Cops & Toddlers

Since January, Lain has been spending his weekday evenings enrolled in the police academy. It has always been a dream of his to be a police officer, and he finally decided at the beginning of this year to make the commitment. With Lain away from home in the evenings, it has left lots of time for Lea and I to hang, but we've definitely missed Daddy. Its been quite the challenge, especially chasing after a toddler while nursing a broken foot. (Long story short... super high heels right after foot surgery is never a good idea.) Lea has gone from crawling, to walking to practically running this month, and keeping up with her is sometimes exhausting.

Lea playing with her bestie, Sophie

Mornings with Dad

Thanks to my wonderful parents, in-laws, Nene, Ben, Adam, Jac-Jac my bestie Tracy and Lea's bestie, Sophie-Lou for hanging with us while Lain was away from home. Your company is very much appreciated :) And thank you to Lain, who has graciously taken over all parental duties in the mornings to give me a little extra time to get ready. Cheerios in bed with Dad has become quite the morning tradition.

Tonight, Lain finally graduated from the academy. Let me just tell you, he looks mighty fine in a uniform :) Other than simply looking good, I know he is going to make one hell of a police officer. He is so smart, brave, intuitive, patient and dedicated--all things an officer should be. I am so proud of him. I don't know how he juggles so many things, but he does it to be the best provider for our family that he can be, and he does a great job.

Just a quick Lea update, other than walking, she is babbling her head off and saying new words every day. The other day she yelled "na-na" and pointed right and at banana and signed "want." She is a smart cookie. She loves to dance, and is constantly making up new moves. She definitely gets that from her dad. She has a real sense of humor, and loves to make us laugh by making her "squishy" face. (See below) She loves accessories, shoes, purses, sunglasses, etc. That, she gets from me.

Developmentally, she is catching up to her gestational age fast thanks to her wonderful therapists. She is finally on the charts, making the 3rd percentile for weight in her age group. I am so proud of her, and I cannot tell you how many times since she was born I have thanked God for blessing me with this beautiful, healthy miracle of a child.

My favorite squishy face.

In other news, I have decided to write a children's book, starring none other than my Thumba-Lea. So there... I've put my idea out there in the universe. Now that gives me no choice but to get it done. Wish me luck. And time. And patience. And creativity.

Thanks so much :)

Baby Got Back... and Other Jiggly Parts

Nearly 17 months of motherhood has already passed. Time is flying! I can honestly say this is the happiest I have even been, and that Lea has completely enhanced my universe. In fact, I'm so obliviously happy in my little motherhood bubble, that I seem to have forgone all control whatsoever when it comes to food. If I want ice cream, we go get ice cream. Pancakes for breakfast? BRING IT. Lain and I are always out to eat, and more times than not we order dessert (In these cases Lain has two bites, and I eat the rest.) After 17 months, I no longer have an excuse why I can feel my butt jiggle when I am moving at any speed faster than a slow walk, or why for the first time I have a legitimate tummy roll when I am in a sitting position. I can no longer blame it on the repercussions of having a baby, because honestly, my little muffin isn't a baby anymore :(

If there's one thing that could make life even better than it is now, it would be having my toned, tight pre-Lea body back. Man, I took that body for granted. In an effort to jump-start my interest in getting fit, I decided to do the Isagenix 9-Day Cleanse. My friend Emily is a fitness model and personal trainer, and has been using the product for a while with tremendous results.

Typically when I want to lose weight, I just pump up the cardio. However, with a broken foot, that's not an option, and drastically changing my diet is all I can do right now. Luckily, my mom has decided to do the program with me. Like she says, you can do anything for nine days. Hopefully, this will be true for me, because the thought of missing of meal damn near kills me.

Me & my Momma: Soon to be two skinny bitches.

I plan to document this nine day regimen to help other moms that may be in the same boat as me. However, do NOT expect any before and after bikini shots. I've already threatened Emily with her life if she EVER posts any of my photos to facebook haha. I will post a fully-clothed before and after pictures though just so you can see the results once I'm done.

Also, let me just say I have no affiliation with the Isagenix program whatsoever, so this will be a brutally honest review of the 9-Day Cleanse. I'm fully prepared for it to suck, but I know I can do it if I put my mind to it. Also, I know once I see results, my motivation to be healthy will kick in. I would advise, however, to steer clear of me during these nine days because I am known to be an extremely cranky, hateful bitch when I am hungry.

I am starting the diet plan the Tuesday after Memorial Day (May 29) , so if anyone wants to do it with me, contact Emily on her Facebook page sooner than later to get your supplies in.

Also, since I'm not starting till the 29th, if anyone wants to go out to eat this week AND get dessert, Holllllla!!!! :) I have one week left of enjoying the good things in life ;)

God doesn't call the qualified...

On Wednesday, April 25, I will be speaking in front of the Louisiana Legislature at the Capital, in support of Bill 662, which provides for the Premature Infant Hospital Discharge and Quality Improvement Act. I will be giving my testament of our experience with Lea, as well as talking about how this bill could help families with premature babies.

Let me just say that I HATED public speaking in college. In fact, If I told you I never chugged a beer before class to ease my nerves, I'd be lying. That being said, I'm am super nervous about getting up in front of tons of people and speaking. I keep trying to remind myself that my reasons for doing this are much bigger than my fears.

I am doing this to support the beautiful miracle babies who are born too soon every single day. I'm speaking for all the preemie parents who are currently sitting with their arms through tiny isolette holes, holding their baby's tiny hand, or struggling with the emotional repercussions that come with having a preemie. I'm taking a stand so that I know what my family and I went through with Lea will never be in vain. God has taught me so much through our journey and given me so much knowledge, that I know he wants me to use it. I've always wondered how God would use me, and I feel like this is it. If He has faith in me, then I need to learn to have faith in myself.

And if I had any doubt at all that this is where God wants me, I got some serious reassurance today. One of Lea's NICU nurses contacted me to put me in touch with another preemie mother who had stumbled across my blog, not realizing we'd been in the same NICU. Well come to find out, my new preemie-momma friend has experience as an advocate herself, and used to coach people to testify before the state house and senate. She has experience testifying as well, and of course had tons of advice and tips for me to make me more prepared for Wednesday. Coincidence? I think not.

Please wish me luck on my first venture advocating for the tiniest of humans. I may not be the best public speaker, and I may stumble over a word or two, but I am going to have faith that God will "qualify the called," and help me through it. And just to be clear... if you ever feel that God has called upon you to do something that you don't think you can do, refer back to the saying above.

Below is the letter that I wrote to Senator Sherri Smith Buffington, which I will be reading Wednesday, sharing my support for Senate Bill 662.

____________________________________________________________________

Dear Senator Sherri Smith Buffington,

I am writing this letter to you today to express my strong support of your introduction of Senate Bill 662.

On January 4, 2011, I gave birth to my daughter Lea at the gestational age of 29 weeks. She entered this world as a micro-preemie, weighing in at a mere one pound, 14 ounces, earning herself the nickname “Thumba-Lea.” She spent 64 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at East Jefferson General Hospital, where she received the highest quality of care imaginable.  For 64 days, everyday, twice a day, my husband and I visited that NICU. We’d hold Lea’s hand through the tiny porthole in her isolette, we’d watch as the nurse bathed and weighed her, and once a day, if it was a good day, one of us would have the chance to hold her. Each morning we’d wait nervously for the phone call from the Neonatologist, giving us an update on Lea’s prognosis. Weeks passed, and Lea learned to breathe on her own without respiratory support, and began to drink from a bottle, even if it was just a few cubic centimeters at a time.  Our patience and faith were tested again and again, but our sweet Thumba-Lea’s fighting spirit inspired us to remain positive. After a very long 64 days, she was finally ready to come home.

Lea was discharged from the hospital on Mardi Gras day, and my husband and I carefully paraded our tiny five-pound miracle home. We left the hospital with a thick stack of paperwork, our baby girl attached to a breathing monitor and a wide array of verbal instructions regarding follow-up care. For two new, young parents, the entire discharge experience was quite overwhelming.  Much of the information given to us regarding follow-up healthcare and services fell on preoccupied ears. Instructions came from many different sources over the weeks, leading up to Lea’s discharge, but unfortunately, not all instructions were put to memory, due to the volume of information and distractions at hand.

Once we were safely home, I had many questions, thoughts and fears. In hindsight, though I had the support of my husband, family and friends made in the NICU, another support system would have been quite beneficial.  To have the same type of support we’d experienced in the NICU for those 64 days would have made a world of difference in our baby’s homecoming and months to follow. One of the most important pieces of information I had forgotten was enrolling Lea in Early Steps. During a visit to the NICU months later to say hello to our dear nurses, one of them reminded me about the program. Had we not visited that day, I fear I would have completely missed the opportunity to take advantage of such a remarkable program, to which I completely owe Lea’s strong developmental progress.

I was one of the lucky preemie parents, as I had a world of support from my family. I think about the single parents, the teen mothers and others who do not have the support that I had. My heart breaks for these parents, knowing the stress involved in bringing a premature baby home, but it is a great relief to know that Senate Bill 662 could provide the support that all preterm parents desperately need when bringing their babies home.

Having experienced all that comes with being a preterm parent, I now stand as an advocate for preemie babies and their families. This is why I believe so passionately that Senate Bill 662 should be passed, so that support for preterm parents can be improved, inevitably improving the outcomes for preterm infants in Louisiana.

"Faux Dough" - A Healthy Cure for a Sweet Tooth

Oh cookie dough, how I love thee. You may be one of my most favorite treats in the world. But let's be real. You're a jerk... you make me fat.

As a self-proclaimed sweets junky, I feel it is my duty as a Mom to start researching healthy alternatives to junk food that I can serve to Lea. A while back, I pinned a recipe for a healthy, sugar-free cookie dough dip on my "healthy foods" board on Pinterest. Like the majority of the other recipes I pin, I planned on making it one day when I had time.... pssshhhh. Time? Really??

This cookie dough dip recipe*  (that includes chickpeas and pitted dates) intrigued me. So, I finally decided to make the time to create this strange little concoction to see if it really lived up to all the hype it was receiving on the web. If there's anyone else in this world with a bigger sweet tooth than me, its Lea, so I let her be the judge. Here she is taking the first taste. Clearly, she was a fan

Now let's not get it twisted cookie dough lovers, the dip alone is not the same as eating a big scoop of raw cookie dough. BUT, if you're trying to be healthy and are open to trying new things... its not a bad substitution. Instead of cookie dough, I found the dip to be more like a chocolate chip hummus. Chocolate chips = good. Hummus = good. All in all, success.

Just to be sure I wasn't tricking my taste buds into liking it... I brought the dip to work to share with my co-workers. Three out of three employees agree that its really good! One ate the dip on carrot slices, while I ate mine on apples. Even my co-worker who is the pickiest of the picky eaters said she liked it. She had her's atop a Nature Valley bar. (I still haven't told her what's in it lol. Surprise, Chantrice!)

Other options for dipping: graham crackers, pretzels, animal crackers, any type of fruit.

If anyone else tries this recipe, please let me know if you like it, and if you make any modifications to the ingredients! There is another version of this recipe that does not include dates, its just not sugar-free. Still pretty healthy though! Here's the link.

Thanks Chocolate Covered Katie for this unique and healthy recipe!

* Substituted oil for nut butter.

New York State of Mind

My husband ROCKS.

For Valentine's Day, he surprised me with a weekend getaway to New York. This was my first vacation sans Lea, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hesitant about leaving her, even if it was only for three days. That's the longest I've EVER been away from her. I was so afraid she'd take her first steps or learn a new word while I was gone... So with my fingers crossed that no major milestones would be missed, Lain and I set off for a romantical, grown-up weekend in the city that doesn't sleep.

We did SO much in just two days. We perused Time Square, went to a comedy show, got massages, rode the subway, visited Rockefeller Center, took a carriage ride through Central Park, ate some seriously good and authentic Italian food and of course visited FAO Schwarz to buy a couple gifts for Lea. My sweet hubby was so incredibly patient with me, and did all the girly things I wanted to do like visit Carrie Bradshaw's doorstep, shop at H&M and my new favorite, Century 21, and of course we had to get ice cream at Serendipity. (Hour and a half wait no less... Lain = super patient.) We had such a blast, and my favorite part was just walking around the city with the hubs as we both explored someplace new for the first time. It was a vacation I'll never forget. Thank you Lain for such an awesome surprise!

Serendipity

Rockefeller Center

Subway

FAO Schwarz

Dash!

Carrie Bradshaw's Apartment

Oh, and we made it back home just in time to take Miss Muffin to her very first Mardi Gras parade. Although she was a little under the weather, I think she liked it :) Its hard to believe that last Mardi Gras day was the day she came home after 64 days in the hospital. Very special milestone in this family today :)

Happy Mardi Gras everyone! <3

Celebrating in a Winter One-derland

Photos by Nancie Clement. Thanks Mom for capturing such a special day!

The big O-N-E.

My sweet Lea is one. ONE! I can't believe it. I am so proud of her.

Baby girl currently weighs 17 pounds. She dances and bobs her head any time music is playing. She's got some serious rhythm for being such a little person.

She is now crawling, and is well on her way to walking. She has one top tooth cutting through, as well as one bottom. That's not too fun, but she's a trooper.

She really likes cows. Plastic ones, stuffed animals... not sure why, but she really likes them. She also loves being outside and pressing buttons on the remote control.

We've now started using the "No," word, as she is now opening every cabinet she finds. She looks back at us with a big grin, and I am working on training myself not to laugh. It's so hard!

She now wants a taste of EVERYTHING I eat... and hounds me until I give it to her. And that cupcake in the photos below... she ate the WHOLE thing. She's got a sweet tooth like her momma.

She is a light that my family needed this past Christmas, as my Paw Paw is battling dementia and was moved into a home right before the holidays. Her sparkling blue eyes and sweet smile can turn a bad day into a good one in a split second. She has kept many people's spirits up during the past few months.

She makes me laugh 100 times a day, and has completely changed my life for the better. God, thank you for blessing me with the perfect child. I am so in love.

Happy birthday my sweet girl.