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.

You guys, I woke up to the best surprise EVER yesterday. A large group of blogging friends threw a surprise virtual baby shower for me and Mr J. I just couldn’t believe it. I still can’t to be honest.

Ever since I started blogging 2+ some years ago, I’ve always been lucky to realize that the best part of this journey is the people you meet. The relationships you form, the friendships you make and people you just plain love. After all, we all have a passion for good food and sharing food with others. But never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would be this accepted and loved in a community. It’s beyond amazing and just makes you happy to know you have a family of good people out there. And it’s gone well beyond the virtual space we all share. These are real life friends; friends you can text, email or call whenever you need a shoulder to lean on. Friends that can give you advice when you need it and friends that you can just plain laugh with.

These were the people who got together yesterday to celebrate the arrival of our little one with a virtual baby shower and I am beyond grateful for each and every one of them.

In case you were confused, the way these virtual showers work is that everyone brings a recipe to the party and showers the guest of honor with love and well wishes, just like in real life except it’s online. I love these showers because they are truly amazing as we form such wonderful friendships with each other everyday over the interwebs that celebrating one another is just a natural next step.

For this party, the wonderful hosts (and my dearest boos) Allie, Alice and Jocelyn, decided on a coconut themed party because they know I am coco-crazy and cannot stop myself with all the coconut recipes around here. So needless to say, it was just perfect!! I was drooling at 8AM as I went through all the posts.

Blackberry Coconut Cupcakes, by Baking a Moment
Blueberry Coconut Meusli Bars, by The Spiffy Cookie
Blueberry-Ginger Coconut Cheesecake Popsicles, by Floating Kitchen
Caramel Coconut Cluster Bars, by Eats Well with Others
Chocolate Coconut Cake, by Brunch with Joy
Coconut Breakfast Pudding with Sauteed Nectarines, by Cooking and Beer
Coconut Cake, by I am Baker
Coconut Cream Pie Ice Cream, by The Recipe Rebel
Coconut Energy Bites, by The Kitchenarium
Coconut Key Lime Angel Food Cake Roll, by Flavor the Moments
Coconut Key Lime Pie Cookie Bars, by Two in the Kitchen
Coconut Key Lime Macarons, by Life Made Sweeter
Coconut, Lime, and White Chocolate Milkshake, by A Clean Bake
Coconut Pineapple Banana Smoothie, by The Bitter Side of Sweet

It went beyond just coconut in it’s finest glory but it was a tropical party!! There was key lime, mango, pineapple, blackberries, more key lime and more mango! Seriously, when you think of a tropical galore, this party had it all. Sweets (lots and lots of sweets), savory and even drinks made an appearance. I had to share the recipes with you because I know you will LOVE them as much as I did. Think ice cream, cupcakes, muffins, popsicles, fried rice, cake (and more cake), cookie bars, cookies, macarons, donuts, scones, pies (and more pies!), smoothies, sangria and more. All your summer entertaining is covered 🙂

Please take the time to check out ALL the delicious recipes below. You will love them all so pin and save for later.

Coconut Pineapple Fried Rice with Shrimp, by Healthy Nibbles and Bits
Coconut Sweet Potato Muffins, by Luci’s Morsels
Double Chocolate Chip Cookies with Toasted Coconut, by The Cooking Actress
Key Lime Coconut Button Sandwich Cookies, by Culinary Concoctions by Peabody
Key Lime Coconut Pound Cake, by Grandbaby Cakes
Lavender Coconut Macarons, by Broma Bakery
Macaroon Tarts with Ginger Coconut Whipped Cream and Pineapple, by A Cookie Named Desire
Mango Coconut Donuts, by Chez Catey Lou
Mango Coconut Smoothie, by Jessica in the Kitchen
Mango Summer Cake, by Keep it Sweet Desserts
Mini Coconut Cream Pies, by Hip Foodie Mom
Pina Colada Pie, by Life, Love, and Sugar
Skinny Blueberry Lime Scones, by Club Narwhal
Spiced Lentils with Toasted Coconut, by This Gal Cooks
Toasted Coconut Banana Meringue Pie, by The Sweet {Tooth} Life
Triple Coconut Rum Layer Cake, by bethcakes
Tropical Pineapple Coconut Sangria, by Shared Appetite
White Chocolate Coconut Key Lime Cookies, by Culinary Couture

Ladies (and Gent!), THANK YOU very much for the amazing baby shower. I wish we could all have partied together in person. That’s the only way this would have been better. I feel so loved and special and little Blahnik Baby was excited all day long feeling the love. I can’t wait for all of you to meet him soon.

To my boos, Allie, Alice and Jocelyn, thank you chicas for organizing and throwing this wonderful party in my honor. Love you ladies more than you can imagine.

The post A Coconut Party and a Virtual Baby Shower!! appeared first on A Classic Twist.

So I guess it is safe to say I didn’t get around to doing regular maternity updates as I planned. This thing goes so fast and as it progresses, energy swindles. It is what it is. But here we are with only 8 weeks to go (I still can’t believe it!!) and I have a quick update for you!

How far along?: 32 weeks

Due Date: August 2 (officially), July 29th (unofficially).

Baby is the size of: Coconut! (about 4 lbs 12 oz )

Gender: BOY for sure. Testicles descended as the ultrasound technician pointed out this week.

Total Weight Gain: About 18 pounds

Maternity clothes: YES! That’s all I wear…at least to work. At home non-maternity yoga pants and sweats still work.

Stretch marks?: I haven’t noticed much yet and I am still slathering on Palmer’s Cocoa Butter every morning.

Symptoms: I noticed my feet started swelling last week after standing for extended periods of time in the kitchen. This is a bummer as I am always baking up a storm over the weekend for blog recipes, clients and family. But looks like it’s time to slow down. Also, I am getting heartburn again like the first trimester and this time everything from spicy to non-fried food triggers it. Braxton Hicks have started as well which is a good sign we are heading in the right direction.

Sleep: I am getting lots of sleep finally and kinda scared to say that out loud.

Exercise: Non-existent sadly. Just long walks around our new neighborhood and those help a lot. I wish I could do more but I am so tired after a long day at work and I have no energy to do much.

Movement: Like crazy tumbling and kicking in there and it is visible from the outside now. Oh, Mr J plays ‘chase the light’ with him. The baby seems to follow/ kick where he shines the flashlight. It’s cute to see how amused he gets seeing the baby respond to him. Sadly, just one of us is enjoying being kicked from the inside.

Best moment this week: We had our 8 months check up this week with an ultrasound. It was fun to see the little guy kicking and moving around. It’s so reassuring he is growing well.

Miss Anything? : WINE!! Just one glass pleaseeeeee. Went to the Taste of Syracuse yesterday and I really wanted to get a wine slushy.

Food Cravings: I’ve been bad at this because I have no specific cravings. I eat lots of carbs (bread!) and not so much sweets these days.

Anything making you queasy or sick: No. but everything gives me heartburn so yeah.

Mood: Anxious. Lots to finish before he gets here (experiments to wrap up in lab, blog recipes for clients, baby shopping to finish etc etc) and I have a feeling he will be early so working fast to get everything done. I should probably pack my hospital bag soon!

Wedding rings on or off? : Still on and lots of wiggle room. Don’t think they will be coming off.

Nursery: Almost done. Just waiting for glider to come in and some few little decor items I should get (curtains, lamp, books, wall art etc)

Looking forward to: My baby showers. One next weekend with the family and the week after one at work!!

The post BEYOND THE OVEN: Bumpdate (32 Weeks) appeared first on A Classic Twist.