Lately I have been raving and ranting about these new children’s vitamins I discovered for Penny. Renzo’s Dissolvable Vitamins. When Penny turned 1 her blood work showed that she was low in iron so our pediatrician suggested we use an iron supplement for kids. At the time she told me to give Penny half a Flintstone’s chewable vitamin with iron and call it a day. Penny had her days where she loved it and others where I found a sticky supposed to be chewable vitamin stuck on the couch. It was tough and I was worried we weren’t going to be able to find the right multivitamin with iron for Penny. Not to mention how scared I was that she would choke on her chewable vitamin. From ages 1-5 children are more susceptible to suffer from iron deficiency due to rapid growth and more than likely will need an iron supplement. Along with trying to feed Penny iron rich foods we have discovered Renzo’s Iron Strong Dissolvable Vitamins.

 

Finally a toddler iron supplement I felt great about!

• Dissolvable… which means no more sticky vitamins on my couch and much safer
• GMO Free- (everything should be GMO free)
• Vegan- for all my Vegan Momma’s and toddlers out there
• Gluten free- for any children sensitive to gluten
• ZERO SUGAR, but it tastes like delicious oranges!

Let’s talk about sugar intake… So many chewable and gummy vitamins on the market add sugar to make the taste more appealing to children. Renzo’s vitamins have ZERO SUGAR which is one less thing I need to worry about. I don’t know how they found a way to make such a great tasting and not to mention insanely easy to give to your toddler vitamin but they did. Now we feel much better about her iron supplement. I highly recommend this product and Penelope loves them! Start the new year right with an awesome children’s multivitamin with iron for your little ones.

Use code: MOMMAMESSIE15 for 15% off your order

Check out Renzo’s Vitamins online!

 

 

 

 

I’m sure we all remember being kids and pretty much od’ing on Flinstones Vitamins. I didn’t think of them as a vitamin but more as candy. It makes sense now since they have added sugar that isn’t necessary for anyones nutrition. When Penny turned 1 our pediatrician suggested we start giving her a multivitamin like Flinstone’s. I didn’t think twice I rushed to CVS and got two bottles. All was well and Penny loved them for a few months but then one day she just stopped liking them. I personally didn’t like the idea of the gummy vitamin because most of them also have added sugar. So I kind of gave up after trying a few other brands I saw at CVS. Just like a normal picky toddler she wanted nothing to do with her vitamins.

A friend Nicky from @Hypegirls introduced me to Renzo’s Dissolvable Vitamins.

No GMO’S, NO SUGAR, NO ARTIFICIAL COLORS, NO ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS AND NO GLUTEN!!!!

So naturally I think well this must taste like crap but…… Penny loved them!! She begged for more ( I will be posting the video on my social media today). They dissolve pretty much instantly in your mouth so none of that chalky after taste of chewable vitamins. She tried the Picky Eater and the Vitamin D samples. I am also so happy they are local here to Miami. They have a great story are truly making an amazing and healthy product that my kid loves. WIN WIN! We have found our new vitamin! Check them out and sign up for their email list to get 10% off your first order.

Penny highly recommends that you try this amazing product.

• Locally made
• Dissolves fast so it’s and easy process for us parents
• Taste’s great
• Packed with 3X more nutrition
• Penny begs for more!

#TeamRenzos #KidsOnAMission #MommaMessie #MommaMessieApproved #Hypegirls

Renzo’s Vitamins

Special thanks to Nicky from @Hypegirls for always sharing your knowledge.

 

I take my 2 year old everywhere I go. I always have since the day she was born. Mostly because I never have a sitter but I must admit I’m very attached to her so it’s easier to take her with me then be worrying about finding someone to watch her.

People without kids don’t understand this. I feel like they think kids are like dogs you just kind of leave them with some food and water with someone and they are fine. When people tell me “I’m sure you can find a sitter” I laugh. It’s really not easy to find someone that will give up their weekend to watch over a child. My mom and stepdad are younger grandparents or as I refer to them “Hip Grandparents” so they have a social life on the weekends.

So Penny goes everywhere with me. Just in the past few months we have gone to the beach several times, Carnaval on the Mile, festivals, markets, restaurants and she’s even been to a few bars. People stare at me as if I’m a horrible mother for even bringing my kid anywhere with me. Well Fuck them! I have fun with her and I am responsible with her. My ergo baby 360 is a game changer because she won’t be running around disturbing anyone but the fact of the matter is she is my little human and I will take her where ever I please. I am trying to work on getting a fun group of moms together that want to casually drink, vent about our kids while watching them make new friends. So if you are a cool mom that doesn’t give a shit about what other people think let’s do this.

I have eaten horribly for most of my life. I grew up eating fast food a few times a week and my parents liked to eat out a lot so who knows where that food came from but, I SURVIVED!

Now while I did survive I know that the quality of food isn’t the same as it was 20 years ago. Companies are finding cheaper ways to feed us while maximizing their profits. Farmers are using so many unnatural products to grow their produce bigger and faster then the next guy. I won’t get into what’s going on with meats because it’s just all t0o crazy and I still love meat.

When I met my now husband I had my own place and he would buy me groceries and spend more money on the organic stuff and healthier options and I would complain he was wasting so much money that it’s all the same and blah blah blah. Little by little he introduced me to quality produce, meats and foods that are organic, non GMO, no MSG, and have no high fructose corn syrup. I wasn’t completely sold until I got pregnant. That’s when the reality hit that what I am eating isn’t just affecting me, it’s also affecting my unborn child that doesn’t have a choice. I had a great pregnancy and my baby was born very healthy. I breastfed her for 16 months and ate very good through out all that time and still eat very good now. Long story short, I feel better, I’ve lost all the baby weight (but I’ve always been skinny), my skin is clearer, but most of all I have peace of mind that what I feed my toddler at home is clean and good for her.

Now this doesn’t mean we aren’t normal people. A lot of people assume I’m this “crunchy granola mom” (I think that’s the term) but we like to eat regular food too. Believe it or not I get a lot of people commenting and almost mocking me when they see me eat a slice of delivery pizza at work or a bag of chips.

“THAT’S NOT OOOOORGANIC!” – That exaggeration in the O happens every single time I swear. They also look at me with those judging eyes as if to say “You see she eats bad food too, not just the organic crap she always talks about”.

My husband and I do the best to buy groceries that are healthy in the home where we can control it, but we still like to go to the local Sports Bar and eat 25 hot wings while Penelope devours some waffle fries. WE ARE NORMAL TOO! We can’t control what’s out there but we can control what’s in our home. My daughter has the occasional restaurant quality food and let me tell you she’s very healthy and happy. At home she eats very clean and very good. I’m happy with that balance and I’m not comfortable locking myself up in my apartment eating only food I make because the rest of the world doesn’t choose what we choose. That’s absurd.

So to all the parents out there trying to keep it as real as they can with their food and getting judged by all the “everyday bad eaters” I hear ya. All I can say is all that money they save by not trying to eat better will cost them later in the form of medical bills so let me spend that extra $2 bucks on this organic asparagus because yes it does make me feel better about myself.

I thought pregnancy brain was bad when it came to the simplest tasks like paying my bills or responding to a text but having an actual human makes every little thing that much easier to forget. I’m very sorry to all my friends and family that text me and never get a response. If you do get a response it is most probably days later and you won’t even remember what we were taking about by then. The good thing is I will always send a cute picture of my daughter and hope that makes everything much better. (It always works!) It’s not that I am ignoring you. It’s not that you aren’t important to me. It’s not that I don’t like you. I’m probably just chasing Penelope, cleaning the floors, cooking dinner while trying not to burn down the house or my daughter, trying to take a shower, trying to use the bathroom, or Penelope has taken my phone and I now have to use Find My iPhone and pray it isn’t in the toilet.

It isn’t easy keeping in touch with friends and family. In fact I haven’t seen a lot of my friends in months and it sucks. I don’t have much time for them let alone myself. For those that haven’t completely given up on me I appreciate the little texts. I appreciate the patience in waiting hours or days for me to respond. I promise one day I will have more time. Actually I can’t promise that I’m new to this whole mom thing and everyday something new pops up. Don’t give up on me! If anyone knows a new mom or mother to be know that we really want to respond. Sometimes I have imagined the response to the text and created a false memory that I actually sent the text but then days later realized I had never written back. lol.

Keep in touch. Send those little texts. Drop by and visit for a short while. Bring red WINE! Invite us everywhere even though more than likely we can’t go. It feels nice to be invited and thought of.

On the morning Penelope turned 11 months old I woke up to find that my usually engorged breasts felt quite empty. I didn’t think anything of it until later that day when I realized she wasn’t producing as much wet diapers and was very fussy. I tried to pump and barely got half an ounce between both breast. The panic set in! I wasn’t ready to stop breast feeding, but the truth is I had been lazy. I don’t enjoy pumping so I had lately been skipping my usual sessions both at home and at work. The worst part was I had to go to work in two days and had no stash to leave her father with. I reached out to the Dairy Queens group on Facebook and to some friends of mine that had breast fed and got a lot of great advice. So here goes.

First, DON’T PANIC!

Stress can be a huge factor in your milk supply so instead of worrying and crying about it get to work.

Fenugreek Supplements 

I began taking Fenugreek Supplements. I found some at my local Buy Buy Baby but you can get them any where even Amazon. They look like this.

I used these exact ones but like i said you can get them at any vitamin store, most drug stores, or online. These suggested I take 2 pill three times a day. Each dose is 1,000MG of Fenugreek. The side effects listed were diarrhea and such but I found that it made me go more regularly the only side effect I experienced was smelly farts but oh well I will take it if it brings me more milk. This isn’t over night it takes 5-7 days to kick in so the minute you notice low supply have these handy. Stay hydrated eat well and take some of these.

FEED FEED FEED! (and PUMP)

No more being lazy. Feed that baby every chance you get even if its just a snack. Don’t skip pumping breaks and if you baby sleeps through the night like mine does pump before you go to sleep and first thing in the morning. Milk supply is all about SUPPLY AND DEMAND. The more you demand the more supply your body starts to make. I took what is called a “Nursing Vacation” http://www.Kellymom.com suggested I hang out in bed for a few days and just feed feed feed and of course nourish myself but mainly just boob all day. It was actually fun and I got to catch up on a lot of my shows and share a lot of much needed skin to skin.

Drink BEER! 

Yes you read that correctly. More specifically Stout beers that tend to be hoppier and help with milk production. A mom I met through Instagram actually told me that in Ireland they prescribe you to drink Guinness to help with your postpartum and milk supply. I know some women think ewww but get it together and try a stout beer. Trader Joes also has a wonderful Oatmeal Stout that is great since oatmeal also helps your supply. Don’t get drunk and feed ladies have one a day maybe after the baby has got to bed.

Mothers Milk Tea

Drink tea that will help with your milk supply. Here a few that I have tried and work.

Milk Water Tea from Mrs. Patel’s

Mother’s Milk Tea- Traditional Medicinals

Earth Mama Angel Baby Organic Tea

This should be something you regularly drink. I enjoy tea so this is part of my daily routine. I try to drink at least one a day but if I’m low I drink 3-4 in one day.

 

Some other snacks that can help.

Oatmeal, and flax seed. Some people make there own lactation cookies with special ingredients that help your milk supply and yay for those moms I just haven’t had the time to get that far but I have tried Fenugreek bars from http://www.mrsmilk.com and they taste amazing and work! They have different flavors like chocolate and peanut butter. Think of it as a small breakfast bar you take every morning for 12 days or until our supply gets back up. They ship really fast and you get 20% off your first order.

Mrs. Patel’s delicious fenugreek bars

 

I am happy to say my milk supply is back up and we did not need to supplement but it was a scary moment for all of us. I want to thank all buy friends and even the strangers that helped me get through this I hope by sharing what I have learned that I help a mom in need. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or suggestions!

 

 

 

 

I didn’t know I would become a breast feeding advocate. That annoying woman you unfollow on Instagram because all she does is blab about normalizing breast feeding. That obnoxious lady that tells you almost everyone can breast feed people just choose not too. The lady that offers to go to your house to teach you how to breast feed. Yes that lady, yep that’s me.

Let’s go back about 2 years. I was baby free and had zero interest in starting a family let alone breast feeding. Then came along a my sister in law who was still breast feeding her 1 and a half year old. At the time I thought it was so inappropriate, unnatural, and weird. I just didn’t really want to hear about it or see it. I judged her. I thought she was being a bad mom by giving in to her child’s wants. I couldn’t believe that she was just comforting him I just thought it was weird. Now let’s jump back to present day. My sister in law was the first person to find out I was pregnant. She also almost immediately told me she was going to help me breast feed. I couldn’t see myself as this lady stopping my whole life just to feed this baby. Well the months went by and she gave me advice helped me do my registry and even gave me her old pump. By the time I was giving birth I was ready to go.

The first time I latched Penelope onto my breast it was euphoric. The bond between mother child and life was just… to be honest I can’t find the words. I won’t lie it hurt like hell. There were times I wanted to give up but I kept going because I had an amazing support system. My fiancé had so much experience from being around his sister he literally didn’t give me another option. She also came over and helped me learn how to use my pump.

Listen my goal was 3 months and get back to work. Then it turned to 6 and then a year. I am now at almost 11 months and don’t plan on stopping as of yet. Why you ask? Because her and I are not ready. This is probably the only REAL hobby I have ever had in my life. I am dedicated and I take it seriously. Not to say that other mothers don’t but I chose to do this. It’s not gross it’s NATURAL! I now understand what my sister in law went through. The silly questions and the shame. Maybe that’s why I feel so strongly, because I felt so negatively towards what she was doing. In the end all I know is that I am the happiest I have ever been in my life. My daughter is as healthy as I can be. I am the healthiest I have ever been because now that I know what I eat goes to her I try my best to organic and GMO free. I now dedicate myself to helping anyone around me. I have had co workers, friends, even followers reach out to me and I help them the best I can.

So I guess what I am trying to say is I’m slightly sorry for filling your feed with breast feeding stuff but it’s so awesome I can’t contain myself.

 

I want to dedicate my post to my sister in law… You are one of the strongest women I know thank you for guiding me.

People warned about this but I didn’t listen. Every time I bragged about how perfect she slept 8-10 hours straight each night they laughed. It’s just a phase they said. Don’t bring her to your bed they said. Wait until the random 3am wake up call starts they said.

Well f*ck this time they were right. I have no clue what happens around 3 am. I know it’s the witching hour and yes I do believe in that stuff but this can’t be happening. She has never given us any issues at night. Yeah sure here and there when a tooth was breaking in or she had a cold but she seems perfectly fine when we go get her. Almost like she’s ready to party. I know some parents think I should let her cry and soothe herself. I don’t get her right away I wait a few minutes but I can’t do that I start leaking everywhere and it breaks my heart. She’s only going to be this little once and I am going to enjoy every moment I can be there for her. Since I am still breast feeding her dad goes and gets her changed brings her in the room I slap her on the boob and she’s back out in a few minutes and then goes back to the crib. Last night I was beyond exhausted and we all three just stayed in our bed. I wake up to use the bathroom and when I come back they had taken over the bed. Of course I took this adorable photo while my little munchkin and her dad slept peacefully. Oh well I got to get up a bit earlier and catch up on some pumping.

Hope you enjoyed my morning rant. Please if anyone knows what is going on clue this first time mom in.

Penelope just turned 9 months old and I feel like it was yesterday I was crying in my boyfriends arms scared because I was pregnant. Now I’m worrying about baby proofing, college funds, baby #2 (one day not now), and so many other things. In this new era of sharing everything I feel like I haven’t done enough. Have I taken enough photos? Will I ever make baby albums? Have we done enough floor time? It’s so overwhelming to try to be this “perfect mom”. People tell me all the time I am an amazing mother but I am guilty of beating myself up for silly little things like the baby albums and carrying her too much. The way we parent now is completely different then it was 20 years ago. So essentially 20 years from now it may very well be completely different from now. There will never be a “How to be a perfect mom” guide for anyone. This scares me.

I read a lot of blogs and mom Instagram’s and try to absorb as much as I can but each day I am finding myself just winging it and going with the flow. Where does the time go? My sweet little angel is trying to stand on her own and knows how to push me away. I want to go back to when she was a little worm in my arms. I know you all hear this but it’s the best advice anyone can give you. Enjoy every single moment because it really just goes by way too fast. In this day and age when we are constantly on our phones it’s ok not to get that money shot but to truly live in that moment.

My breast feeding goal is 1 year and I have cried several times thinking about how this part of our journey is about to end. Everyone I try to talk to about it just says I’m crazy if I continue to do it for any longer. I joke and respond my new goal is until she’s 13 just to get them to shut up. Maybe that’s why I have been having baby fever because I don’t want my little baby girl to grow up just yet. Becoming a mother was the most rewarding experience I have ever had. I have been lucky enough to be able to only go back to work part time and any moment apart from her I dread. One day she will have babies and I will be there trying to give her advice. She will probably be as hard headed as I am and not want to hear it. For right now she’s my little baby girl and I just want more time…