postpartum simple treats

With Sticky back to work I have been entrusted with a newborn and toddler.  Yikes.  So far I have unloaded half a dishwasher before realizing it was never ran, found Jettie with “pen” whiskers on her face and varicose veins on her legs, forgot to feed the dog (twice – please don’t call the humane society) and yelled at my stove for not boiling water fast enough. But hey, both kids are alive and as far as I can tell healthy so clearly I am winning.

Postpartum is by far the trickiest part of pregnancy for me.  On one hand I look at Bingham and think “wow, that amazing little being grew inside of me.  And now he is here.  My body rules.”  On the other the thought of leaving the home, (or even worse, trying to find something to wear) spawns instant self loathing and inevitable tears.  It’s a hormonal roller coaster of extreme highs and the lowest of lows.  I love it and hate all in the same moment.

Thankfully I learned something from the first go around – stop being so damn hard on yourself.  Admittedly, it’s not easy.  But between reminding myself of this simple rule and a few treats just for me it has been easier to find my center in this postpartum haze.

Of course these products are great gifts for mommy to be’s or postpartums.  They would also make nice surprises for women who are under the weather, post surgery or just having a bit of a blue time in their life.  Simple pick me ups to brighten someone’s day:

postpartum_treats_20141Soap & Glory The Daily Smooth Body Butter every girl loves to have silky skin. 2Forever 21 Seaside Tie-front Head Wrap give the ponytail a break and keep those tresses pulled back with this pretty head wrap. 3Rosebud Perfume Co Strawberry Lip Balm Shan gave me one of these as a gift last year.  I love how pretty it looks in my purse but most of all it keeps my lips super soft. 4Kiehl’s Eye Alert for those times when sleep was not a priority. 5Dreft Liquid Laundry Detergent the smell, the glorious baby smell!  I love to wash my bras and tops in this as well – keeps everyone smelling like baby. 6LARABAR, Cherry Pie you will find these floating in all my purses/diaper bag.  The perfect grab and go snack with no guilt (cherry is my fave, but I love almost all the flavors) 7essie Collection Summer 2014 a girl may not have time for an official pedicure but it’s not too difficult to throw some fun color on the piggies.  Essie makes the most desirable shades and these are no exception.

xo,

 

brandyjsig

 

 

 

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{28 weeks} A Letter to Locke…

My sweet Locke,

We’ve made it to 28 weeks.  It’s been 10 weeks since your diagnosis, 10 weeks of grieving, healing and learning to walk this path.  10 weeks of loving you, learning about you, feeling you grow.  You have certainly developed a personality, and we figure you out a little more every day.  You are strong, you like to keep your little feet nestled snuggly in my ribs (only on the right side).  You enjoy peanut butter and when your sister sings you her loudest rendition of “rock-a-bye baby”.  You kick your buddy Bingham when I hold him, and get really shy when Nanny wants to feel you.  Some days everything seems so normal, your kicks convince me you are healthy.. that everything will be fine.  But then some small moment creates a crack in my fairytale, and reality walks back in.  I protectively wrap my arms around my stomach, as if there is something I can sheild you from.. but I can’t.

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I look at your ultrasound pictures several times every day, wondering what you have planned for us.  These 10 weeks somehow feel like a lifetime, you and I– we have grown by leaps and bounds.  You have taught me how to dance the thin line of grief and joy, and about how precious the gift of time is in this delicate life.  All of the excess has been gracefully washed away.. for 10 weeks we have stared blatantly into our own hearts, searching for grace and peace.  And grace and peace we have found, thanks to you, my little boy.

Your sister has many ideas of what kind of brother she is getting.  “A tiny one”, she says.  When I tell her that you are sick, and may not get to stay, her only concern is if God has diapers for you in Heaven, and that she can feed you before you go.  Oh, my heart.  She loves to read you stories, and tickle you in hopes that you will get the hiccups.  I can feel her love for you, a special bond you two will always share.  Her baby brother. 

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I don’t know how long I get to carry you, or how long you will stay with us once you are here- but I do know that my heart will carry you indefinately.  You will never leave my mind, your tiny fingerprints will be stamped on every part of our life.  My son, my unflickering light in a world of darkness.  You will always be mine. 

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All my love,

Mommy

 

 

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hello bingham banks

bingham_banks_1It’s been 10 days and the high of welcoming our son into the world is still in the air.  Bingham Banks Rammel – gosh it feels good to finally be able to say his name out loud.

This post has been on my mind since our hospital stay.  I wanted to get it all out, before the seconds, minutes, hours began to leave my mind.  Going through the images though I was reminded why I don’t have to take on the burden of remembering everything.  Much like Jettie’s birth these pictures bring me back to those precious days.  My apologies in advance for the sheer amount of images.  I simply could not help myself.

bingham_banks_2Ask Sticky, my mom, Shan, doctor – there was serious doubt this little guy was making it to his due date.  Yet the 25th came and went which left me with 24 hours and an induction date.  We had been warned the hospital had been very busy, with many inductions being postponed at the last minute.  Somehow 5:15AM came on Friday the 27th and we were in the car, driving to a date with our baby.

bingham_banks_3What I had learned from my first induction (which was a great experience) is that my body relaxes after I get the epidural.  Jokingly I told Sticky if they administered it early enough Bingham would be born by noon.  He came at 11:20AM.  We had a student in the room with us and the nurses made it clear to him that this is not how it always goes down.  Checked in at 6AM and baby before lunch, now that’s getting it done lil man.

bingham_banks_4 bingham_banks_5 bingham_banks_6I could not be more grateful for the next two images.  Dr Kennedy has seen us through tears of sadness, unknowns, anxiety and immeasurable joy.  She is professional with a heart overflowing in kindness.  We are beyond blessed she was there to deliver both of our children.  What a gift she has been to us.

bingham_banks_7 bingham_banks_8 bingham_banks_9Some of my most fond memories from both of my child birth experiences are the ones spent in the postpartum room.  Its just us and baby for a couple of days.  Lots of newborn staring and a little quality time for Sticky and I.  The hours go by slow yet in a blink of the eye all at the same time.  This go around we were more eager to make it home (we had a daughter we were missing like crazy) but it was a wonderful 2 days with our Bing.

bingham_banks_10 bingham_banks_11 bingham_banks_12 bingham_banks_13 bingham_banks_14And the time finally came for big sister to meet her baby brother.  She was a little sleepy for this grand moment but excited nonetheless.  There’s such pride that comes with the “big sis” title.  She has carried it with her for months.  My heart bursts with it’s own pride over how accepting she has been of this role in his life.

bingham_banks_15 bingham_banks_16The Maxeys brought our Jettie to the hospital the first night.  I love this image because #1 you can tell there are a couple of very tired little girls (from nonstop sleepover fun of course) and #2 Josh is a baby guy.  These guys have truly spoiled us the last couple of weeks (and pretty much all the time).  Their hearts are so genuine and full of unending love.  They are an extension of our family and we could not imagine moments like these without them.

bingham_banks_17 bingham_banks_18 bingham_banks_19 bingham_banks_20Miss Jettie asked to come back for a visit the next day.  I think she was missing her mom and dad which was fine by us because we needed to see her as well.  This time around she was even more into Bing.  Words can’t describe how special it is to watch her interact with him the very first time.

bingham_banks_21 bingham_banks_22 bingham_banks_23 bingham_banks_24When Jettie was born my heart went to mush over Sticky holding his baby girl with such sweetness.  It was a scene I could not get enough of.  This time around he kept commenting on how amazing it was to see me holding a son.  If this would have played out to be another girl of course that would have been perfect.  Our stars lined up for a boy though and he sure does make our home feel complete.

bingham_banks_25 bingham_banks_26I see so much of Sticky in Bing with these feet being absolutely no exception.

bingham_banks_27bingham_banks_28 bingham_banks_29 bingham_banks_30“Hi world.  I’m ready for you!” – Bing

bingham_banks_31Welcome to the world Bingham Banks.  We cannot wait to see what you have in store for it!

xo,

 

brandyjsig

 

 

 

Posted in personal, the rammels | Tagged | 8 Comments

happy birthday america

4th_of_july_2014_1Thank goodness for this red, white and blue birthday.  A day to stop and celebrate the beautiful country that we call home.  It’s time to relax, pull out the barbecue, grab a refreshing beverage and giggle till your face hurts.  We hope today is spent with people who fill your hearts with joy.  These two little chalk covered girls certainly fill ours to the brim.

4th_of_july_2014_2 4th_of_july_2014_3 4th_of_july_2014_4 4th_of_july_2014_5 4th_of_july_2014_6 4th_of_july_2014_7 4th_of_july_2014_8 4th_of_july_2014_9Happy Birthday America!  Cheers to a weekend of celebrating!

 

double_name

 

 

 

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lemony orzo pasta with cucumber and feta

lemony_orzo_pasta_salad_with_cucumber_feta_1A fabulous recipe that steps outside the “cold pasta salad” box, we loved this fresh take on orzo! Take this to your 4th of July cookout and I promise it will disappear quickly. Best of all, it doesn’t take any more time or effort than a traditional pasta salad, and it certainly packs more charisma.

lemony_orzo_pasta_salad_with_cucumber_feta_3When I originally gave this recipe a try, I had Brandy in mind. She was on the brink of having her sweet boy and I was looking for vegetarian recipes to serve up during a few “family dinners” that we would share. Family dinners are a bit of a summer tradition for us, and most times we just each bring a few dishes and somehow it all equals a yummy, full meal. Other times, like when we had our first heartbreaking ultrasound, they came here and didn’t allow me to lift a finger. Good food with good friends certainly is chicken soup for the soul. To welcome this tiny new member of their family we wanted to do the same. (I served this pasta and this salad, both vegetarian friendly, both YUMMY!) Whether you are serving your little family, or a crowd- give this fresh summer filled pasta salad a try!

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lemony orzo pasta with cucumber and feta
 
Ingredients
  • 1-1/2 cups dry orzo pasta
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, or just enough to lightly coat the pasta
  • juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 large English cucumber, seeded and chopped
  • 1tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
  • kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. 1.Cook the orzo al dente according to package directions. Drain the pasta, let cool for a couple of minutes, and toss with the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, cucumber, herbs and feta. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve chilled or at room-temperature. Can be made up to a day in advance and kept in the refrigerator.

(This recipe is by Fork, Knife, Swoon– go check her out!)

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shansig

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