The Present, a true gift

Since little Giselle bell blessed us with her presence I have had the question, "How is being a mother? Amazing huh?" posed to me by many a mother, father, friend, stranger alike. It is of course a rhetorical question because everybody already knows, yes it is amazing! There are million amazing things about Giselle, about being with her all day long watching every little smile and new gesture she makes. There a million other ways in which I've grown, Marcos has grown, how we've grown together.. Yes, I would say I am a much better person for having Giselle in my life. And the world is a much better world for having her too.. If you could measure it on an energy scale I think it would actually surprise us just how much these sweet little ones bring light into every moment. The amount of smiles alone that they put on people's faces really amazes me. The amount of light that radiates from her smile sends joy through my whole body every time I see it, over and over, it never lessens. But at this point I would have to say, so far, the biggest gift she has given me has been living in the present. Being joyfully aware in every moment. Not dreaming or worrying my life away.. Being here with her because it is that wonderful, because she is that amazing. I have never been so aware and present like this. But it has been something I had been striving for for so long. Now that I know what it actually feels like I have been able to apply it to other areas of my life. Enjoying the depth of a song while it is playing, or a bite of delicious food, or a good conversation right as each word comes from our mouths. Being in the present is a gift in itself. It brings fullness and meaning to a life that otherwise, at times for me, got boring or redundant. Now I cherish the quiet moments, I try not to rush through the days waiting for some distant future plans or tapping my toe waiting for my time to arrive. I have found myself and it is all thanks to my little baby doll. It is truly amazing how vibrant life is if you open up to it and allow yourself to really experience it.. Love to you all xoxo

Breastfeeding tip

We had our little girl 2 weeks ago, and my wife has been breastfeeding successfully since the beginning. She has however continued to experience some pretty bad pain each time our Little One attaches. As of two days ago, she has tried a new remedy and it seems like it might be working: after feeding, express a bit of milk and massage it into your nipple.

Other things we've been doing: Lansinol ointment and nipple shields (called soothies). HTH!

-- A happy hubby

PS: There is a "New Dad's" class tomorrow night (Dec 2) near Cabrillo college. Babies welcome. From 7-9 PM at the Montessori School. Free!

Why I loved being pregnant

I was just parusing through pics today of the belly and thinking.. Gosh I loved being pregnant.. One, because I didn't have to suck in my stomach, I have been a life long pop belly.. and two because when people asked me, "Are you pregnant?" I was :) Yes it is a brutal question and I still get it almost six months later.. I have never been good at sucking it in and now with a baby on my hip I let it hang even more.. It is a humbling question though, and I guess a real test of keeping it cool when you want to turn red, start crying and punch whoever asked straight in the mouth.. I had this young dad, who was playing with his daughter really showing off throwing her in the air and making lots of noise (which is cute any other time except that he asked the dreaded question) say to me, "Look what you have to look forward to." At first to me I was like, he means look what I have to look forward to when Giselle is 1 1/2 years like his daughter.. But then he opened his big mouth and said, "So when are you due? What are you 3 or 4 months?" In front of what felt like a line of my whole neighborhood in HollyWood video. I just smiled and politely said, "No I already had her." I tried to be nice poor guy. He didn't know and I hate to hold it against other people because I don't suck it in, but I was thinking, "Freeze right there buddy... Don't you say another word!" But like every well meaning stranger he had to do the back peddle and say, "Oh you must have just had her!" So queue in Marcos, he walks over and hands me our beautiful but hardly brand new 5 1/2 month old :) What can you do? Sit ups?! Yeah, I guess.. But these days I am not very motivated to work out and I am highly motivated to dive into a nice parcel of dark chocolate every night around 7.. Mmmmm... Chocolate ;) The real kicker was when people would ask while I had Giselle in my arms and she was like 4 weeks old.. I would be like, "Damn it lady! Don't you see I just had a baby and right now have the crazy batch of hormones that come with the whole postpartum thing!" Did she really think I was going to break the 'no sex for six weeks' rule just to get a jump start?! How's that for a shot of confidence! :) Then poor Marcos undoubtedly gets the sad look and the, "Do I look pregnant?" Which of course there is only one answer for.. "No baby, of course not.." But then he adds his variation "....You have a chiquitita pancita (which in Spanish means teeny tiny belly) but it's cute..." Bless his heart, although most of the time I would be just fine with, "No of course not." Period. So on the days these sort of questions are presented to us new or old mama's I say, "Hold your head up proud, love your body exactly how it is.. and go find the nearest piece of dark chocolate, it will make you feel better!"

Wow! What a day!

It is Sunday afternoon and I am finally finding myself in the quiet of my own home and mind! Giselle and I buzzed out of the house early to cruise over the hill. We have been going every Sunday to Inner Light Ministries.. A wonderful, uplifting and all encompassing non-denominational church. It is my weekly treat to get over there to get a dose of positive affirmation.. The last three weeks we have had the lucky fortune of meeting Ash (Aunt Ashley) at Inner Light and then getting a nice bite to eat.. Ash is so sweet.. She just loves Giselle bell and every chance she gets she visits with us and calls to check and see how we're doing. It really is amazing how much you can love someone even more for the fact that they love your child. And she doesn't just love her, she adores her! So we made it today for a very appropriate talk on transcending seemingly human obstacles.. Well short after I got put to the test!
After a good visit nearing the end of our breakfast our little gal Giselle started getting fussy.. When I tried to feed her that was it.. She went on a two hour crying fit.. The kind that ties your stomach in knots and will inevitably find you crying with her at some point or another.. My poor baby. I still don't know what it was.. I tried it all. Bouncing, walking, nursing, spoon food, distraction, car ride, laying down, standing up.. Nada. So I ended up putting her in her little vibrating crib where she huffed and puffed her way to sleep within five minutes. Thank you GOD! Times like that I really wish she could talk and tell me what she needed. She hasn't had a spell like that in weeks. It looked like what some would call colic but my instinct tells me it wasn't. I think she was tired and got worked up and couldn't turn herself off.. When we got home ideally I would have rocked her to sleep but due to hours of hearing my babydoll cry, my boobs had swollen to painful proportions and I had to pump for relief.. I will laugh at this story years down the road. But today I think I will take a deep breath, turn the lights down low and hope when she wakes she'll be happy and ready to eat!

New Mama's, Old Friends

Giselle and her friend Diana!

Giselle's 1st bite of food!

I love rice cereal!! More please!!!

Why I love Craigslist!

I am pretty sure this will be no new news for any of you but on the off chance you haven't explored 'Craigslist' to its fullest potential here ya go! I love craigslist because for everything that one person is looking for, there is another trying to get rid of that same item. I would say 9 times out of 10 I am totally satisfied with my investment and actually very happy and proud to have saved a buck or two, or have made a buck or two ;)
Craigslist is especially great for Baby Items. Alot of baby stuff is lightly used, by one child, or two.. You can find,cribs, bouncers, swings, car seats, strollers, clothes, blankets, bedding.. The list goes on. As long as it was kept in good condition all you have to do is give it a good clean and polish and there you have it.. It is a way to do baby necesities for an awsome price and still manage to have all you need plus a few extras. Craigslist's range of items in all the departments, though, is pretty remarkable, and random :)
I have found everything from a baby jogger (that i love!) to a front car bumper (for half the price), to a cat tree (to try to save my deposit so that my cats dont scratch it away!) You can look for local services, look for a job or sell a car.. relavitely easy, totally on your own. Marcos is addicted to Craigslist for cars.. Rarely a night or day goes by that I don't find him on the computer, skimming through the cars on CL, (gonna abreviate now), saying, "Oh, I like this one, do you like this one?".."Wow look this is a good deal!" With that look in his eye, the look of a transaction being made :) Cracks me up, I have to talk him out of it all the time... It is also a wonderful, very popular way to advertise, Free! Especially for Mom's (or of course anyone) that are at home starting a company, looking to provide a service or sell a product from home.
It is basically like an online garage sale.. In fact you can advertise on CL when you are having a garage sale to let people know. (And belive me, the garagesalers check) It allows you to draw from your local community. Supporting and connecting with the people, other mothers, local businesses and saves you a bundle. I sound like an advertisement myself but I am just trying to think of and list all of the ways that it is soooo helpful and applicable to daily life.. Anyways, next time you need something (something you would be comfortable buying from someone else :) and have a computer nearby, try it out!

Patience, Passion and Pride

Right now I am in the process of reading 'A New Earth' by Eckhart Tolle.. It's a great inspiring and conscious book that pushes me to be a little more open and pleasant with life after every reading.. Because although mothering has brought me my happiest days yet, it has found my energy for anything other than Giselle, well lets say, a bit more compromised ;)Juggling parenthood for both parents is a work of art. And although one part of me, the one totally focused on Giselle bell is totally at peace, in the moment and full of joy, the other part of me, the whole rest of my every day self, is tired, sometimes cranky and quick to start tallying a naughty and nice list.
This is one time when the best of me in the midst of the tenth argument of the day has the hardest time letting go of my pride, giving in and god forbid being wrong.. And please know the arguments are nit picky and petty, but it's the stress of juggling the whole new life together that I think gets to us both at times, sometimes many times a day! So here I am reading my Eckart Tolle and basking in motherhood and then the next thing you know, WHAM!, I'm hit with my tallying ego going, 'Are you kidding me, he's leaving another batch of dishes sitting there for you know who to clean up!' Uchk!! But the thing is we are both working so hard and it's not meant to be tallied. Ideally, and I'm saying ideally, it should come from a place of unconditional love.. This is the uphill battle within my own brain that I am trying to instill on a moment to moment basis.. Because I feel when you lose the patience, you lose the passion..
It's hard enough to integrate a new baby, new schedule, new every thing.. You name it.. But it's so crucial (and so hard) to keep those embers burning in the midst of it all.. I don't have the answer, just sharing my observation.. When I feel my temper rising I just try to bring back into perspective, he is my love, my partner and the best father working so hard.. Not my enemy.. As much as my ego would love to rope him up for being sometimes! ;) I've heard so many times, 'The first year is the hardest' and yes, it's not easy.. But our light at the end of the tunnel is definitely our sweet girl. All either of us has to do is look at her to be brought back to into our hearts. And it's a paradox because although it's not easy, in some weird way it is.. It's natural, it evolves and we grow together through it all trial by error.

Getting down and dirty ;) The dreaded H word

Okay lovely ladies.. I am going to get this post out of the way, although, surprisingly, I am excited to share it with all of you.. Here it comes.. the big H word... Hemorrhoids!@! Yuck!!! Okay so not the most glamorous subject but something I feel compelled to share with all the new Mamas of the world. It was one of the only things physically that had me shaking in my boots daily for the first few months after I had Giselle. I am no professional (obviously!) but I did try everything under the sun to relieve some pretty painful bowel movements, and I found a pretty good list of remedies when put together that helped me out.. What I learned from experience (double yuck!!) and reading was that hydration and soft stool is the key.. I think from all the crazy birthing action you get slowed down in that area.. So let all your pregnant girlfriends know they should start a good bowel regimen the second they come home from the hospital.. Even though I know it's not like you have a million extra hours to think about yourself and make sure you drink your eight glasses of water per day.. But that is the first key
#1: Atleast 6-8 glasses per day.. A good tip I found was try to drink a small glass of some fluid (water, juice, milk) every time you nurse, if you're nursing, that way you can counteract the loss of fluids.. The second and maybe most important glamorous tip is #2 Make friends with suppositories, and two kinds to be exact: Preparation H, which has shark oil to get everything loosey goosey in there.. the other is glycerine suppositories which are a laxitive suppository and get every thing movin on out in less than a half hour.. And again I'm no pro so ask your doc what they think before hand.. Then I also used a few supplements to keep my intestinal track in good order..#3 Aloe juice in the morning, or before every meal to cool and calm intestines. #4 Acidolphilis before each meal to stock up on the good bacterial for healthy digestion.. and #5 Fish oil/omega oils after each meal to lube up the digestive track.. To keep the area clean and soothed I used #6 'Tucks' witch hazel pads to clean area after every bathroom use and #7 Preparation H Gel to calm the area whenever needed.. #8 Dont strain, try to relax even if it hurts. #9 Don't push, let everything work it's way out even if it takes 20 minutes. If you have external tears, I used #10 Neosporin for a quicker healing process, because the quicker you heal the tears the quicker you are pain free.
Now the whole idea is to not let yourself get dehydrated to the point you go a day or two without a bowel movement.. If you do your bowels can harden and cause tears.. Called anal fissures, yes I know glamorous.. But these are the things that have you crying your eyes out at the hint of a bathroom stop.. Marcos literally had to hold my hand one day because I was so terrified, I know, bless his heart :) It isn't even necessarily the hemorrhoids that hurt as much as the tears. So keep it soft. Go every day, the suppositories really help with that. Stay on top of it, if you slip up a few days you might find yourself at square one. And don't worry you will get beyond this.. They say the tears take about a month to fully heal so make sure you atleast get through a whole month without slipping up, or else like I said, the dreaded square one :) I hope this helps someone in the world.. Or atleast gives you a good laugh!! xoxo

To all the Lovely Ladies in my life

Thank you for the sweet comments.. I am so blessed to be surrounded by outstandingly amazing women across the board in my life.. Starting with my Grandmas and trickling down to my Mom, Aunts, Cousins, their children, my Sister of course and her beautiful princess.. Then over to my girlfriends, the friends I've known since I was young, the new friends I've made along the way, the friends of all different walks of life and every beautiful age. This is one area the universe has blessed me abundantly..
I am so happy that at this point in my life I have reconnected with some of the most special girls in my life.. The one's who became my family at a very young age, we saw eachother through the most possible trouble we could find ourselves in, heartbreak after heartbreak and basically every second of the day seeing as all 6 or 7 of us were completely tied at the hip. As I found I was pregnant, I also found three of my best girls who I hadn't talked to in a few years were also expecting.. All within months of eachother.. Not only did it bring us all back into contact, we are now able to share the gifts and trials of this new chapter. And our little ones will grow up knowing and loving eachother like we did.
Also, the babies are arriving in droves within my own family.. We are expecting a handful of new ones come early next year.. It is so amazing to watch this whole pyramid effect growing out of two beautiful people who came together so many years ago!
So I say thank you.. Thank you for being your wonderful, shining selves who contribute so much love, intention, perspective, consideration, fun, and positive power into a world who needs all of your beautiful hearts and minds now more than ever!!

Love those links ;)

Already thinking.... please share all cool links.. The internet is so resourceful.. I have cured diaper rash, searched for used bouncy chairs, and found a killer coconut chicken soup recipe all in one 15 minute sitting.. And for my first little treat.. Here is this amazing Thai Coconut Chicken Soup recipe, done in 35 minutes and better than your local mom and pop restaurant down the road.. You will basically be a hero

Ingredients
2 14-ounce cans light unsweetened coconut milk*
3 cups canned chicken broth
2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms
6 tablespoons finely chopped lemongrass* - can also use premade lemongrass from tube
1/4 cup fish sauce (nam pla)* - can also substitute soy sauce
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 serrano chili, sliced into rounds
2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce*
8 skinless boneless chicken thighs, thinly sliced
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup thinly sliced basil
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
*Available at Asian markets and many supermarkets across the country.

Preparation
Combine first 8 ingredients in large saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 minutes to blend flavors. Add chicken; simmer until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Mix in green onions, basil and lime juice..

From www.epicurious.com

The Beginning..

Hello Hello!! Well this is a fun way to connect with friends, old and new, share my experiences and learn from others, and basically keep an awesome log of what these past months up and through the present are like.. soooooo ;)
I've been thinking alot about the different things already I've experienced that I would love to pass along, because there aren't enough 'know it all first mom's out there'.. I'm definitely no know it all, but I have gotten a big kick out of the most seemingly unhumorous topics (is that a word?) like... Drum roll please.... Hemorroids, public paranoia, sleep deprived rampant rage, holy hormones!, Sex?????, leaky boobies, moody blues and all sorts of 'Am I CRAZY?!!' Not to freak any one out.. Actually that is why I am writing this out.. To connect and hopefully continue to find that in fact I'm not crazy, but normal. And by the end of this, very well informed..
I can't wait to share and hear some very funny stories and pass along some equally useful tips to all you lovely Mama's, Papa's, Aunties, Friends, Cats, Dogs, well.. the whole darn gang!

Hi! & Welcome to my new baby "numama" blog!

Hi,

I'd like to introduce myself...I'm Kristin Carlson, a member of the young digerati living in Silicon Valley and bringing my new beautiful baby "Giselle-Belle" into a Web 2.0 world.

This blog is all about my daily challenges, thoughts, and learning experiences on this most fantastic journey and all the people/places/gadgets and practically useful life-improvements that I have personally experienced along the way!

Please feel free to contact me and share your journey, experiences and observations on the " numama"blog!

PS. I also own "numama.com" and will be migrating content and setting up a web portal there for new mother/baby resources in the future.