Monday, April 26, 2010

Goldilocks and the Three Bowls of Rice Cereal

Just when you think you've got this mommy thing down, whoops! here comes another challenge thrown at you, full speed ahead. Introducing our baby girl to solid foods has been a trying, messy but exhilarating experience and I expect it to only get better and....messier. It's like Goldilocks and the three bears when teaching your kids about new foods, textures and tastes. Mommy, this bowl of cereal is too hot, this bowl of cereal is too cold but mmmmmm, this bowl of cereal is just right! Carrots are delicious but that boiled sweet potato mess is awful, GACK, ICK!!! I love love love banana but don't think I'm ready for strawberry. I get a kick out of watching her tastes something for the first time, I can see her taste buds working, sending little messages to her brain, firing up for the first time!

She's getting most of her meals down the chute now and we are committed to three solid meals a day. It is a different kind of routine, a different kind of schedule. Another curve in the road of parenthood that brings laughter and memories. On to the cheerios and sippy cups!

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Oh My! There's a Real Live Baby in the Other Room!

My sweet baby girl has been surprising me since the day I found out she existed. Don't get me wrong, she is the VERY best surprise anyone could hope for; strong, healthy, gorgeous, smart and sassy, just the way I like em'. All of a sudden, though, there is little being, a little spitfire, a little girl in my life smiling and grinning and crying and eating and discovering the big world. In the recent mornings when she's having her morning munch if I drift off back to sleep I feel the softest touch to my face and when I look down, find the tiniest little person-face looking me dead in the eye. It's like the Velveteen Rabbit, she is REAL baby, a wonderful little soul just itching to make her mark on the world. She's just started making REAL little girl noises so when she fusses now I stop and think, holy s$%t, I've got a real baby! I sense that I'm going to be feeling that way for quite a while, as all first mothers do. Every time she makes a new motion or makes a new expression, I'm going to be thinking, holy s$%t! What a ride, what a trip, no one, not even your own mother, can explain how it feels. It just is what it is, amazing.........

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Godzelly Attacks! Or...Don't Wake The Zelly Monster


Babies make weird noises as they discover the vocal cords their parents will come to know intrinsically. In the midst of 15 young things I am able to identify the cries of my daughter. She grunts, laughs, squeals, coos and growls. Yes, she growls. She sounds like a little monster ( a cute one) and it separates her (for me) out of a group of sweet babies. She also likes to thump her little feet as hard as she can, either upon waking or when she hasn't quite found  her way to dreamland. She thumps so hard, just the other day while in the shower I actually heard and felt the vibrations of her thumping through the wall and through the shower pressure. Thump, thump, thump, goes the Godzelly, grrr, grr, grrr, goes the Zelly Monster. Monster she really isn't, but it's so damn cute, and Godzelly just has a ring to it. It's her way of letting Mommy and Daddy know she is NOT ready to sleep or she is READY to get up and party!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Rainy Day Dreams....Outdoor Fun in and around Marin County

It has been an extremely wet winter here in Marin County, Northern CA. While I am thrilled that the golden state is no longer considered to be in a drought, I can't help but admit that my soul, not to mention my house, car and yard are all slightly dampened. Oh, we've gotten a few sunny gorgeous days that only Marin can offer, just enough to keep one looking to the future of warmth and beauty. On those particular days I've been fortunate to get out and around with the little one. I'm often joined by another rockin' Marin Mama, but sometimes it's just me and the munchkin. We've discovered some fantastic running paths and a few hikes that bring life into perspective. Check out these sources for outdoor fun for you and your family.

Weekend Sherpa , which offers weekly outdoor activities and outing in and around the Bay Area.

Bay Trail - running from Novato to Sausalito - I like to start off of East Blythedale in Mill Valley and head for Sausalito, the view of Mount Tamalpais is unmatched.

7 Waterfall Hikes in Marin - Top 7 waterfall hikes in Marin County - best hiking time Feb-April, give and take a month or two.

Tennessee Valley Trails - a trailhead that will take hikers to a small beach cove, or up and over to Muir Beach, part of the Golden Gate National Park lands

Saturday, April 10, 2010

5 Minutes at the Dinner Table with Baby

Mommy: Okay baby, let's have some rice cereal with sweet potato!

Baby: Okay mommy, let's try something new, sounds cool.

Mommy: Here is the spoon, can you open your mouth?

Baby: Sure mommy but I think I'd rather reach down and grab the bowl off the table, spilling the contents everywhere.

Mommy: Oh whoops baby! We don't want to spill your dinner everywhere! Let's try again.

Baby: Sure mommy but I really want to put my hands in my dinner and then put my hands in my hair! I hear sweet potatoes are excellent when attempting to jump start hair growth.

Mommy: Yummy sweet potato, don't you want to put some in your mouth?

Baby: Well I would mommy but I think it tastes better when first mashed onto my bib, then shoved into my mouth. It really opens up the flavors and aromas.

Mommy: You got some in your mouth, right baby?

Baby: Sure mommy, this was a fun game, let's plan again soon!

Friday, April 9, 2010

Going Green and Tweetin’ About It

Moms wanting to take care of their little ones and the earth at the same time have a friend in social media. Twitter, founded in 2006, is growing in popularity and one of the thriving communities on the micro-blogging site is women and mothers sharing their green experience. They share with blog postings, and green giveaways, with tips and advice ranging from compost collection to eco-friendly makeup. They run websites that sell eco-friendly baby and mommy products or they tweet about someone who does, just to spread the word. A Green Mommy Tweeters list can be a great resource for fellow users! For more information about Twitter, check out http://www.twitter.com/

1. @lilgreenmama – The owner of Green Baby Green Mama organic baby store. http://greenbabygreenmama.com/

2. @mwyt - A stay at home mom who reports on cool companies, websites, and products with an emphasis on going green and saving money.

3. @kidbean - Entrepreneur, Mommy of 2, Vegan, Activist, Owner of KidBean.com (earth-friendly, vegan-friendly, labor-friendly products for kids) http://www.kidbean.com/

4. @moms_goinggreen - Blog for Moms embracing and promoting green practices. http://www.momsgoinggreenblog.com/

5. @mindfulmomma - Green living from the homefront. Served up with a healthy dose of reality. http://www.mindfulmomma.typepad.com/
6. @ecosaveology - Mom w/Teens, Organic Sustainable Green Eco Tips-Techy-Traveler-Veggie-Foodie-Coffee/Tea-Minimalist-luv wood rocks & life-SMM. http://www.facebook.com/Ecosaveology

7. @livegreenmom - Mom. Working towards making our lives GREEN! Recycling, organics, non-GMO foods, natural and preventative healing options. http://livegreenmom.com/

8. @organicmania - Green Marketing Consultant and Mom. Crazy about Organics and Green Living. Shorty Award Winner. One of Nielsen's Power Mom 50. Tweeting on business @4GreenPs. http://www.organicmania.com/

9. @crunchygoddess - A mama of two kids, I am passionate about home birth, natural/green family living, environmentalism, and urban homesteading. http://www.crunchydomesticgoddess.com/

10. @naturesknockout -Mother, Daughter celebrity make-up artists devoted to finding great quality non-toxic cosmetics, and sharing it with the world. http://www.naturesknockout.com/

Sleep....what's that??

My daughter will be six months old tomorrow. She's always been a decent napper and we've had her on a "Baby Whisperer" approved routine since her first day at home, which, I believe, has gotten her into a nice rythmn. That's all fine and dandy but what about when she's teething? Or growing so fast her little bones ache? Well let me tell you, a night like last night makes me want to throw any baby book out the window because wow, waking up every two hours is SO out of the ordinary for her. Not a good night. Went sort of like this:

10:15 pm - wake up before dream feed - where she is still sleeping and eating
1:00am - wake up and cry for 30 minutes - changed her diaper
3:00am - wake up and cry for an hour - wants to eat but we are trying to cut out her night feeds
6:30am - wake up and wants to eat - okay, let's do it!

Um, yeah.....not such a good night. At some point in the next year my partner and I would like to get away for a weekend and leave the babe with her grandma but that can't happen if she's still waking up at 3, 4 or 5 to nibble away on Mommy. Needless to say, the 3:00 cry-fest was the hardest to deal with, because yes, it would have been easy to slap her on the boob, but she isn't hungry! She's just tired and wants to go back to sleep but needs my help. Again, the Baby Whisperer comes into play, with the Pick Up/Put Down method, which takes a while but IT DOES WORK EVENTUALLY! ***Take note new mommies, don't give up!****

We'll try it again tonight, I'm sure it will be a sobfest at 4:00am but if I ever want to get 8 hours ever again, this is the method we are to try for the time being. If it means I'll be sleep deprived for three days in order to get her sleeping through the night, I'll give it a try.

Happy Friday to you all! Enjoy the beautiful day, we certainly intend to do so.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

I don't need this blog, but here it is anyways

I probably don't need this blog. I have a facebook account, a twitter account, a yelp account, a skype account, a google buzz account and everything in between. And oh yes, those social media forums are intertwined, so when I post on Yelp, my facebook buddies see it. But, seeing that I want to continue to share my road down motherhood with those I love and those who rock, creating a blog was simply the next step! I like to think I'm plugged in and updated and maybe one day, this forum will be important. Until then, it's just me, baby Zelly and all the loyal Zelly fans who want regular updates!

I intend to post my trials and tribulations, fun Mommy facts that any mother will appreciate, restaurant suggestions and reflections on being a mother right now, in 2010. Maybe one of my posts will speak to you!

Enjoy and spread the word.

Blessings,

Gabrielle