Weekending it

Doing a little bit of catch-up today. I wasn't able to blog much last week, as work was super busy and I was experimenting with some different pump schedules so I didn't have much free time.

Anyways, this weekend my friend, Stephanie, from college came to visit. She is my Broadway bud and also works in the museum field so we've always had a lot in common. She arrived Saturday late morning and I met her in the city for lunch and to check-out the exhibitions at the Museum of the City of New York.

That night we got home in time to put Kippy to bed, get take-out, and play some games.

On Sunday, Stephanie slept-in while Kip, Dan, and I were holed-up in our room trying to keep Kip quiet. Late morning we all got ready for the day, grabbed bagels, and then Stephanie and I went into the city to see Wicked on Broadway.

I scooped-up a deal on tickets from a site called Today Tix. They were cheaper than Ticketmaster and available last minute. I wasn't sure if it would be a scam or what but it was 100% legit and we'll be using the site again. I can't really do Rush anymore, especially while breastfeeding but I was glad we were able to see a show and for a pretty good deal (I paid $69 each for rear mezzanine. About 2 years ago I bought similar tickets from the box office for $100 each). The show was epic, as expected, it was the third time I've seen it.

Since Monday is my normal day home with Kip, Stephanie decided to stay through Monday. She got us tickets to do the Stage Door Tour at Radio City Music Hall. Initially, I had intended to bring Kip with us since Dan would be at work but with the flu going around and anxiety about doing a city trip without Dan's assistance I really didn't want to bring Kip along. It's hard to communicate what is and isn't possible with a baby while still being an accommodating hostess. Fortunately, Dan was able to work from home and watch Kip while we ran into the city for the tour.

The tour was really awesome. We happened to be the only ones there so it was like a private tour. We got to see behind the stage and look at the hydraulic system that operates the huge stage, we saw the costume room, learned about the history and the art, met a Rockette and even got to ask her lots of questions. It was a lot of fun and something totally different for us to see.

I got back to the apartment by early afternoon and took over Kip duty. It was a fun weekend but I'm exhausted. Dan was such a saint the whole weekend (as usual) and gladly stayed with Kippy all weekend so I could go out and hang-out with my friend.

I was really stressed about the visit because of breastfeeding and not knowing if I could pump wherever we were and having to haul my pump around. Every day I would nurse Kip and then pump until empty. I brought my pump but was able to go the duration of our time without pumping and just nurse or pump as soon as we got back. It wasn't necessarily comfortable but it worked and I didn't have to find a place to pump. I missed my guys though and wished we could have included them or just hung out with them. I discovered how hard it is to be social and have solo/friend time when your baby is always in the back of your head. Is this why it's just easier to be friends with moms once you are a mom? Deep thoughts.

Weekending it

We've had a greet weekend. The sun came out, the temperatures made it feel like Spring, and my mom was in town!!

Marmee arrived Thursday night and got to spend all Friday with Mandy and Kippy.

On Saturday we all headed over to New Jersey for lunch, shopping at the mall, and hanging at Mandy's apartment. Kippy did a pretty good job considering his naps were off.

This weekend he found his lips and tongue. Probably likes the feeling of this tiny teeth poking through. Also making raspberries with his mouth and blowing bubbles.

On Sunday we went to church and Kip was a disaster. Literally scream crying so we had to leave early. He passed out pretty much as soon as we left. Bad naps catching up. We drove into the city to have lunch with my mom's cousins and Kippy perked-up for the afternoon.

I got him to take snuggly nap on me later in the day while Dan and my mom watched football.

Pre-bedtime snuggles with Marmee.

Today, my mom is exploring the city and I'm at home with Kip trying to get him back on a full nap routine.

Oh gosh I wish this warm weather would stick around. Spring can't come fast enough for me, winter this year has ben COLD.

2017 Broadway Review

Last year I did a recap of all the shows we saw on Broadway in 2016 (see here). We had SO MUCH FUN seeing all those shows and although I know we are likely never to see that many shows again, we do still try to see at least one or two every year. This year, despite being pregnant and having a baby, we managed to see five shows!! We paid full price for all the shows we saw this year (no rush tickets) but saved a little by buying direct from the box office. See my Broadway, on the Cheap post for tips on how to afford Broadway.

Like last year, I'm wanted to review what we saw and rank them in order of favorites.

#1 Overall Favorite Show: Anastasia 

We had high expectations for this show because of how much I loved the movie. We got tickets as our "birthday" show since it is sort of a tradition for Dan to take me to a show for my birthday. Now that Mandy is here, it was part of her gift too!! We all LOVED it. It had a perfect mix of familiar songs from the movie but new songs as well and a slightly different plot. It was great and I'd love to see it again.

#2 Lion King

This was a surprise for us as we had been entering the digital lottery for weeks with no luck. Dan's cousin happened to be entering the lottery as well and when she won tickets she graciously passed them on to us! This show has been on Broadway for a very long time and it's easy to see why. The costumes and set are amazing and the show was truly epic.

#3 A Bronx Tale


Dan surprised me with tickets to see A Bronx Tale as a special date this past fall. Mandy babysat Kippy and we escaped to the city for the Saturday afternoon matinee. I didn't know what to expect of this show because I didn't know what it was about and I didn't know any of the music. I was pleasantly surprised. The plot was great and the music and performance were fantastic. This was based on true story and the creator, Chazz Palmintari, even came on stage at the end. This show seems to be somewhat underrated but in my opinion it was a great affordable show.

#4 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (no longer on Broadway)

Charlie was one of the main shows I really wanted to see in 2017 and I'm glad we made it happen because the show closed last weekend after only one year on Broadway. I'm not sure why this show closed so soon since we loved it and it seemed to be really popular. Anyways, it was similar to Anastasia in that it had some familiar songs from the movie but new songs as well and a slightly different plot. It was very creative and the set design was awesome. Sad it closed.

#5 The Great Comet

I stopped myself from not ranking this one at all because it was terrible. Okay, I'm sure there are fans out there somewhere but we did not enjoy it. We got tickets for this show to see while Dan's parents were in town in the spring. It was just weird and not what we expected and really hard to understand and I'm still confused why anyone would create a musical with that complex of a story line. Even though Josh Groban was in the show, it wasn't good. We need Terri Mom and Allen Dad to come back to visit so we can redeem their experience. Sorry guys.

Overall, it was a great year for Broadway. I ended up seeing three of the five shows I said I wanted to see and that was way more than I expected. In 2018, I know I'll be seeing at least Dear Evan Hansen since Dan bought tickets for Mandy and me to see it as our Christmas present. I'm also hoping to see Once on This Island. I am also intrigued by Spongebob the Musical and want to see it just out of curiosity. Next weekend my Broadway fan friend is coming to town and we are going to try out another cheap ticket option so I'll report back on whether it's successful.

As long as we're in New York, I hope we always make time for Broadway.

Weekending it

This weekend was highly sociable. In the New Year, I have a long list of people that we want to get together with and reinforce or build relationships. This is tremendously more difficult with a baby and nap schedules, but we're trying.

On Saturday, Kippy had his first "real" playdate and his little friend came over to hang out. Well, both boys mainly slept...but the adults had a nice time visiting and their two-year-old daughter enjoyed her run of the toys.

That evening we had other friends over for dinner just before Kip went to bed. It was a lot of socializing and a lot of tidying but both Dan and I enjoyed the time we got to have adult conversations.

On Sunday, despite the return of the freezing temps, we headed to church. Kippy did a great job and actually sat on my lap quietly for a good bit of time. After church we did grocery shopping and headed home.

Stories with Daddy.

Today is MLK Jr. Day! So I have the day off but Dan still had to work. I'm might attempt making some baby food today!

Now, let's play a game called "guess the problem based on recent amazon purchases."

These are the products I've recently purchased:
Overnight diapers
Waterproof crib size mattress protector (we now have three of these)
Extra absorbant diaper pads
Diaper extender pads

Did you guess it???

Blowouts. Yep. Kippy often poops in his sleep and when we get him up for the day or after a nap its all over his pj/outfits, sheets, and mattress cover. So, we are trying all kinds of things to avoid multiple outfit changes. Fortunately, his poos don't really smell bad yet since he is only eating breastmilk. I fear the day we start solids. But, so far, the diaper pads are the most effective. We position the pad partially up his back and it does a good job catching things. Other moms have told me they eventually grow out of sleep pooping and it only happens on occasion as opposed to multiple times a day. One can hope.

Happy Monday!!!

Peeks from the Week

This week was ordinary and great.

My Monday with Kippy was dreamy. He was just the sweetest. He took excellent naps (super rare) and when he was awake he was so fun to play with. He found his feet a couple of weeks ago but had not managed to get them into his mouth yet. He worked so hard on Monday and finally tasted sweet victory!

By Tuesday, the weather was improving and temps got all the way into the 30s!! Wow! We hadn't taken Kip outside in over a week so it was nice for Dan to have a chance to get him out for some fresh air. Kippy worked on rolling with Daddy and did tummy to back independently for him (we usually have to assist). Then Dan found him like this after a nap:

GULP! This is the second time we've found him rolled from back to tummy during a nap. It terrifies me since he hasn't realized he can roll back. So we're working on that a lot this week.

Cute picture of Kippy in the kitchen watching Daddy get dinner ready.

I started back at tap class this week since I took a break for the pregnancy and birth. It had been over 9 months but I was surprised my muscle memory kicked-in and I remembered all the warm-up dances.

And today, Mandy discovered Kippy cut his first tooth!!!!!!! We had NO idea he was teething. He wasn't extra fussy, was sleeping well, no fever, just his usual drooly self trying to stick everything in his mouth. But, there it is!

The weather is gloomy today but nearly 60 degrees which feels like SPRING. All the snow from last week is melting which is awesome since it all turned dirty and black in a matter of days. We have a play date scheduled this weekend and I got basically a full nights sleep last night!! And it's Friday! YAY!

Have a great weekend.

Napkin Notes, last of 2017

You guys, it's 50 degrees today. Let's go swimming!!!! But for real, 50 feels SO good after weeks of freezing temperatures.

Anyways, random post to document my last little collection of napkin notes from 2017.

I didn't receive many napkins notes the last half of the year, ya know, because of the baby! But they do still make an appearance in my lunches and bring me great happiness when they do. It's true, absence makes the heart grow fonder.

End of summer, just before Kip's arrival:

After Kip's birth and when I returned to work:

I especially love it when Dan draws me as Squeetie bird with a little baby.

Kippy || 5 Months Old

Today, Kippy turns 5 months old!! The holiday season zipped right by but his 4 month update feels like forever ago.

Kipling at Five Months

Weight:  15-16 lbs? not sure since there is no well-check this month  (14 lbs. 4 oz. last month)

Height:  26 in? not sure since there is no well-check this month  (25.5 inches last month)

Personality: sweet and curious

Happy:

Curious:

Likes:

When Mandy walks in the door and says "It's Mimi day" in a really high pitched voice. Kippy lights up!
Chilling with Dad and "watching" football
When Mom sings
Still adores bath time
Starting to like books
Turkey, his elephant toy
Toothpick, his teddy bear
The kitchen. We rarely take him in there so whenever we do he stops fussing immediately.

Dislikes:
Rock-n-play (we had to retire it to storage)

Being put down for a nap too soon or too late
Being forced to snuggle (I will break him of this!! He will snuggle with me!!!)

Wearing:
Size 3 diapers (moved him up today because of too many blowout issues)
6 month clothing (some 6-9 month sizes in a few brands)

Things I want to remember about Kippy at five months old:

The way you chill with Daddy on the couch. When I sit with you, you're always smashing your head into my chest looking to eat, but with Dad, you'll hang out.

How you get your pouty face when you realize I'm putting you in the crib for a nap. It takes you a few moments to work-up a cry.
Tears on your cheeks.
How excited you get when I put you on the floor in the bathroom. You've started anticipating bath time.
When you put your hand to cover your face when nursing.
Our quiet nursing session in the morning. Just you and me. You get so distracted at the other feeds.
You're little bashful grin.

How flipping excited you got when you realized we were back at home after returning from Colorado. I've never seen you so excited.
The way you've started snuggling with your teddy bear, Toothpick.
Your overtired giggles. You get a little slap happy by the end of the day when we are trying to keep you awake until bedtime.
Your wrist roll and chubby toes.
Your blonde fuzz hair growing back.

At five months, you started sitting up (or at least independently attempting), rolling over (just a few times so far), and playing with your feet! You had your first trip to Colorado and your first Christmas! Your newest trick is putting the pacifier back in your mouth if you have it positioned in your hand already. Can't wait for you to find it in the night and help yourself back to sleep. You also rolled from back to tummy once, we didn't see it but heard and saw the aftermath. You transitioned to your crib and own room at night. And I'm too scared to count on it, but you've started napping slightly better. Your personality is really starting to blossom and it's such a joy to witness.

Sleep
Kippy still sleeps well at night. He goes down around 5-6 pm and he gets up around 5-6:30 am for his first feed. I haven't nursed him at night since around 5 weeks old when he started sleeping through the night. At 4 months, Kippy started rousing multiple times in the night and either smacks his legs and feet down on the mattress repeatedly to get our attention or will chatter and coo until we put the pacifier back in his mouth. We don't get him up but just keep inserting the pacifier until he falls back to sleep. I'm hoping this regression will fade and he will go back to solid sleep. After returning from Colorado, we transitioned him into the crib in his room. More on this later. I desperately miss having him next to me in the pack-n-play but we agreed the transition needed to happen before he reached a point to protest it. He also no longer wears the arms free swaddle.

His naps are still sporadic and inconsistent. He seems to be doing a little better so maybe his sleep regression is fading? Fingers crossed.

Eat
Kippy nurses just once a day now on the days I'm at work (Tues-Fri now). And gets 4, 5 oz bottles the rest of the day. On these days, I pump about 25-30 oz. which is still an oversupply since I only need 20 oz for his daily bottles but it was 40 oz., so the oversupply is dropping. Before our trip to Colorado, I cut my morning pump. I had been pumping at 5 am to take off some of the foremilk before nursing Kip since the oversupply gave him green diapers. But, no matter what he was still taking too much foremilk. The pediatrician assured me it wasn't a problem for him and to not worry about the color of his diaper. So I cut that morning pump and I'm really happy about it. I'm still engorged in the morning and uncomfortable but it's a relief not to have to do that pump. My supply seemed to drop when we got home from Christmas and I'm not sure if that is because I am basically an exclusive pumper again or if it is because Kip dropped the amount he was taking-in while we were traveling and therefore my overall supply dropped. Who knows. I still do my 10 pm pump but I hope to cut that after he turns 6 months old.

On my days off (Sat-Mon) I nurse Kip on demand but try to keep a three hour schedule. I estimate he takes about 25-27 oz. total a day.

The pediatrician said we can start giving him "tastes" of food like a little finger of sauces but no real solids yet. I gave him a taste of avocado and Mandy gave him a taste of applesauce but we haven't started anything routinely. I really need to start this soon. I'm hoping to approach feeding really causally but I'm nervous.

Play
Kippy is FINALLY starting to play. He will grasp toys and move them in his hands and put them in his mouth. He loves his jumper gym and has started attempting to pull himself up to sit if we have him laying back. He pretty much hates the rock-n-play now but we brought back the second hand chair my parents had at their place and he likes that. It's essentially the same as a rock-n-play (rocks and vibrates) but he is more upright as opposed to laying back. We do tummy time and he has rolled over but it's independent or consistent yet. He has started grabbing books or trying to get his hands on whatever we are holding (like phone or remote). I'm trying to get him attached to the little teddy bear we got him and he is starting to snuggle with him. He also loves his elephant chew toy thing my mom got him and his baby doll from Dan's mom.

I love you Mr. Kippy. You're my sweetest little man.