Wedding: Our First Roadtrip with a Baby

So, last weekend we went on a road trip with the baby. My cousin was getting married in Nashville and that was one wedding that I could not miss. I really loved the decor as I am a fan of burlap and mason jars. I also really liked the idea of the tree pieces. I saw more places to incorporate these where they didn't, like on the candy table or cake table which I didn't get any pictures of. I also thought this would have been a great guest book alternative. 

 I love the "M". I have Korbin Bru's initials in his nursery but I would love to have a "B" for our front door. I thought it was cute to have the glasses on the table. I think though I would have done redneck mason jars though for an extra "rustic" touch.

I loved this gazebo for the wedding. I thought that the burlap wrapped around the iron gave it a nice touch. The view was really pretty there at the Pick Inn.  

 I love the green mum flowers and Gerber daisies. They took a place in my own bouquet when Jeff and I were married in Vegas. 

Traveling with a baby left me feeling a little nervous. The hubby and I discussed leaving at night so that our little man would sleep all the way there and not disrupt his schedule. In the end, I was overruled by my parents who were going with us. They thought that the wedding itself would be a disruption to his schedule and that we should just give it a try. We ended up leaving at about 8 ish in the morning. We stopped at the Cracker Barrel for breakfast and little man was especially good. We took in his little boppy floppy thing- I don't know what else to call it- to use in a high chair but he was happy in his car seat. We did end up getting him out of the seat for a little while prior to us leaving because I couldn't stomach the thought of him being "trapped" in his car seat for over an hour.  He fell asleep after we got back on the road and took a 2 hour and 15 minute nap.We originally had stops planned but all decided as long as he was sleeping we were going to DRIVE! He woke for about the last 30-45 minutes and was an angel for all except  the last 10 ish minutes in which he had a diaper explosion and was getting hungry. So, far so good. But.....we still have a wedding to get through and the trip back home. 

Sleeping like a baby...YEAH RIGHT!

I have no clue who came up with or coined the phrase "sleep like a baby" but I would really and truly like to either HULK SMASH or drop kick him or her in the head because if you have ever really watched a sleeping baby for a long period of time it is ANYTHING but peaceful! This idiom was truly created by an idio-(t). Whoever came up with that sentiment most definitely did not have children with sleep issues, if he or she had children at all. (which I suspect not). 

Me; however, I feel like I have done everything to try to help my little guy get the sleep WE all deserve. I've read books, consulted mothers, purchased upteen products "guaranteed to help your baby sleep" (please), tried different techniques and methods (thank you but no thank you FERBER, BABY WISE, and whoever else wanted to throw their two cents in) to get my little one to sleep all night, but I have had no success. So if any of you out there have a better idea or some kind of help, I am LISTENING!!!!

Don't I look like I am ready for sleep? Heck no...let's party...in my crib!

My son is now 8 months old and only slept through the night 2-3 times! 

And one wonders why when someone asks me when I'm having another one they are greeted with a long line of expletives before a solid and resounding NO! Never, nada, no way, no how, when pigs fly, etc etc. Ask me again when I don't have bags under my eyes from lack of sleep. But the answer would still be a bleep NO! 

No this is not his crib-he doesn't have toys in his sleep space.

Not that I don't love my son, but the physical exhaustion that comes with a baby who doesn't sleep is well, exhausting. I couldn't imagine trying to deal with another non-sleeper. 

. Plus, I am a belly sleeper. It might be okay with mommy if I didn't insist on sleeping not with my head to the side like in the picture but absolutely face down, flat against the crib mattress. If the fact that I didn't sleep good before, the fact that my mommy comes in to check on me many times a night probably wakes me up more than my regular wake up cycle. 

May 2013 Prom: Barefoot Style

Prom: That word strikes fear into the hearts of mothers and fathers all over the country. Especially since I read this morning in the paper that the cost for Prom on a national average is now over $ 1000 dollars for things like the dress, the food, the party, the flowers, the tux, the photography. I am almost glad that I will not have to spend upteen hundred dollars on a dress for a daughter...I get to do the tuxes. 

While I am too old to attend prom myself, I still enjoy looking at all the dresses. I have another reason to "window shop" for a formal this year. It is my husband's 10 year reunion for his military unit. This requires a trip to Savannah, GA, and they will have a formal night complete with photos, dinner and dancing. As a new mommy, I want to be respectably dressed, but as myself, I still want to be Jone. I don't want to be defined by my "mommyhood" status. I am still a relatively young woman and my mommy body is not at all atrocious. So, in other words, I want to look hot! I am really loving Number 3! Unfortunately, I am not a stand out in the crowd kind of dresser so my color palate is pretty basic: pinks, whites, blacks and grays. I am more after the things that make the dress special-a cut, a ruffle, a fit and less concerned with the color.

Top Row:

1: white and pink dress     2: white dress         3: black sash dress         4: black and white

Bottom Row

5: backless dress              6: feather dress       7: pink dress                  8 zebra dress

Cinco De Mayo-Stuffed Peppers Revisited

Last year for our Cinco de Mayo party, Christa and I came up with this little appetizer (here). This year, we have updated them a little bit. They have this new Philadelphia Spicy Jalapeno cream cheese instead of the regular block of cream cheese. The unfortunate thing is that this is not fat free but okay for this occasion. Also, we added a can of green chilis to the mix (with the juice) instead of the jalapenos this time.





Cinco De Mayo Stuffed Peppers (Revisted)

Ingredients

• 2 bags of mini peppers (capped, de-seeded, and halved)
• a tub (or two :) of Spicy Jalapeno Cream Cheese
• Taco meat-just as much as you wish 
• Onion (we were running short on time so we used minced onion) Again no real measurement, just preference
• small can of green chilis (juice included)
• Mexican cheese (to spread on top)

Boil the peppers for about 2-3 minutes just to soften a little. While they are boiling, mix the cream cheese, taco meat, onion and green chilis together. Get the peppers out and drain them well. Then spread the mixture into the peppers and top with cheese. Bake at 350 until the cheese and melted or slightly browned. 

The inspiration behind this board is from Little Baby Garvin

Barefoot's Melt in Your Mouth Chicken

I saw this recipe floating around on-line but I abhor mayo and overlooked the recipe forever. However, one evening I had chicken in the fridge and only a short amount of time to actually do something with it-while the baby took his evening nap. So I thought I would give this recipe a go. But as a recipe, I can never follow it exactly and have to change and twist it to fit my needs-usually more healthy, less fatty, and more flavorful. So, I twisted this recipe to make my own. 

 

Barefoot's Melt in Your Mouth Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breastsMontreal Seasoning1 cup Greek yogurt1 tsp spicy brown mustard1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (I don't use the pre-shredded, pre-grated stuff. I grated my own)2 tsp garlic powder (the original only calls for 1 but I like more flavor)1 tsp seasoning salt (1/2 less than the original)1 tsp ground black pepper (the original calls for 1/2)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line (and spray with Pam) a baking dish with aluminum foil for easy peasy clean up.

2. Place chicken (make sure it is dry and not slimy, yucky or the mixture will not do right) in baking dish and sprinkle with the Montreal Seasoning. 

3. In a small bowl, mix yogurt, mustard, cheese, garlic powder, seasoning salt, and black pepper.  Smear over chicken.  

4. Bake for 45-60 minutes until juices in chicken run clear.

EAT with a fork because I promise you, you will not need a knife!!!

Barefoot's Stuffed Shells

Italian Stuffed Shells

Italian Stuffed Shells before the cheese. 

·         2 cups Marinara sauce (can be homemade or from a jar, just make sure it is chunky with lots of tomatoes)

·         Pam

·         Italian sausage or my favorite ground turkey (cooked)

·         16 oz carton part-skim ricotta cheese

·         1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 

·         8 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese (divided 6 oz & 2 oz)

·         1 teaspoon onion powder

·         1 teaspoon dried oregano

·         1 teaspoon dried basil

·         2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

·         1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry

·         Freshly chopped up mushrooms (optional)

·         1 large egg 

·         1 garlic clove, minced

·         24 jumbo pasta shells, cooked & drained

If you are like me, use portabella mushroom in place of the Italian sausage or ground turkey. You won't miss the meat. I promise. My meat loving husband didn't even suspect a thing-shhhhhh don't tell him!

Prep:

1.   Preheat oven to 350°.

2.  Spread 1/4 cup marinara over bottom of two 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. (This will give you one to bake now and one to freeze.

3. Combine all ingredients (except the shells) in a large bowl, stirring well. Spoon the filling into a Ziplock bag and cut off a corner. Then, pipe about 1 1/2 tablespoons filling into each pasta shell or until full. Arrange stuffed shells in prepared dish; spread with remaining 1 1/2 cups Marinara over top of the shells. Sprinkle with 2 oz of mozzarella cheese. Cover and bake. * Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

*At this point you can make ahead, to freeze for up to four months. Cover with plastic wrap and then cover it with foil. Write the freezer instructions on the foil (which are a slight bit different than the fresh directions) so that even your husband can cook a meal.

4, 5 & 6 Month Favorites

Korbin's personality is developing just like his preference for certain things. Being with him all the time, I can see what he loves. For his 4th, 5th, and 6th month, these things became his favorites. Since he loved them, I can't help but love them. 

Baby Einstein jumper-Korbin loves this thing! When we first purchased it back in December, his little legs couldn't reach the floor (so a shoebox served as his platform even when he had not quite figured out how to bounce yet). Since then, he has learned what all the toys do, and is entertained for hours no seriously, long enough for me to put in a load of laundry and go to the bathroom. We did our research on this product, heck what product don't I do research on? It is definitely not perfect, but it was the best choice for us.

Banana Brush-This thing rocks. It is a brush. It is a teether. It is a magical entertainer. Korbin will sit with this thing for hours. It is one of those things that goes with him every where. It is like a dog; it even sleeps in the crib with him. lol. It is the greatest toy. Seriously, this brush is better than a pacifer as a mute button. He can grip, turn it, chew it, and most recently throw launch it. It is the perfect toy-and it is a toothbrush. I mean seriously, if you had a toothbrush that could be that much fun wouldn't you love it? Around here it is called his 'NanaBrush.

Sleep Sack-After having what I would call the world's worst sleeper (actually that is not true, but it seemed that way to me having to get up every 2-3 hours even when he was four months old), this thing changed things. Korbin always hated the swaddle but it helped him to sleep, which is why I guess he hated it. But when my mom picked up this sleep sack at Marshall's for $5.00 on clearance, I was like okay, lets give it a try. I have spent upteen hundred dollars, read all kinds of books, and my child still wouldn't sleep. (Silent parent fail sigh). But the first time he slept in his crib at exactly 5 months old, he was wearing this. Mommy sat next to the monitor all night, and he loved that he could touch his head and face and put his arms behind his head and low and behold he actually slept well. Since that first night at 5 months old, he sleeps in this thing, even for naps. The mod swad is a thing of the past-he hated that little pea pod. 

Crib/Mattress-At 5 months, I said what the heck. Lets try his crib. I knew I would have to return to work soon, and plus there is a certain lack of intimacy that will/can go on if your son is sleeping in the room with you. Just sayin'. My mom and dad purchased the crib and mattress for us as a gift, and we love them. They were both on my must list. I knew the type of nursery I wanted from day one and I also knew that I wanted a Jenny Lind Crib whether it was a boy or girl. I also knew, after all my research, that I couldn't let my baby sleep on anything but an organic mattress. This one was definitely pricey, but I would do it again in a heart beat because he loves it, and I love the fact that it is organic. I definitely didn't want my son to be breathing in all those off gasses and etc that comes off of certain products. This spark eventually led us to choose the bamboo mattress we have on our bed, and it rocks.

Mobile-I have to be honest here. This thing is ugly-I mean, U to G-to the LY-no abili ugly. I hate that my husband bought it. I hate that he attached it to my beautiful crib and ruined the aesthetics of my nursery. However, Korbin Bru loves it. I mean loves it. He loves it so much that his Gamma and Popa bought him one for their house for when he comes over for even just nap time. Seriously, in the grand scheme of things, it was one of the things that we stood in line for in the middle of the night on Thanksgiving at Toys R Us the night before black Friday and because he loves it so much, it was totally worth it. I will say this in favor of this monstrosity of an attachment of my son's crib, I like that I can change up the sounds to three different sounds. I also like that it can project on the ceiling later on down the road. But for aesthetics it is messing up my nursery's mojo.

Board Books-Little Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. He loves, loves, loves books. It is truly his favorite toy. This book was an accident. I wanted the full version. I should have opened the book before I purchased it. But this was one of my favorite rhymes so I wanted to get it for him. It turns out this is his favorite book. It is his last book in his nightly routine. He hears it every night. Which mean mommy reads it too him every night. Which means this girl knows that book by heart. Sometimes, I forget to turn the page, but I have a little boy trying to do it for me!