How To Date: Nursing Mama's Edition

If you ever read my first blog then you'd know how Adam and I feel about comic book movies. If you didn't then I'll give you the short version: we're huge nerds and we're seeing every one of them. In fact, when we found out my due date, one of the first things referenced was how we'd manage to see The Avengers, as it came out mere weeks after our daughter would be born. 

And now, many many months later, I give to you the 'how to see a movie in theaters while breastfeeding an infant' unofficial guide:

The obvious answer is to take your baby with you to see the movie. Newborns, if you're lucky, can pretty much sleep through anything and have no idea if you're watching something kid appropriate or not. However, the infant movie date is generally more successful for a matinee and possibly at a movie that's been out for a few weeks. I used to take Reed with me to the movies all the time and he'd nurse for the first half and sleep for the second but I was never brave enough for a crowded new release movie.

And, if you know Adam, we weren't waiting for a movie like The Avengers to die down. It's been out for two weeks now and it's still huge. So we had no choice but to enlist the grandparents and come up with a plan. 

Side note: I'm lucky this was Amelia, who is a solid 2 and a half hour eater at three weeks old. Reed nursed way more often so if your baby is a frequent eater, you may have to wait until they can go the length of the movie.

Adam decided he wanted to experience Joss Whedon's take on Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and the rest of the Marvel gang through the magic of 3D so we went to a 6pm showing at the Paradiso. My in-laws graciously met us there at 5:40 where I promptly nursed Amelia in the backseat of my car until just after the Coke commercials were over (Adam grabbed snacks and seats well before I started to nurse her). Then my in-laws took Reed and a sleeping Amelia to dinner at the McAlister's right next to the movie theater.

Adam and I saw the whole movie (including the 2 extra scenes before and after the credits) and I made it back to Amelia before she even woke up hungry.

Granted, a huge portion of this hinges on the involvement of someone else that you trust to take care of your baby. If you're lucky enough to have someone like that in your life, take advantage of it, at least every once in a while. 

Leaving your baby, especially if it's your first, can be heartbreaking but your relationship/marriage/whatever needs some attention too. And your sleeping baby won't even know you left but your boyfriend/husband/partner will certainly know that you were with them, and only them, for a short period of time. 

Amelia's First Few Weeks

I put Amelia in the title because I keep reminding myself to call her that. When you spend 25  weeks referring to someone as baby girl, sometimes it's easy to forget the now have a name. Miss Amelia is now 9 days old and has her big brother wrapped around her chubby little fingers.

April will be over in a few minutes so happy May everyone :)

Introducing Little Miss Hinson...

We are officially a family of four and my sweet baby Reed is a big brother. I think that part is more shocking than saying I have two kids (nope, still real hard to believe). 

Amelia Bryce Elspeth Hinson was born on Saturday, April 21st at 5:45am. She's perfect and all three of us are in love with her. 

thanks everyone on facebook, instagram and every other social media site that I've recently utilized for all the well wishes and love. we really appreciate it :)

the Adventures of Reed & Raquel

Reed's time as an only child is rapidly coming to a close and while these last few weeks are hardly the last time he and I will spend alone, it will be a long time before we can leave his baby sister behind. And so I thought it best to chronicle said time together so I can show him that he once had his mommy all to himself in case he gets jealous of baby girl.

Wearing Blue for Austim Awareness {4/2/12}

Pajama Date at Starbucks {4/10/12}

Memphis Redbirds Game {4/15/12}

 

I can't speak for Adam or Reed but I'm definitely going to miss Reed being an only child. I'm very ready and excited for our new little girl but Reed is my buddy, my little man and I will miss our time alone while it's gone. 

Late Night Take Out and Other Things I'll Miss About Being Pregnant

If we happen to be friends on facebook, you'll know how impatient I am for this nameless little girl to be born. However, I really do love being pregnant and have been blessed with two easy pregnancies so there are a few things I'll miss.

The Food

While I don't think a pregnancy is license to eat anything and everything (Jessica Simpson, take note) it's definitely a pretty good excuse to give into cravings you normally wouldn't (like ordering take-out curry noodles late on a Tuesday night).

Baby Kicks

Yes, your baby will kick and turn over and smile and do way more stuff once it's out in the world but then it will be for everyone to see. The baby kicks during pregnancy are just for the mama (especially in my case since it freaks out my husband) and i love them.  

Time Alone

I have a three year old and a husband so my time alone is fairly limited but I do have some. Adam goes to work, Reed goes to school and every now and again I sneak off for a pedicure and a chick flick all alone. With little girl arriving fairly soon, I won't have any time alone for a good long while. Of course, once she's actually old enough for me to leave and partake of said pedicure and matinee, I'll probably be so emotional that I won't enjoy it (the first time anyways. Emotions fade and my toes need some love).

My Big Ole Belly
In a few weeks or so I'll only be down a few pounds but it won't be nearly as adorable. As hard as it is to dress a pregnant belly, it's even harder to dress a postpartum body, particularly if you're breastfeeding. 

I'm sure in the weeks and months after this little girl makes her arrival, I'll be nostalgic for other things about my pregnancy but for now, I can't wait to meet her. 

March in Photos

I had regular feature-type posts back on the old blog and I like the consistency of the concept but new blog = new features.
For the first one {which I thought of when I saw today's date} is an end-of-the-month wrap up in photos.

So here's March 2012:

Adam putting together baby girl's nursery furniture

I was working late in the studio so Adam brought me treats

 My in-laws placed an excessive amount of orange into his wardrobe

Reading a book on Adam's new nook {you're welcome, Adam}

Reed's attempt at flirting by reading with the older girls. I already like his style.

Beginning of my 9th month: 36 weeks, 2 days

Happy April, everybody!

New Mama Must-Haves

When a woman is expecting a baby, she's flooded with information about her impending mommyhood. Some of it highly pertinent (think infant CPR) while others are completely obnoxious. The biggest falacy pushed on women during pregnancy is the stuff {I would say crap but then I wouldn't be a lady} that we're told we need.
With my first pregnancy, I avoided this in two ways: being borderline broke so that we could only afford the necessities and having my friend Heather, who had a baby 10 months prior to reed's birth, help me with my baby registry.

This go-around I knew what I needed. Sure, baby 2 is a whole new gender but really until you have to make that all-important decision between Dora and Diego, there isn't much that's different about baby boys and girls. 

According to the registry builders at Target and Babies R Us, my new child is severely lacking in nearly every area of baby gear. Target's website goes so far as to give me 'warnings' about the lack of items on my registry whenever I log in. 

New moms, before you get overwhelmed over what will happen if all 1358 items on your registry aren't bought before you deliver, here's my simple list of things you actually need.

A pack-n-play

Listen, I know how sweet the teeny tiny cradles for newborns are, trust me. But if you want the most bang for your buck, you'll go with me on this one. The two biggest things your pack-n-play should have are a changing table feature and the bassinet feature. Your little one can sleep in it while she's an infant, play as an older baby and pile toys in it until you finally put it in the closet when she's a toddler.


A swing/bouncy chair/vibrating chair

This one is tricky because not all babies are created equal. Reed loved his swing nearly as much as he loved my boobs for the first 8 months of his life. We also had one of the vibrating infant chairs that he was fairly fond of, though he would rather be held. You don't always know what your baby will like {and sometimes they hate the swing as newborns but love it once they hit 3-6 months} so my advice here is to buy on consignment, or better, borrow one.

 A Car Seat & A Stroller (but not necessarily a travel system)

I'm all for holding/wearing your baby {it's not essential but especially for nursing mamas, I recommend a sling} but there are times where you need to be able to push your baby around in a stroller. I say not necessarily a travel system because sometimes the strollers in the prepackaged duos are bulky, hard to maneuver and don't necessarily add any storage space. Test them out pre-baby; if you can't collapse it one-handed and get it into your car, it's not worth your time.  

A boppy pillow (or similar nursing pillow)

Even if you're not going to breastfeed, this is worth the investment. You never know how long it will take your baby to eat and whether they're six or sixteen pounds, your arms can get tired. Plus they're great for a resting baby or for tummy time.


A bumbo seat

This may not be essential for some moms but for me, with reed, I loved this thing. When he was awake for more hours in the day and had the neck support thing down, it was a great way for me to get a few things done hands free, while still chitterchattering about his toes with him. 

Things like a $70 contraption specifically for dirty diapers and a wipe warmer {never get these, i was thankful to know from babysitting years that they dry out the wipes and run up your electricity bill} are things that you'll likely be told to by but trust me, save your money. 


Any must-have baby gear that I left off, mamas?