He’s a happy 18 weeks boy! At his physical earlier this week he was 15lbs 6oz and a whooping 25.5 inches.

We are finally in some sort of routine with daycare and work schedules but it has been the hardest transition we’ve had so far. Mainly on us as he is a happy camper with the babysitter and her little girls. We get so little time with him during the week which was a big change when I went back to work. I feel terrible for missing so much of his days and only having to spend time with him at night and early in the morning. We try to make every second count when we have him home especially over the weekend when it’s all day. How do you working moms do it? I know this past few weeks have driven me to be even more efficient and effective at work as I don’t want to miss any minute with him.

He is now ‘talking’ a lot and always trying to engage whoever he is with. His skills involve chewing anything that he can get into his mouth, grabbing and pulling my braids (and trying to eat those), laughing hysterically (the BEST sound in the world), grabbing his feet and trying to pull them to his mouth and trying so hard to roll over. He’s almost there. We have no teeth yet but considering how much he drools, I am guessing we are not far from that milestone.

He is fairly regular with his eating and sleeping schedule now. We go through 8-10 feedings a day and he takes 1-2 good naps. He is more awake and alert during the day which is fun because we get a lot of play time (and little housework on my part!). At night, he goes down by 9pm after a bath and only wakes up once, around 2-3am for a quick feeding and sleeps through till 7am when he wakes up as a cheerful baby. His morning ‘talking’ is what wakes us up every day between 7 – 7.15am.

What else? He is still only doing breastmilk but I am getting tired of pumping around the clock especially at work as it cuts into my already busy hours there. But I’m trying to stick with it for as long as I can. We are considering starting him on solids soon, probably next month. We got the clearance from his doctor this week at his four month physical. I think we will do purees starting out and transition to solids around 6 months if he can grab them himself then. I am excited though to make his puree food and I bookmarked these suggestions from Christina to try. What did you guys start your babies with??

It’s our first Christmas with him!! We are visiting Santa this weekend and I can’t wait to see if he reacts. Probably not, given he is so little. We also took some pictures for our holiday cards, which we sent out this week. We got them again this year from Minted.com. I love their selection and quality of holiday cards with unique designs from indie artists. Have you sent out your holiday cards yet? If not, be sure to check Minted.com for all things holiday cards, art and gifting.

Here’s a screenshot of ours from Minted.com:

That’s all the updates for now. From my family to yours, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

The post BEYOND THE OVEN: Baby Update (4 months) appeared first on A Classic Twist.

I should start by saying I am in LOVE with this baby (duh!). Even more so than I was the last time I gave you an update (6 weeks update) and I think it’s because I see him less since I started working two weeks ago 🙁 and he has a personality already!! Both make it hard not to love him.

Let me back up a bit. E has been good since we crossed the two months mark. We might have a schedule down with his days and nights (finally) although I am not counting on it lasting. For now he eats every 2-3 hours during the day and every 3-4 hours at night. Sleep-wise, he naps for 1-2 hours two or three times during the day and at night wakes up twice for food. His day starts promptly between 7-8am when he is the happiest. Mr J and I usually hear him wake up and just listen to him talk to himself for like 5 minutes in his room. We can never resist the cuteness and always have to go in there and join the party lol. Mornings are my favorites with him.

Which is why it was so hard to go back to work two weeks ago. The mornings are rushed now between waking up, feeding him and getting him ready for the day, making bottles, cleaning his room etc etc. I barely have enough time to hug him before I dash out for the day. It’s been the hardest transition EVER and I am not loving work as much because of it. Well…to be honest I am just tired of being a student and need to move on from it soon but that’s a whole other topic.

Luckily, my mother came to visit us from Sierra Leone last month and she’s been taking care of him when I work. It’s been amazing watching them bond and she is just so happy. I am grateful for her as knowing he is being loved while I’m away makes it a tiny teeny bit better. Of course that all ends in December when she goes back home and he goes to daycare (sobbbssss).

In terms of development, he is a smiling machine!!! He just loves smiling all the time and is ‘talking’ a lot too. He got his first set of vaccines at his two months check up and he was a trooper. After the initial 2 minutes of crying(understandably, who loves needles?), he was happy as a clam and even smiling to the nurses as we left. He was a good boy and we did’t get any fevers or sleepless nights over the shots. We go again next month for the next rounds of shots. Let’s hope we have a repeat.

Hmmmm, what else?? We went pumpkin picking and he slept through it all. So we laid him down on the pumpkins to take pictures of him… yes we are evil parents!! But it was the cutest thing ever.

Last time I told you about our breastfeeding woes. We are pretty much not trying anymore with that and I am just pumping and feeding him the breastmilk. So he is still on a 100% breastmilk but it’s just all from bottles. I am thinking of supplementing with one or two feedings of formula starting next week to build up a bank of frozen breastmilk as I have some traveling coming up that will keep me away from him for a few days here and there. This used to bother me a lot but I realized that women put so much pressure on ourselves when it comes to breastfeeding. As long as baby is healthy, growing and thriving, I say whatever you are doing is working for YOU!

On that note, I finally got my act together and printed his birth announcement cards…only like 10 weeks after he was here. But hey, better late than never! I turned to my well-trusted friends over at Minted.com to design his announcements. I got our christmas cards from them last year so I knew I wanted them to help me out with these too. And they turned out so cute! We used this design for ours.

Giveaway!!!

The lovely folks over at Minted are giving away $100 Minted.com Gift Card to one lucky reader!! Holiday card season is fast approaching and you can shop your heart out on Minted for some or just shop for yourself. They have plenty of gifts.

To enter, just tell me in the comments below “What is your favorite thing about the holidays?” Pretty simple right?

Have a great weekend friends!

xoxo,

Z

Disclosure: Giveaway sponsored by Minted.com. One winner will win a $100 Minted.com gift card. Winner will be selected at random on October 31st and contacted by email.

The post BEYOND THE OVEN: Baby Update (12 Weeks) & A Minted Giveaway! appeared first on A Classic Twist.

Apple Picking!!

Apple picking has become a yearly tradition for me! Ever since I moved to Upstate NY six years ago, I’ve gone every year with my girlfriends.

Oct 2013

This year is however the first time I went with my new family of three. Surprisingly, it was the first for the hubs which is appalling after living in this beautiful state for over 30 years. Had I known this before hand, we would have solved it ages ago.

Sept 2015

On the first official day of fall, we headed to Beak & Skiff Orchards here in Syracuse where we spent a lovely afternoon picking plenty of apples, eating apple fritters and hot apple cider donuts. Luckily for us Elliott was a trooper, he slept through all of it. Maybe next year he will be more interested in it all.

BHG Stylemaker Event!!

Another thing that’s becoming a September tradition is attending the annual Better Homes & Gardens Stylemaker event (two years in a row now) celebrating the September Style Issue. Last week, I whisked myself to Philly where I spent the night with my gal pal Allie and we both drove down to NYC for the day event.

Breakfast with Allie (Baking A Moment).

We met most of the editors of the magazine and spent some time talking to Nancy, the Food Editor and learned a lot from her favorite food stylists like Libby Summers.

September 17, 2015: The 2015 Better Homes and Gardens Stylemaker Celebration at the Hudson Hotel in New York City.

September 17, 2015: The 2015 Better Homes and Gardens Stylemaker Celebration at the Hudson Hotel in New York City.

There were also other amazing sessions in cookbook publishing, making social media videos and all just learning about branding. It was plenty to absorb!!

There were a few brands sponsoring the event, including Vera Bradley who showed us their Fall 2015 Collection.

Vera Bradley Fall Collection

And surprise surprise asked us to pick one bag for ourselves!! I went with this teal cross-body bag for Fall!

Twice as Nice Crossbody – Vera Bradley

It was also great to meet some new blogger friends and get to know each other in person. I got to hang out with Maryanne (The Little Epicurean), Camille (Planning Pretty) and Becky (The Cookie Rookie) all day and had so much fun with these talented ladies!

From Left to Right: Camille, MaryAnne, Becky, Allie and myself

I look forward to another event next year.

Canning!!

The real end of summer is the signs of your garden is dwindling. This year was the first time we had an outdoor garden and we planted  a few tomato plants. They have graced us handsomely with LOTS of fruits and we took to canning for the first time.

With the help of Mr J’s Dad, we were able to get over a dozen jars of homemade tomato sauce and a few jars of diced tomatoes. We are ready for the winter and the eating of all the comfort foods!!

That’s all the updates from me today friends. I hope you have a great start to Fall. xoxo

What have you been up to this Fall? What plans do you have to enjoy some of the Fall weather and produce?

(Stylemaker Photos Credit: (c) Avi Gerver Photography)

The post BEYOND THE OVEN: Fall Happenings appeared first on A Classic Twist.

He’s already six weeks old today and I realized I haven’t updated you guys beyond his announcement. Elliott is a happy camper these days and already loves smiling and talking to mommy and daddy. However, our start wasn’t all fairytales and cuddles. He was born July 31st after a long and hard 48 hours of labor (I’ll skip the details) and we were very excited to bring our son how after four days in the hospital.

Our first night home, which now seems like a black hole, was a nightmare. He was extremely unhappy and was just screaming. Heart breaking screams. Mr J and I were unable to console him, not even for a minute to feed him. I knew instantly this wasn’t normal, even though everyone says babies cry…that’s just what they do. So first thing the next morning we went to our pediatrician who figured out that he was STARVING as he lost over 20% of his birth weight in just two days. At this time my milk was still not in (and didn’t come in until a week later) and the doctor suggested supplementing right away with formula.

I knew she was right yet this decision broke my heart and lead to days of tears (on my side of course). I was feeling inadequate as a mother and that I was failing already less than a week into it (add to that sleepless nights, raging hormones and pain from childbirth >>> I was a mess). Two days later, we went for a follow-up visit and he had gained 6 ounces. Another two days later he was back up to his birth weight. This made me feel better as he was growing and was healthy.  He was instantly not a grumpy baby anymore so we kept with the supplementation and whatever he was getting from nursing.

And just as we got comfortable around two weeks and thought we got this, we hit another bump. Breastfeeding became a challenge and he was extremely gassy which lead to new woes. Several lactation consultations and way too much time on kellymom.com (<< great resource for breastfeeding moms, although i feel like it’s judgmental at times), we figured out I was now producing too much milk and he was gulping and struggling to keep up (something called forceful letdown). Conclusion?? We tried different baby bottles and nipples to reduce air ‘gulping’ and I went dairy-free to see if he was lactose intolerant. We are still nursing but he is not a fan of it and  why we are 90% bottle feeding him the breastmilk. He’s been growing very well so we stopped supplementing a week ago and he is now exclusively on breastmilk (which adds it’s own pressure on my production).

Now he is a very happy baby and he is discovering the world around him. He loves staring at lights, curtains and his monkey friends on the mobile as he attempts to reach for them. He’s sleeping great at night (3-4 hours) and we are much happier during the day as the gassiness is almost gone.

As for me, I am now used to this new life as a mother. It was an extremely rough start but for the past few weeks it’s been easier and we are enjoying this little nugget as he continues to surprise us everyday with his abilities. (Look at how well he holds his head up at just 6 weeks??). I am also slowly getting back into the kitchen in the afternoons while he naps or in a baby wrap. I’ve made a few fall recipes that I can’t wait to share with you soon.

Quick Stats: 

Age: 6 weeks

Weight: ~10lbs

Height: 21 inches

Eating: He’s exclusively breastmilk although we are 90% bottle feeding (see above on nursing woes). He eats every 2-3 hours during the day and 3-4 hours at night.

Sleeping: We are slowly seeing a pattern this past week. He goes to bed around 10pm and sleeps 3-4 hours, wakes up eats and does another 3-4 hours until 5-6am when he is up for the day. During the day our naps are 1-2 hours.

Development/ Milestones: Smiles, babbles and is starting to grab things which doesn’t seem fun for his dad’s chest hair so far. He’s also got a strong hold of his head. My favorite development is that he stays awake longer now during the day after feedings. You can get a good hour of happy time where we chat, stare at the mobile and just smile.

Concerns: Breastfeeding: I’m noticing my production of milk is slowing down and I am trying not to stress about it so it doesn’t get worse. But I am doing everything I can to keep up with it, from drinking milk tea, lactation cookies to all kinds of fruits and veggies that are good for milk production. Going back to work: I am dreading having to go back to work/lab in a few weeks and thinking of being away from him is starting to hurt my heart. Oieeeee! I cannot even…tear works.

Newborn Photo Credits: Jen Pecka Photography

The post BEYOND THE OVEN: Baby Update (6 weeks) appeared first on A Classic Twist.

He’s here!!

Meet Elliott Sallieu!!

He was welcomed into our family on Friday, July 31st at 9.23am and our hearts are beyond full. At 7lbs 12oz and 20.5 inches, he is a blessing we cannot get enough of. It’s been a very exhausting week but I am already loving being his mom.

Every day we are getting to know him. He has his days and nights mixed up for now which has been challenging for the hubs and I but we are adjusting slowly to his world. He loves cuddles, sleeping on daddy’s chest and lights. He does not like outfit changes, burp time, cold wipes or sleeping in the dark.

And as expected Mr J. is a great dad and has been the best partner during this trying first week. He goes back to work on Friday (hold me!!!!!) and I start my time alone with him.

Things will continue to be slow around here on the blog as my hands are busy at home. But don’t worry, there are more guest posts from amazing blogger friends coming your way.

Hope you are all enjoying the last few weeks of summer!

xo

The post BEYOND THE OVEN: Introducing Elliott appeared first on A Classic Twist.

Anyways, here’s what we have been up to since the last update (~5 weeks ago).

Me: “Honey, I need some pics for my bumpdate”
Mr J: “Can they not be boring of you just touching your stomach?”

How far along?: 37 weeks

Due Date: Still 7/29 although he is growing fast and the doctors predict he will be here sooner

Baby is the size of: Winter Melon (whatever that is)

Gender: still a BOY

Total Weight Gain: still hovering around 22 pounds. To be honest, I was unhappy about this the past month as a few people have mentioned I am a ‘skinny pregnant woman’. Even though it was meant as a compliment for most people (except this nail technician who went above and beyond to let me know I need to eat more..oeuff), I still felt like I was not doing a good job at being healthy and gaining appropriate weight. Of course my doctors are not concerned and he is growing fine…ahead if anything but I felt guilty at some point.

So we had fun posing..or pretending to pose.

Maternity clothes: If I wasn’t in maternity clothes then we have a problem. I am currently loving maxi dresses as they are very comfortable and make the heat bearable. I’m not sure why I’ve never been a fan of maxi dresses before but I think after the baby comes, I would revisit them. I’ll share some pics of some favorite maternity maxi dresses on a Fashion Friday post next week. Above: Jeans (H&M Mama Skinny Jeans); Top (StitchFix Maternity Top)

Symptoms: Swollen feet, serious waddling like a duck, achy back, heartburn from everything, you name it. But to be honest, I can’t complain. These are all normal pregnancy side effects and I feel extremely blessed to have made it this far without any complications.

Sleep: That’s a thing of the past. I accept evolution’s desire to train my body for many sleepless nights to come.

Exercise: Just walks when I can. I’ve been working more hours in the lab rushing to finish up experiments and being on my feet all day long usually just drives me to the couch when I get home in the evenings.

Movement: We are moving less but I think someone is running out of space for all that acrobatics of the last few months. I think he gets the memo, it’s eviction time soon!

Best moment this week: We had our our last ultrasound appointment and it was great to see how much he has grown. He is ready to go and positioned correctly.

Food Cravings: Everything and anything carbs! I am bad I know. I made these doughnuts again just because I needed them 🙂

Mood: My mood is much more stable now. We pretty much have everything set to go, thanks to two baby showers and the hubs. The hubs really surprised me as he is usually a last minute kind of guy. Hello, we still don’t have pictures hung up in our house since we moved TWO months ago. It’s a struggle to get him to do things he doesn’t want to do. But I think the fact that the last few of our friends who had babies all came around 32-34 weeks freaked him out and he pushed to get everything done.

Mr J: “Uhmmm, yeah that is not what I meant”

Nursery: I will say complete except for a few decor items. I just got some paintings from The Land of Nod to complete our safari theme. I’ll get around to taking pictures at some point soon and share with you. We even organized his teeny tiny clothes this past weekend.

Looking forward to: finishing the most of my summer recipe content for you! I have a few recipes I’ve been working on that I need to share before I head out to maternity leave. So bear with me if you get an overload of delicious, drool worthy summer recipes the next two weeks (more than my usual 2 posts/week).

****

Speaking of which, I intend to take some time away from the blog when our little one arrives to spend time with him, our families and focus on being a mommy. Things will be slow around here in August and September. But of course I can’t leave you hanging completely. I’ve asked a few of my amazing talented blogger friends to fill in with some recipes and guest posts for you while I’m gone. I know you will LOVE them.

The post BEYOND THE OVEN: Bumpdate {37 weeks} appeared first on A Classic Twist.