Sweet Evasive Slumberland

Sweet Evasive Slumberland

by Adrienne Lavine

slumberland awaits...sunset

Sunset

Setting out to slumberland seems to be a sweet memory of my pre-pregnancy state of mind.

Since I became pregnant the reality is I never know how I’m going to sleep at night . I always fall asleep pretty fast but I hardly ever stay asleep for any length of time. Getting up to go to the bathroom several times a night is inevitable. Whether or not I get back to sleep can be quite the challenge.

Sleep being difficult since becoming pregnant has forced me to develop a nightly routine which helps me to sleep better. I try to incorporate relaxing and soothing things into my nightly quest for sleep. I start to wind down about an hour before slipping off to slumberland.

My routine:

  • I wash my face and put on moisturizer.
  • Take a hot shower and lather up with Dial lavender body wash because I love the soothing scent.
  • Oil my thighs, butt, belly and boobs with Clairins Houle Tonic to prevent stretch marks (recently, I switched to Weleda).
  • Climb into some comfy PJs (this includes a sports bra or sleep bra) and recently I was introduced to Belabumbum from my mom’s friend Jessica at Momma’s Gone City.
  • Take my prenatal vitamin and extra folic acid.
  • Curl up in bed with my body pillow and husband.
  • Since the baby is able to enjoy music, play Mozart for him.
  • Lights off…Slumberland awaits!

Tips for sleep:

Now that the weather is warmer, my husband and I also take a walk at night after dinner. The fresh air and sounds of summer also have quite the calming effect on me.

If I can’t stay asleep, there are a few things that I do. I switch them up because every night is different.

Listen to music (I put my laptop on the floor and turn on Pandora. Commercial-free is essential)

Get up and go into the family room to read a magazine or book (sometimes I just like to flip through the latest issue of Marie Claire)

Have a cup of hot tea (decaf, of course) with a piece of whole grain toast and peanut butter

Turn the lights on dim in the hallway and crack my door a tiny bit (sometimes the dark and quiet is a bit suffocating)

Exercise to slumberland

Pregnant and Exercise

These are just a few things that work for me but sometimes I’m awake for a couple hours during the night and know that there is a better night’s sleep ahead.

The Traveling Baby Shower Weekend

Traveling Baby Shower

Rich of the Traveling Baby Shower

Ten days ago we had a visit from my daughter’s husband and his dad. They were on a mission…a “Traveling Baby Shower” for my daughter Adrienne, who is soon going to welcome a son into the world.IMG_1168

For several years now our basement has been full of baby gear, including a Pottery Barn crib, Bugaboo carriage/stroller, high chair, car seats, swing, clothes and many toys. I am happy to report that all these items have found a new home in Rhode Island.

Here in Chicago it has been rainy for the past few weeks and Friday evening when we were packing up the SUV of course it was pouring buckets. It was not an easy task shoving all of the baby gear into such a small space. With the help of a friend, Rich and his dad were able to drag all the cargo out of the basement and pack the SUV literally to the gills only leaving the front seats empty and unable to move, it was similar to a coach airplane seat.

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After the Traveling Baby Shower SUV was happily all packed I served up a delicious dinner of chicken saltimbocca, pasta ala Mario Batalli, Ceasar Salad and refreshing drinks. It was a great little celebration of a job well done plus a relaxing moment with our son and his dad. We had some laughs and the two grandpas had some fun trading stories.

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It wasn’t too late when we all crawled into our beds. The traveling twosome had to get some serious zzz’s before getting on the road early Saturday.

Since I am a all about good food, Saturday morning started with Puerto Rican coffee, a frittata, toast and orange juice. A breakfast send off for our two men, who were taking the Traveling Baby Shower to Rhode Island where my daughter would be waiting.

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I am happy to report as I am writing this post the baby gearapalooza arrived in Rhode Island and all the “gifts” are put away safely.

Mommy-to-be and Daddy-to-be are presently both sighing with relief that the huge Traveling Baby Shower weekend is now behind them.

Independence Day through a Child’s Eyes

Independence Day through the Eyes of a Child

 

“The Fourth of July is a holiday that we celebrate, sort of like Presidents’ Day or even Christmas. It’s called Independence Day and we make sure to spend time together recognizing our freedom. Did you know that there are some people in the world that aren’t allowed to do some things like we are?” I didn’t know how much she was registering or if it made sense to her, but this was a good jumping off point in the conversations surrounding this week’s holiday.

Source: On Independence and Family Values – Momma’s Gone City

Independence Day

Fourth of July on Martha’s Vineyard

When I read my friend Jessica’s post over at Momma’s Gone City, I thought how beautiful to see the Fourth of July through a child’s lens.

If only we as adults could see as simply as a child at certain times in our lives especially on holidays. Perhaps today it would let us focus on the actual enjoyment of the Freedom that we all enjoy one way or another in our families and communities.

 

 

Independence Day Parade Hinsdale Illinois

Today at our Village’s annual Independence Day Parade, I tried to watch it through my granddaughter’s eyes and the eyes of the other children that surrounded us trying to share and partake in their excitement and awe seeing the paraders. I clapped when they followed the cue of the applause of the surrounding grownups for the Veterans of Foreign Wars and when our school marched by. I grabbed for some candy that was being passed out along the parade route and I got bored when my granddaughter got bored when the politicians appeared waving from their slow moving cars.
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I sat down when my legs and her legs were tired of standing and I got up when she became restless towards the end.
Hinsdale 3I must admit I lingered in an adult moment of gratitude when this car came by us and gave thanks and thought of what these gentlemen had given to me, someone they didn’t even know and who wasn’t even alive when they were at war for my freedom. I waved my hand and said a prayer of thanksgiving for all those soldiers who suffered and even died so I could enjoy my independence today!Hinsdale 4As the old cars passed I smiled  but as my granddaughter said, I did not want a car like it because it just didn’t look too comfortable for our rides downtown and through our snow covered streets in winter.

IMG_5775When the parade ended…I was happy to move on to the next activity of the day and get ready for a barbecue and fireworks after sunset.

Thank you to all of our service men and women who have given up so much for all of us so that we can celebrate today and honor them as we do so.

Weekend Reading from Parenting in the Loop

Weekend Reading

Weekend

Martha’s Vineyard Fourth of July

It is already the Fourth of July weekend…and it has hardly felt like summer at all because of cool temperatures and mega amounts of rain so far here in Chicago. The sun is shining today and it promised to be a sunny Saturday with great fireworks weather.

Picnics and outdoor fun sometimes help us to forget some of the things we need to do to keep ourselves and family safe from food poisoning and food disasters. Here are some tips for a safe Fourth Weekend.

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Food on the Fourth–safe eating tips

Foodborne illness can be extremely dangerous—especially for pregnant women and young children. Symptoms, such as vomiting, diarrhea and fever, can become life-threatening.

So if you will be celebrating the 4th of July with family, friends, and a cookout, remember to keep foods fresh and safe. Here are some important safety tips:

 

“It only takes a second”…how many times I have read that statement and spoken those words. Many years ago I was standing at the Top of the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco with my daughter in between me and my husband. We both admired the view at exactly the same moment. When we looked down at our daughter she was not there and no where in sight! The elevator doors were just closing and my heart was skipping many beats at the same moment. It seemed like an eternity but it was only a second later that I heard her voice saying “hi”…”hi” and I realized that she was walking throughout the bar greeting all of the people who were having drinks and enjoying the gorgeous view. Yes…it only takes a second for catastrophe to happen. Summer and pools and beaches are so much fun for everyone but it only takes a second to change that into a horrific event. Keep your eyes on your children around water no matter what. “It only takes a second”

Fullers Beach MV

The day my 2-year-old son almost drowned before my eyes.

Since my daughter and her husband are expecting their first child in the near future they are discussing cord blood banking and its importance. We are so lucky to live in a time when this is an option. Cord blood and stem cells have the potential to save a life. It is an important discussion to have and an even more important decision to make before delivery.

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Every expectant parent deserves to know the power of the stem cells contained in their baby’s umbilical cord. Leading organizations have come together to present Cord Banking Basics, a source to help expecting parents make informed decisions about what to do with their babies’ stem cells.

My sincere wishes for a happy and safe Fourth of July Weekend!

Pregnancy at 30 Weeks

Pregnancy at 30 Weeks

Pregnancy at 30 Weeks

 

I am thrilled that my daughter is in her third trimester of pregnancy as is she…”the homestretch”. Soon we will be meeting the newest member of our family.

He is now around 15.7 inches from head to heal and the size of a large cabbage!

Right now his eyesight allows him to make out faces that would be only a few inches away from him. So this is just perfect since he will be held closely to his mom and dad when he is born and will be able to see their smiling, loving faces.

Source: Your pregnancy: 30 weeks | BabyCenter

Life at 30 weeks gestation:

  • Trouble sleeping.
  • Feeling tired.
  • Feeling clumsy due to being heavier with your weigh concentrated in your belly with a shift in your center of gravity.
  • Your ligaments are much more lax, joints are now looser which will make your balance a little off.
  • Mood swings may return due to hormones, creating more ups and downs.
  • One in 10 expectant women battle depression during pregnancy. Also let your caregiver know if you’re frequently nervous or anxious.
  • If you can’t shake your mood swings tell your caregiver.

“I realized that finding a good pediatrician would be at least as important as finding a good doctor or midwife, so I started my search early. I asked my midwife and her assistant, the workers, administrators and mothers at two daycare centers, and my local hospital’s referral center for recommendations. The two practitioners whose names came up most often were the ones I interviewed.”
– Patti

Pregnancy

Take time to Breath

Labor Worries:

You may be worrying about labor pain, needing an episiotomy, possibility of C-Section, this is normal and feel free to talk to your caregiver each time you have a visit.

This week’s activity

  • Start putting together baby gear, it can be overwhelming so start as soon as possible.
  • Make sure you have batteries.