You need a break from being needed. But don't give up....it gets better. Maintain the relationship. You need each other.

5. Keep the lines of communication open with everyone. If someone is doing something that bothers you, don't hold it in. Talk to your partner before it turns into a fight because even a strong marriage can be thrown around a little with a new baby in the house. If someone is holding your baby wrong, fix it. If you need to feed your baby and someone won't listen to your hints...take your child away and feed him. You gotta take control. And if anyone gives you slack about breastfeeding in public, punch them.

Here's my family whom I love and adore. I had my sweet boy in October and have learned a lot in four short months. 

Low-Carb Creamy Squash Casserole

This is a favorite of mine, especially in the summer when our garden is producing squash, but since we're in the middle of winter and a snow storm at that, this will have to do for dinner tonight! (Cause I just happened to buy squash...)

Nashville got about 8 inches of snow this weekend, and we've been loving it! 

Anyways here's the recipe.

Low-Carb Creamy Squash Casserole

Ingredients

3-4 yellow squash, thinly sliced

1 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, save some to sprinkle on top at the end

1/2 block cream cheese, softened

1/2 stick of salted butter, cubed

1/4 cup half-n-half 

1/4 cup green onions, chopped finely

1/4 cup fresh parsley

1 tsp salt (maybe a little more)

1 tsp ground pepper 

2 tsp garlic powder 

Optional: Instead of slicing the squash, you could use a vegetable spiraler...I'm kicking myself that I didn't try this! 

I will next time though! 

First, slice or spiral up your squash and bring to a boil in some salted water. Don't boil for long at all...just get it hot then drain. 

In a bowl, add all your other ingredients. If you don't have time to wait for the cream cheese to "soften" then microwave for about 30 sec in a microwave safe bowl. Dump the drained squash on top of your ingredients and start mixing it up gently...I use a silicone spatula. Make sure the cream cheese is blended in well. 

Now grease a 13"x9" baking dish and pour in mixture. Bake at 350• for about 25-30 minutes, until bubbly. Then add the rest of your cheese and bake another 5-10 minutes until your cheese is good and melted. Enjoy!

Super Simple Deviled Eggs

Is there anything better than deviled eggs? Yes I'm sure there is but I found them absolutely delicious yesterday. 

Why would you ever use miracle whip to make these? Cardinal sins! #mayoonly

Super Simple Deviled Eggs 

(Super low carb snack)

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1/3 cup mayo...maybe a little more if it's looking dry (Hellman's)

Tiny squirt of Dijon mustard 

Sprinkling of paprika

Salt and pepper to taste

Boil the eggs. I put them in a small saucepan and cover the eggs with cold water. Once the water comes to a boil I set a timer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and give the eggs an ice bath. 

Then peel, cut in half, dump the yolks in a bowl and create your mixture. Use a fork to really mash the yolks until smooth and creamy. Spoon mix back into egg halves and sprinkle with paprika. Don't oversalt your mix but also don't be shy with it either. 

Add-ins:

-pickle relish

-green onions

-sweet pickle relish

-diced pickles 

-diced kalamata olives

Funny sorry about Hellman's mayonaise...my husband and I were at a Nashville Sounds game which is not normal, we just happened to have free tickets. Anyways, we ordered some junk food and I was waiting in line for the ketchup when I observe a drunk man pump about a gallon of Hellman's onto his hotdogs.

    I said, "I'm glad I'm not the only person who eats mayo on their hotdogs." 

    To which he replied, "Is there any other way to do it?"

Words of wisdom.

Brambleberry Crisp, A Low-Carb Dessert

I found this original recipe on Pinterest and it's just amazing the way it is, unless you are watching your carb intake. So I made a few changes to make it a little more carb friendly. 

This is a 1/2 cup serving with 2 tbsp of cool whip that brings it to _____grams.

Here's the link to the original recipe:

http://www.tasteslovely.com/triple-berry-crumble-made-with-frozen-fruit/

Low-Carb Brambleberry Crisp

120 carbs total ; makes 4-5 servings

Roughly 24 grams per serving

Ingredients

For the fruity filling:

•3 cups fresh or frozen fruit

     -blueberries, raspberries,   

      strawberries, apples, and/or 

      tangerines (36 grams)

•1 tbsp honey (17 grams)

•lemon zest or 2 tsp lemon juice

For the crisp topping:

•2 1/2 cups oatmeal (50 grams)

•2-3 tbsp almond meal/flour (3 grams)

•1/4 cup almond slivers or walnuts

•2 tbsp brown sugar (10 grams)

•1 tbsp cinnammon 

•1 stick of cold butter, cubed

In a mixing bowl, mix all the fruity filling ingredients together and spread into a greased baking dish. In that same bowl, now mix together all of the crispy topping ingredients. Use your hands to work the butter into "crumbles".

Spread mixture on top of the fruit and bake in a 350• oven for about 30-40 minutes. You want a golden brown top.

Now I would normally eat this with a delicious scoop of vanilla ice cream, but the good news is frozen cool whip tastes just as good! (Only 2 grams per tablespoon!)

Yes there are carbs in this dessert, but it's a much friendlier type of satisfying sweet treat. And hey we're using fruit and oatmeal so it can't be that terrible. 

I added some frozen blueberries just to up the ante...the blueberries are pretty awesome in this dessert.

I'm officially on a chick-fil-a boycott but we keep getting gifted some of their food products and my need to conserve means I have to utilize this free food! So this particular mixture is the fruit cup variety from their restaurant. This fruit is actually the reason I started making this dessert so I guess something good has come of chick-fil-a. 

Sidenote: My husband loves the original recipe and gobbled up the altered version!

Yummm!

Sweet Potato and Spinach Fritatta

So I added some orange to my low-carb breakfast this morning with some roasted sweet potatoes. Ever since getting hooked on the show "Chopped", I have started repurposing cooked items more than usual. So I cut up some leftover roasted sweet taters and added them to my morning "omelett". 

Low-Carb Sweet Potato and Spinach Frittata 

Approximately 15 carbs total...so 4 carbs a serving, makes 4 servings 

Ingredients:

1/4 leftover sweet potato

1/2 cup fresh spinach

1/4 cup breakfast sausage (Tennessee Pride is the only sausage you should ever buy)

1/4 cup diced onion

4 eggs

1/2 cup soy milk

Salt/pepper/garlic powder to taste 

1/2 cup shredded cheddar on top

Like always, I start this by browning and "scrambling" the sausage on med/high heat. Then I add my onions and veggies. Finally I pour on the egg and milk mixture evenly as possible. Top with cheese and cover to cook thoroughly. Turn the heat down real low just before adding the eggs.

Lovely colors. 

This takes about 15 minutes and it's a one pan breakfast which is perfect for me since I'm holding a baby.

Low-Carb Spicy White Chicken Chili

Well it's finally in the 20's here in Nashville so it's time to start eating lots of soups! (Funny that my phone autocorrected "soups" to "souls".)

Anyway, here's a super easy and delicious low-carb chili that I make versions of when I don't want to spend a lot of time on dinner. It's creamy and delicious and this version is spicy thanks to jalapeños cause I need a little extra pep when I'm low-carbing. By the way, the husband doesn't consider this a "chili" so whatever you wanna call it, it's good. 

Here's how to make it:

Low-Carb Spicy White Chicken Chili

Prep: 20 minutes, cook time 10-15 min, "stew" time 1 hour 

Carbs:

10 grams per serving; makes about 6-7 servings 

Ingredients:

Meat and veggies:

- 3 chicken breasts, cubed

- 1 can cannellini beans, rinsed

- 1 cup chopped carrots

- 1 cup chopped celery

- 1 onion, diced

- 4 garlic cloves, minced

- 2 jalapeños, seeded and diced

- 1/2 cup chopped parsley (or use 1 tsp. dried if you have it)

Liquids and spices:

- 1 cup heavy cream

- 2-3 cups chicken broth, low-sodium

- 1 tbs. olive oil

- 2 tsp. Kosher salt

- 1/2 tsp. Ground pepper

- 1/2 tsp. Garlic powder

- 1/2 tsp. Onion powder 

Splash of white wine, optional

Toppings: 

- Sliced avocado 

- sour cream

- chives

- cheddar cheese

First chop up all your meat and veggies...drain and rinse the beans and set the veggies aside.

Sauté the chicken in some olive oil in a dutch oven.  Get it cooked pretty well then dump in your veggies...I don't make life hard, just throw them all in at once and sauté with the chicken. Sprinkle your spices in at this step.

After about 5 minutes of sautéing, then pour in your liquids. I start with the broth and make sure the liquid comes to the top of your meat and veggies. Next stir in your heavy cream. Let this boil gently for a few minutes, then reduce heat/cover and simmer for at least one hour. Add more chicken broth if you think it looks low. Stir every 20 minutes or so. 

Note: Two jalapeños is HOT! So maybe just one if you have a hard time with heat. 

Chop things into similar size chunks for even cooking. 

Drained beans...I used organic cannellini. 

Sautéing the chicken. I add a little extra spice during this step and by spice I mean salt/pepper/garlic and onion powder. 

Throwing in the veggies.

Ready for liquids.

Adding the broth. 

Adding the heavy cream and beans last.

Simmering. 

And here's my cooking buddy, Archer.

Now if I can do this while holding a baby then you know it's easy. 

This recipe has 59 carbs total and we guesstimated about 8 cups of soup. So I'm estimating 7-10 grams per serving. Now I will definitely be adding toppings which will slightly increase the carb count but overall this is a realllllly low carb.