Haute Mom Dilemma #5 ~ Making an Appearance

Living in beautiful Southern California there are tons of things to do. We have Disneyland, the beach, Knott's Berry farm, baseball games, basketball games, shopping, clubs, great restaurants, amazing malls, you name it! As a haute gal it is my job to make appearances at these various places on a regular basis. Obviously, being a social butterfly is what makes you haute in the first place. I was that gal, always had weekends booked up with people asking me to put dates on my calendar months in advance. Aaaah...the life. And then, 11 weeks ago, that life came to a screeching halt. Yes, that's right, my beautiful little Stella was born and the invites slowed like a bug in tree sap. What don't people (and by people I mean those without children) get? Just because you have a baby doesn't mean you stop craving social interaction. If anything, you want it more! At least I did...and still do! Very few of my friends have embraced the fact that I have a child and continue to invite me (or me and my family ) out. I understand that not all things are suited for a baby, but why can't they let me be the judge of that? Speaking of being suited for a baby, what types of places are suited for babies? I see some of my friends with newborns heading to airports, the beach, Sea World and the likes. Can my delicate little cargo handle all of these places or will her eyes pop out of her head like they did on the 4th of July when we took her to...nevermind. Anyway, this social butterfly wants to dust her wings off and get back out there with my new addition! How do I do this? I am finally grasping the energy it takes to get Stella and her "things" packed and out the door. One of the best things I have found so far is a car seat cover that attaches to the seat handle to keep the sun out. Rags to Stitches Boutique makes great ones in haute patterns! Check out their stuff by clicking on the link below! Now once the car is packed, wherecan we go? Can I take her to Disneyland? What about the Fair that happens to be in townHow will she do at the beach or in the heat? Can I take her on a boat? How about a kayak?When is hot too hot and sunny too sunny? I do know I can't put sunscreen on her until she is 6 months so what do I do before then? What carrier is the best? I have a Moby and Baby Bjorn and am considering getting an Ergo for the sun shade. I know, mommies who buy too much will be coming soon. ARGH! Do you see this whirlwind I am in with all these scared, first time mommy questions? We have taken her to a couple baseball games and to a Concert in the Park. I must admit, I did check her hearing when we got home to make sure there was no permanent damage. What are some things I can do to keep her safe but still be able to go out and enjoy some of these great places? I want to go to the movies, to concerts, and to the beach. What do I need to know? Where do other people go out with their new babes? Help this haute mom get out of her hot house and into some fun!

Rags to Stitches Boutique http://ragstostitches.storenvy.com/

San Francisco Giants vs. Los Angeles Dodgers baseball game

Haute Mom Dilemma #4 ~ Staying Haute in a Blow Out

How can one of these posts not include the infamous blow out? Out of everything considered "Mommyhood", this by far is the least haute. Diapers have become more and more haute as years have passed. Huggies has the new denim diaper. Yesterday at Target (a.k.a Sacks for Mom's) I saw some "designer diapers" designed by Cynthia Rowley and I must admit - they were darling! Even for those of you who choose to use cloth diapers, the covers come in all sorts of cute colors and designs now. No matter how hard we try to dress up those diapers, it is nearly impossible to stay chic and fashionable during a baby blow out. Let's face it, aside from spit up (we will discuss that one later), a messy, leaky diarrhea diaper is so a barrier to being a haute mom and even more importantly, a haute mom with a cute baby! I was at a party where I was first introducing Stella and she was dressed in her finest. I asked my hubby to guard the stroller only to look up moments later across the party to see a look of panic on his face. Thinking it was time to nurse, I make my way over to where he whispers, "She pooped and it's all coming out of her dress." The poor little thing had experienced her first blow out with poop coming out over the front of her diaper and had leaked through her little dress. Being a rookie a this time, we had no change of clothes (yes, I hate to admit it) so Stella got to enjoy the party as the first naked member. I have also noticed that with the diapers she is currently using (I will not name the brand) she tends to blow out only on the left. At first I was wondering if there was something medically wrong with my child until I realized the "leak guard" was about a half inch thinner on this side than the other. I mean, really? You charge what you do for diapers and you can't make them even? Do you know how many outfits have been ruined by stubborn stains on the left leg? Speaking of stains, what do you do to get those stains out? Stain remover seems to fall just a little short. Why hasn't anyone out there invented stuff just for this? Come to think of it, why haven't I?! The worst is the public blow out where there is no changing table in the bathroom. How are there places still in existance with no baby changing tables? There should be laws about that. We now have eliminated a handful of restaurants from our list due to their lacko f baby friendly changing spaces. Let's face it, changing a blow out in a stroller is no fun! Where do you change your baby if there are no changing tables? And what about those blow outs in the car seat!? What's this about? How do you wash a car seat?? Ick! I could go on and on this morning about the topic as I am sure all of you could - but from what I hear, my baby is in need of some blow out assistance herself. We all have our nasty blow out stories to share as well as tips to staying haute during these times so let's hear it!

Haute Mom Dilemma #3 ~ 5 oz. to Freedom

As I am flying into my 10th week of motherhood I am finding some difficulty going back to some of the normal things that I was able to do in my pre-mommy life. I am talking about working out, having dinner with friends, going to the movies, having cocktails, and all those other haute activities. One of the main barriers has been the fact that I have chosen to breastfeed (see dilemma #1) which can easily be overcome by introducing the bottle. This leads me right here to this post. I introduced a bottle at 5 weeks. After all the reading I did, I had my husband give Stella her first bottle of expressed breastmilk. With much protest in the sounds of screaming and wailing, she finally began to lap up the contents with me listening behind closed doors in another room. It was wonderful. I went to my first dinner with my girlfriend in 6 weeks. My husband and I were able to soak up a baseball game while Grandma had her first babysitting night. Even better, I had some time to catch up on other favorite haute activities like internet shopping and catching up on my DVR - you gotta love those Housewives! I began dreaming about the limitless possibilites - going shopping. excercising, catching a movie, going out for coffee...The dream fairy came and burst my dream cloud when around 8 weeks Stella began to refuse the bottle. This past weekend I spent my 34th birthday breastfeeding at my own birthday party. I had to watch what I drank and hide inside to nurse while listening to the sounds of my friends and family partying outside. Now, again, I love my daughter more than anything but I would like to be able to let loose and have someone else feed her once in a while. My third wedding anniversary is approaching this week and I am not sure if my husband and I can leave Stella with a sitter so that we can go out for a nice dinner. What am I missing about this bottle thing? I have tried different bottles, leaving the room, different times of day, you name it. We are left with a screaming, red, sweaty baby that is starving and as mad as a hornet. As many moms do, I fix the situation after 30 or so minutes by swiftly taking her and allowing her to latch on. Has she learned that if she holds out long enough mommy will come to the rescue? Is there something that all my research has failed to show me? What needs to be done to get the little one to take a bottle? All I am asking for is one bottle a day! Am I the only one that has had this problem? Is my husband doing something wrong? Is there a magic bottle out there that I didn't get the memo on? I would like a haute night out once in a great while without having to bust out the hooter hider at the table (like I did last night at a rather fancy restaurant leading to a birthday picture with a candle and my baby nursing). Please post away your tips and recommendations to help this Haute Mom get a haute break into her day!

Here are some pics from my birthday...note who is attached to mommy.

Haute Mom Dilemma #2 ~ Gettin' your Haute Bod Back

So the item that has been weighing on my mind this week is the fact that all my haute clothes don't fit. As some of you may know, I am particularly obsessive about my weight. I have done every diet known to man and am a workout fanatic. Prior to my pregnancy my main hobby was running, and running far. You know how people wonder how it could possibly be fun to run miles and miles? Well, I am the one they are wondering about. I love to run, lift weights, ski, you name it. I did what I could through my pregnancy but let's face it - at 8 months pregnant you are not haute while excercising, you are just HOT and swollen...and puffy...and...Although I watched what I ate, I gained 30 pounds of baby weight. I know that this is "average" and I was more worried about having a healthy baby (I did, she was 7 pounds 14 ounces). I thought that as soon as I got clearance I would be all about hittin' the pavement but now 8 weeks has gone by and all I can do is muster some energy up to walk, and not even consistently.
Here is the dilemma - how does a once fit, stay at home, breastfeeding mom find the time to start working off those baby pounds? I look at pictures of many of my friends and they look just as the did pre-baby - how did they do it? I tease myself by trying to get my pre-baby jeans on and they won't even fit over my thighs! I have a baby jogger and wonder if I do get out there with Stella, what will happen? What if she gets hungry? What if she poops (that's a whole other dilemma in itself)? Can I logistically work out at home? Is there a good video out there? Tell me please! We are in the middle of bathing suit season and I refuse to be "that girl" but I also refuse to convert to the tankini. Let's go all you haute moms - post your stories, experiences, and tips for the rest of us. Help us get those haute mom bodies back!

Haute Mom Dilemma #1 ~ Breastfeeding

So one of the hardest things I have been trying to figure out is the nursing thing. Let's just put the pain and soreness aside for a minute. I know that breastfeeding is one of the best things you can do for your child and I have been fully commited to it since day one. Some of the major haute blockers of breastfeeding have been fashion and the on-the-go lifestyle. How do I wear cute clothes when I have to breastfeed? I mean, if you can figure out how to get your haute top up to nurse your baby then how do you deal with the milk spillage and possible spit ups? I ordered some nursing tops from Gap and Old Navy and when they arrived I had to make sure the box didn't say JC Penny. I mean COME ON! Secondly, being "on-the-go" means being out and about in public places. How do you do this and nurse at the same time?! Yes, I do have a Hooter Hider -mine is actually a Bebe Au Lait. Although I give it a 7 on the stylin' factor, it makes Stella all hot and sweaty underneath when I do nurse her. Is that normal or do I have a sweaty baby?! Should I try another brand? I am also trying to get over the breastfeeding in a reatuarant thing. Has anyone else had this fear? It's almost as bad as stage fright in the ladies rest room (come on...you all know what I am talking about). Veteran moms - how did you do this? What if I want to go the beach or farmers market or to my all time favorite Target? What happens if Stella gets hungry?

Please share your experiences and advice!

HAUTE MOM

Welcome to Haute Mom!
This blog is for all of you moms out there who want to stay fun, hip, and haute while being a mom at the same time! If you are anything like me, your fun, fabulous life was turned into burp clothes and diapers when your baby was born. And while you would never change a thing, you want to try to hold on to some piece of that fabulous, haute woman you were before.


Last year at this time, I was getting ready for a fun filled weekend in Palm Desert for my 33rd birthday. My bikinis were packed and the jello shots were made. I was enjoying a life as an independent woman with two jobs (a 7th grade teacher and college professor), friends, concerts with my husband, shopping, traveling, and endless cocktails. I worked hard to be financially stable, in great shape, and a girl on the go. I loved my BMW, Laboutins, Gucci purses and designer jeans.

Fastforward to current...I have a beautiful 8 week old daughter, Stella Kay, who is now my passion. Out with the Laboutins and in with the diaper bags and burp clothes. The closest I come to fashion is what cover I have on the Boppy today. The question is...how can us moms be amazing mothers and keep our hip, haute lives? I am trying each day to figure it out!

Join me on my adventure and let's figure it out how to be haute together!