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.

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.

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.