Category Archives: COZY MAMA

10 Reasons To Mix Wine And Milk

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No, I haven’t written in a while…and I love how Amy Vachon addresses taking a break from writing on one’s blog.  As an aside, I love her blog and information on sharing parenting responsibilities.  There’s plenty to write on that subject but, for now, we’ll stick to wine…

I could list 20 reasons not to take a baby wine tasting, however, I prefer to see the glass half full…of a delicious pinot!!  That said, I came up with good reasons, tips, and suggestions to fully support a trip to wine country.

1. You get to drink wine.
2. You get to drink wine.
3. You get to drink wine.
4. A change of scenery does a body good. Even a little baby body.  Firstly,  find a nice place to stay — a charming B & B, funky boutique hotel, or rent a sweet house.  My friend found this house and it was perfect!  Going to sleep and waking up in a new place is refreshing. You don’t have to look at the pile of laundry in the corner for two whole days or unload the dishwasher, yay!! We had a COZY guestroom in a barn all to ourselves. The house even had a pony and goat for Luna to familiarize herself with for future interactions.  Even if you have a “difficult” baby, this just might be the thing they need.  Worst case scenario, you leave the winery and head back to wherever you’re staying. And drink a bottle (or three) there.  At least you’re dealing with it against a beautiful backdrop with a slight buzz.
5. You get to picnic. Many wineries have big grassy areas and, if you’re lucky, there’s a band playing so you can get your groove back (or visualize yourself doing that anyway).  Either way, you can throw down a blanket and have some cheese and crackers to go with that lovely bottle of vino. Any excuse to eat more cheese…
6. You get to be chauffeured around for a day or two. My friend rented a stretch SUV for the group (he knows how to plan a trip!).  We debated it like the responsible people we are and decided to ride along.  The car seat fit just fine in the back of the limo.  Just sayin’.
7. You get a break from holding your baby because other people want to hold him/her.
8. It made us reconnect with who we were BL (an era of time we like to address as “Before Luna”).  It’s nice to break out the old you sometimes.
9. Life is short.  Don’t over think it — just pack your bags, car, baby, and GO.
10. You get to drink wine.

Notes:

–We chose Santa Ynez, just outside of Santa Barbara.  A not-so-bad 2.5 hours away from L.A. with a generous sprinkling of wineries to choose from.
–Wineries usually don’t have hot water unless there is a restaurant on site. I couldn’t warm up Luna’s bottle so she drank it cold for the first time. She was totally fine with it but, if your baby only takes warm milk, you might want to schedule your stops accordingly.

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Cozy Essentials For Da Beach

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Just got back from our first vacay in Hawaii with Miss Luna.  She was a dream and was meant to travel, just like her mom and dad.  We loved seeing her appreciate the flowers, trees, fresh ocean air, sounds of waves crashing, smells of delicious seafood, tastes of fresh fruit, tastes of cold beer, tastes of mai tais…wait, that might just be me and Ernie.  Either way, we do sincerely believe she felt like she was on vacay.  Afterall, she’s been working hard on those dexterity and motor skills and deserves to kick back, too!  In order to promote ultimate relaxation, we decided to visit a handful of different beaches around the island.  Unfortunately, it was unusually windy on our trip and had I known this I probably would’ve been more prepared.  Anyway, here are my suggestions to stay comfy and cozy in the sand on the beach:

1. Bring a pop-up tent or something like this. I would have loved to be in a cocoon with Miss Luna and some toys while Ernie bodysurfed and snorkeled. You’re totally protected from the sun, but still have a great view of the ocean.

2. If you can’t get a hold of a tent, bring an umbrella. That’s what we had to work with and it was good enough (we bought it at a local grocery store). Get one with bright colors and your baby will be shielded from the sun and wind and be entertained all at the same time.

3. I would have applied sunscreen to Miss Luna had I read this.  A little sunscreen is much is better than a baby sunburn. By the way, Indian people don’t sunburn so this is all a new concern for me.  I almost immediately turn a charred, third-world brown (not the attractive goldeny-bronzy-caramely brown) in the sun. Nothing more, nothing less.  However, babies are extra sensitive to the sun so I have to start thinking about this stuff.

4. Dry wash cloth(s) if you’re nursing.  Sand gets in all kinds of crevices.  Add some wind and who knows if you’ll ever get all the sand out. I’ll just say that it’s a bitch to wipe sand off of your boobs with your half wet hands while trying to control a flailing bamboo blanket, aka hooter-hider and baby burka (alternative to sunscreen), all while battling wind gusting in your face and an umbrella on the brink of flying away and injuring the sweet, babyless couple laying out 10 feet behind you.  Plan B: let your baby have some grit in his/her milk.

5. Snacks and water. Seems obvious because it is.  Even if you think “We’ll grab a big lunch after the beach,” go ahead and buy that bag of chips staring at you earlier in the day.  And some fruit, something sweet, a big ol’ water, and gum for when you are somewhere in between.

6. Magazines. I rarely have time to read mags w/ Miss Luna and I figured I’d be entertaining her on the beach so didn’t bother to bring any. I could’ve kicked myself to another island (probably the Big Island because it’s the furthest away) for not bringing the 300-page InStyle I bought at the airport, you know, just in case I had some free time on the plane.  Luna actually took a 45 minute nap on the beach and I could’ve been reading what Mila Kunis thinks is sexy and what Michelle Williams considers home, plus so much more, of course.  It remains unopened.

7. A camping chair.  This is AWESOME if you are pregnant or breastfeeding and have no choice but to sit on the ground, in this case, the sand.  It saved my back at a concert when I was pregnant and I wished we had thought of it for the beach.  I leaned up against my diaper bag this time around, but the camping chair would’ve been heaven!!

8. Plastic bags for trash and dirty diapers. Again, obvious, but I somehow forgot them.

The Opposite of Nesting

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I’m a new mom to a baby girl named Luna. Originally, I was going to start this blog at the end of my pregnancy (rewind to my first entry is below).  But, I was ummmm… too busy doing the opposite of nesting, which is odd because I am such a cozy freak. Let me explain.

September 2011— Research says women nest toward the end of their pregnancy. Not me.  Maybe it’s because it’s hot as hell in my house, or because I suffer from FOMO.  I’m driven by how many things I can check off my list to make me feel like a cool chick, belly and all.  These days not being at home sounds more appealing than organizing closets and scrubbing floors.  I know that once this baby comes, there will be almost zero opportunities to go to hear a band, indulge in an underground dinner party at a loft downtown, or meet peeps for a glass of vino on a whim.  I almost feel like I have to store up NOW on cultural fat for the baby hibernation that is to come.  Me + fun go together, afterall!  The one nesty thing I have gotten into is decorating her room.  Making her room cozy is a no-brainer. Duh.  I have all these crazy ideas, most of which come to me in a half-sleep daze at 4am between a desperate pee and a dream (nightmare, really) about having a boy instead of a girl.

Don’t get me wrong – I look forward to life with baby… but I compare it to going on a trip. I can pump myself up for it, but there’s nothing like being on the tarmac to really believe it’s happening.  Same with this baby girl – once I see her all I’ll want to do is snuggle.  I don’t think I’m going to care about getting reservations at the newest restaurant or going to nerdy q&a film screenings.  I wonder, will those urges truly go away or will the same girl wanna come out and play? I used to worry about “losing” myself, but I’m excited about becoming a new version of me.  I understand that life will change – on what level I don’t know – but I’m open and waiting and curious.

My version of nesting might just happen post baby.

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Me and my husband on my due date…Didn’t want to miss a local street festival even though I was ready to pop. If only that iced coffee was a cold beer.

Mommy Thumb

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Camera 360That’s not a thumbs up.  Not too long ago I wrote a post about my achy wrist.  I was prepared to get x-rays at my doctor’s appointment, but instead the nurse practitioner asked me to describe my pain and then proceeded to have me hold it out like I was going to shake someone’s hand and then bent my wrist down. I squealed and she immediately diagnosed my ailment as “mommy thumb,” aka, thumb extensor tendinitis. She told me it’s all too common and is a result of handling the baby and overworking the wrist and thumb — like when you scoop up your nugget under their arms, that’s a strain on your precious thumb. Hmmm, wish I had known that this might happen because I wouldn’t have kept ignoring the pain.  For some reason, even though I’m thirty-frickin’-seven, I think I am invincible. That I don’t have to worry about joint pain, back issues, and dislocating stuff (not talking about my sunglasses or keys). I would definitely advise new mamas to be hyper aware of how you sit when breastfeeding: don’t hunch over and use a firm pillow so that you’re sitting up as straight as possible, don’t hold your baby’s head so tightly to breastfeed (I would hold Luna’s newborn head up against my breast so firmly so she would keep her latch and I’m pretty sure that’s what started this whole mess), stretch all parts of your body whenever you can, and try not to use your wrists so dang much (haven’t got that one completely figured out yet, but forearms and elbows might be the new wrist).  If you think you might have this condition and would rather spend the co-pay on a nice lunch, then read this article. It’s pretty much what the n.p. ordered. I’ve been following it loosely and it’s getting a teeny bit better.  I also found this Mommy Thumb news clip to be somewhat helpful.  They say it’ll take about 6 weeks to fully heal.  Yay.

Em-brace It!

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I’ve had some aches and pains from having a baby.  Back pain, breast pain, C-section incision pain…nothing unique about any of that.

The one issue that I can’t shake is my wrist pain, something I had never heard new mamas complain about. I’ve always had feeble wrists (got them from my mom and grandma), but most of the time they get the job done. Two weeks after I gave birth, my left wrist started aching and I bought a brace for it.  After a few weeks, the a pain subsided. A month or so after that, both my wrists started to hurt and make snapping sounds when I would do certain things.  To be honest, I sort of ignored it because who else is going to lift my baby during the day and deal with the car seat?!  Then one night I woke up in pain and knew I had pushed myself too far. Basically, my right wrist is in a brace/splint now because anytime I twist or bend it in just a specific way, I scream in pain. Something’s not right and I finally made a doctor’s appointment after painfully going through the motions in the land of denial. Some people think it might be carpal tunnel, but there is no numbness.  Either way, I can’t wait to get this diagnosed, once and for all.  Things I can’t do:

  • Leave the house if I want to actually get out of the car and do something with my baby
  • Remove the car seat
  • Pull out the stroller
  • Put the babes in the B’jorn in less than what seems like 10 minutes
  • Open a bottle of wine in less than what seems like 10 minutes
  • Put my hair up in a way that looks normal
  • Squeegee my glass shower doors (not a big deal since I only shower every 2-3 days now that I have a babay)
  • Twist a jar of peanut butter, jam, pickles, mustard, spaghetti sauce…you get the picture
  • Get that super itchy itch on my back that my left hand can’t reach (I thank whoever invented the back scratcher)
  • Pull up my underwear and sweatpants (I can only do that with one hand. Doesn’t sound like a big deal, but try it)
  • Text or type with speed
  • Wash my hair

Then I remember all the things I can do (primarily for my baby):

  • Love her
  • Feed her
  • See her
  • Sing to her
  • Read to her
  • Kiss her
  • Hug her
  • Change her diaper (barely)
  • Sleep 5 hours straight at night
  • Thank my sweet husband for being my right-hand-man when he gets home from work

Obviously, there are SO many reasons I should be thankful for what I am able to do. As super annoying as my wrist issue is, I am trying to make the best of it, knowing that this too shall pass. At least it’s not my left wrist, the hand that I write with. If anyone else is experiencing the same pain, stay tuned to my post diagnosis post. 🙂