The Mommyhood Chronicles: A Podcast Project

Hey Scholars,

I've been working on a special project for the past month and I'm very proud of it.
I've started a podcast show called The Mommyhood Chronicles!
It is free to download and is available in the English language as an MP3 file.
It's a look into my life, through my eyes and that of my friends and family.
It's part comedy, lifestyle, self-help, and inspirational all wrapped into one quaint little file.
You can find my podcasts on this blog at under the Podcasts tab at the top of the page, or also on iTunes.

Here is the link to my first podcast:

Enjoy!

Mommy with Style

Hey Scholars,

I wanted to share some spring styles with you that I am in love with right now.

Anyone that knows me well, knows that I am into a lot of different styles.

I love to dress in clothing that is both comfortable and well made because I tend to keep my clothing for five or more years.

Here are some outfits that I put together using Polyvore.

They are completely my style, seem very comfortable, are well-made items, and are kid friendly.

Let's face it, as a Mom on a budget, I want to make sure that baby vomit or crayons are not going to ruin some expensive item I can't afford to replace.

These items are just ideas and dupes can be found in stores that fit your budget, if you know where to look.

Enjoy!

As you can see, the outfits that I have put together are stylish, simple, and kid-friendly.

Leo | Birth to Month 1

Hey Scholars,

Leo is a month old today!
I'm a very proud Mama!

My little Leo is growing very well despite my concerns that he would experience a failure to thrive, as his brother, Eli, experienced. Fortunately, that is not the case and Leo is gaining nine ounces or so a week now!

Breastfeeding vs Formula

I decided way before Leo was born that I would be both breastfeeding and bottle feeding. It is very important to me to breastfeed Leo because it provides him with antibodies that he would not otherwise have because he's too young to be vaccinated against most things.

I also bottle feed because my milk supply has never been very abundant and I need to supplement his diet with something else so they gets all of the nutrition he needs.

While this is an expensive choice, it is the right choice for my family and I stand by my decision.

*Below is my stance on circumcision and it is quite graphic because I describe what can happen when you are uncircumcised. If you are not interested in this, do not read that section and proceed to the Sleeping  or Pictures section below that. - Thanks*

My First Postpartum Workout

Hey Scholars,

I have officially hopped back on the fitness bandwagon. I was able to get in a quick, ten-minute workout on Tuesday as the boys slept. I haven't been cleared by my physicians yet, so I'm not doing any cardio, but I have resumed my calisthenics training from before I was pregnant.

Here is a screenshot of my workout on Fitocracy:

I will be posting a in-depth post in my June 2014 Wellness Journey at the end of June.

Until then, I'll be posting these mini entries to update you.

Thanks for reading!

Make sure you don't miss any future posts by subscribing to my blog. It's free! You can sign up using your email by entering it on the right side of this page or by clinking the Bloglovin button. (It's also free).

Until next time friends,

1 Month Postpartum Update

Hey Scholars,

It's been a month since Leo was born!
I can barely believe it!

I finally feel like I a getting into the mix of things, being a stay-at-home-Mom of a toddler and infant.
Just as I did in my last post, I'll be addressing the three areas that affect me most as a new Mom:

• Emotional Health
• Physical Health
• Mental Health

I am not shy about sharing my struggles and triumphs, as I may end up helping some other poor soul out there. Maybe there is someone who can relate to me and what I'm going to. If not, I am getting out my emotions and that, my friends, is cathartic for me.

Emotional Health

I still feel very emotional. I haven't cried much at all in the past three weeks. Maybe twice. Both times were as I was watching a movie. I have no idea if this is because of the pregnancy hormones still lingering in my system, but I am not a person who cries easily about non-realistic things.

I feel like I am able to think clearly and more logically than when Leo was first born. I can also attribute this to the course I am currently enrolled in online. It is a critical thinking course and I am in love with it.

I have noticed that I am very irritable because of the sleep deprivation, but that is to be expected. I hope that I will be able to control my temper more around everyone. I feel horrible for being curt with people, but I can't always control that. I act before I think a lot of the time. Less than I use to because I am more aware of that, but I still do it often.

Physical Health

I have yet to start strength training, but I am still healing from giving birth. I don't feel that I am up to that yet. 

I have been walking a lot. A few times a week with one or both boys in tow. I usually carry Leo in the baby carrier on the front of me and Eli uses the child harness or he's in the stroller. I walked a little over a mile the other day and I am damn proud of that! I felt so much Sciatic pain about three-quarters of a mile into the walk, but I pushed through until I was home.

I've been eating a lot better. I had salad a few times. I love adding a lot of different elements to my salads. I have a sensitivity to hot and cold, so salad is not always friendly towards me. Here is a salad that I ate recently:

In this salad: baby romaine, sliced almonds, strawberries, shredded mild cheddar cheese, cucumber slices, sliced tomato, shredded, boiled chicken breasts, cranberries, and french dressing.

I am not currently counting calories or tracking my weight. I am breastfeeding a lot, so that is burning some calories, but until I start actively exercising, I am not going to be tracking my calories at all.

I plan on starting an exercise routine once I get the okay from my primary care physician and obstetrician. I haven't had any chest pains since right before Leo was born, so I'd like to ease into a routine to prevent that, if possible, since the cause for my chest pains has never been determined.

Here are pictures of my body progress in the last three weeks:

Pictures Here

There isn't much to see here, but I haven't done anything but walk. What matters to me most is that I physically feel better and that is better than adding muscle definition or losing weight.

I almost forgot to add that I have healed well from giving birth. I haven't needed to use anything expect pantyliners for the past two weeks. I have basically stopped bleeding altogether and that makes me happy because blood makes me squeamish.

I see my OB in about a week and hopefully I will be cleared to have my surgery scheduled for my tubal ligation. I have been waiting for this surgery since I decided to have it for sure back in December. I wrote a little about my reasons for wanting this surgery as opposed to other methods of birth control in this post last month. If anyone is interested in more details about my decision, I can make a post about it and provide a lot of resources to support my decision.

Let me know in the comments below.

Mental Health

I have felt stable so far, but I feel like I am beginning to slip a little into my depression. Things outside of my control have happened over the last few weeks and while I feel optimistic for the most part, I sometimes feel pretty hopeless in my situation. I will not mention specifics because I am not the only one these problems affect.

I am patiently waiting for my appointment with mental health professionals and hopefully I will find a therapist that I am compatible with. I'm not ashamed to admit when I need help. I can't control my depression anymore than someone can control having cancer. It's the way my body functions. What I can control is what I do to prevent relapses and that means therapy and possibly considering medication, if needed at some point.

I would love to speak with someone who is removed from my life and can provide a prospective that someone on the inside may not have. I would like to feel happier and more energetic and able to cope with everything happening in my life.

I want to make sure I am giving myself every chance possible to be an amazing mother and if that means asking for help, hell yeah I'll do it!

That's it for now.

I hope you enjoyed this post.

Leave your comments down below.

Little Eli Guy: Months 24 - 26

Hey Scholars,

Today, Eli is 27 Months-Old. I haven't posted since Eli's birthday back in March, so this post will have my favorite pictures of Eli from the last 3 months.

In the last 3 months Eli:

• Has taken an interest in music. He loves to play the guitar and sing, play the recorder, and dance to whatever music he hears (even if it's just a commercial or a ringtone on my cellphone).
  
  

  

  Eli plays the guitar before bed
  

  
  

  
  
• Has learned to work various electronics. 
• Eli can use the VCR. (Yes, we still own a working one. We own two actually. No DVD players in the Thomas home.)
• Eli can play music on my cellphone.
• He can call his father (based on the picture associated with the number).
• He can use the DirecTv remote to play his DVR recordings
• And, Eli can pause and play various streaming services on the computer by using the spacebar.
• Has become one with nature
• Eli love playing outside in the backyard
• Wants to play in dirt and is interested in plant life
• Loves going for walks through the neighborhood
  
  

  

  Blowing bubbles with Mommy

  
  
• Has learned more words and the items associated with them
• Has learned to dress and undress himself
• Eli can put on/take off his socks and shoes (velcro shoes only)
• Eli can take off his pants, diapers, and training pants
• Eli can unzip his jacket/hoodie and take it off

Eli has learned to do quite a bit in the last few months. He hasn't had much structured learning. I like to let him decide what he is interested in doing and then, as long as it isn't dangerous, I encourage him in his actions, comfort him when he fails, and praise him when he succeeds. It has been working very well for us.

Eli has become so much more defiant since his brother, Leo, was born. He is sometimes very hard to deal with and it can be overwhelming, but I am doing my best to make sure Eli feels loved, supported, and included. I hope that his behavior improves in time.

Here are a few more pictures of Eli from the last three months:

Thank you so much for reading this post. I hope you enjoyed all of the pictures that I posted. Come back in August for another update!

Posting Updates

Hey Scholars,

I've been busy lately and not updating the blog as often. I'm sorry about that. Things are going to be changing soon. I've lined up a couple of posts to go live in the next few weeks and I hope you enjoy it!

Here is a look at what the posts you can expect from The Lazy Scholar Blog in the next few weeks:

• My Parenting Style
• 1 Month Postpartum Update
• Eli @ 27 Months
• Leo @ 1 Month
• Wellness Journey: May 2014
• Sanity Savers: How I Use the Bullet Journaling System

This isn't a comprehensive list of the posts, but it is a listing of which posts will definitely go live. I will also be including more pictures of my daily life and short vlogs as well.

Let me know in the comments what you think about this line up and leave suggestions as well.

1 Week Postpartum Update

Hey Scholars,

Tuesday marked one week since Leo was born and I wanted to share how I'm doing so far.

**This post contains information that may be graphic or too informative for some readers. If reading about the human body after birth bothers you, this is not the post for you. Please exit now and check out some other posts on the blog.**

Welcome Leo!

Hey Scholars,

I'm happy to announce the birth of my little boy, Leonard Matteo Thomas-Bright.
He was born on April 29th at 12:55 EST.
He weighed 5 pounds even and was 18 inches long.

I did not get an epidural. I chose to give birth with pain medication through an IV only. I did not receive any medication three hours before his birth. And, yes, it hurt. A lot.

It's been a full week since his birth and he is doing very well.
He is battling with a bout of jaundice at the moment, but is expected to make a full recovery.

I do not plan on having anymore children. I am co-parenting. I have limited income, patience, and time. I want my children to have the best quality of life that is possible, so I have decided on having a tubal ligation. I actually signed the forms for the surgery when I was 7 months along. I'll write more about my decision not to have more children in another post.

Until Next Time Friends,

I Spy...

Eli recently discovered magnifying glasses.

He is in love with it. He takes it with him everywhere.

I hope to take him outside to our yard so he can look at the flowers and bugs more closely.

Check back in a few days for more picture posts!

My High-Risk Pregnancy Experience

Hey Scholars,

I wanted to share a little about my pregnancy experience. I am a young and relatively healthy woman, but I have been classified as having a high-risk pregnancy. My pregnancy is considered high-risk because of my reproductive history. Anyone that has read this blog for a few months or looked through my archive, know that my previous pregnancy was also high-risk and that my son, Eli, was born seven weeks prematurely.

Eli on his first day of life. He was 33 weeks and 3 days gestation, weighed 2 pounds 13 ounces and was 15 inches long. He spent a total of 20 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

This is the most recent ultrasound picture of Leo. He has managed to surpass Eli in time spent in utero. He is currently measuring at 4 pounds 4 ounces and is expected to not need to stay in the NICU if I can carry him to at least 37 weeks!

I have been monitored closely throughout this pregnancy for complications and I have had a few so far. Once again, my baby has had a restriction in his growth. This is called Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR). Eli also had this issue. As I understand it, Leo (my baby), is having trouble gaining weight in utero and will likely be underweight at birth. His placenta also looks small and he doesn't have a normal amount of amniotic fluid.

I currently go to the hospital twice a week to be monitored on the fetal monitor and I kick count while I'm there. I also have an ultrasound every other monitoring visit and every two weeks with a Neonatologist. The ultrasounds check Leo's growth, amniotic fluid levels, and just his overall health.

In addition to the fetal monitoring, I see a high-risk Obstetrician once a week. She makes sure I am doing well physically and emotionally. She also asks me about my academic career, which I love, because I feel that she sees me as more than a mother. She is an African-American female professional and I really admire that she's great at her craft.

Right now, things look positive. I've never been this far into a pregnancy. I have experienced pregnancy loss in the past and premature birth, so I am in unchartered territory.

What has surprised me about pregnancy after the 33rd week, which is the farthest I've been until now, is that I am so uncomfortable.

I can't sleep through the night because I need to use the bathroom, my feet swell sometimes, I cannot walk more than a few blocks without stomach cramps, and don't even get me started on how my Sciatica has flared up.

Other than that, I am doing pretty well. My Dysthymia has been under control for the most part and I'm hoping that if I do suffer from PPD (Postpartum Depression) like I did with Eli, I'll be able to find a great therapist to help me work through that.

That's all for this post. I'm thinking about making a YouTube video on this post. If I do decide to make a video, I will embed the video in this post and send out an update.

Until Next Time Friends

The Lazy Scholar Shop: My Works on Display

Hey Scholars,

It has been such a busy time in my life lately.

• I am currently a month and a half into my bachelors degree program.
• I began exploring more artistic ways of expression.
• And I am trying to maintain my sanity since Eli has become very clingy. I'll post about Eli's sudden need to cling to me now that I'm expecting in May, at some other time in the near future.

Overall, I am busy and exhausted, but I really like that I am productive in so many areas of my life right now.

As the title of this post suggests, I am dedicating it to the newest addition to The Lazy Scholar Blog family: The Lazy Scholar Shop on Cafepress.

In my Goals for 2014 post back in January, I listed a lot of ambitious goals for this blog and many other areas of my life. I have been able to achieve a lot of things on my list already. So much so, that I added more goals to it! One of those goals happened to be opening an eCommerce site.

I didn't believe that I would be able to achieve that goal this year, but I have been working so hard in the first quarter of this year, that I decided I was ready to do that now.

My shop is stocked by Cafepress, meaning that all of the merchandise listed there is stocked and shipped by that company. The only inputs I have with the items my shop sells are:

• What designs are available
• Which products I want to make available
• And, which designs are available on which products

Overall, I am satisfied with the items that Cafepress offers in their inventory. I do not currently have the ability to create my own items for sell, which is why collaborating with this site is the best option right now.

Here are some of the designs I am offering in the shop right now:

These design collections represent my pride in being African-American and celebrates the beauty and cultures of people of color (POC). While the design collections are not complete, I have listed the designs I have created so far. I must say, I am satisfied with my work so far.

*Note: Every design I offer is being reproduced in varying skin tones so everyone can have a likeness to themselves and their family dynamic. This is just what I have created so far and have available so far.*

The more I create, the more experience I will gain, and I will be able to create more intricate works of art.

Thank you for reading this post.

Don't forget to tell your friends about this blog and about my The Lazy Scholar Shop on Cafepress.

You can look forward to more designs being posted this year as I evolve more as an artist.

Until Next Time Friends,

Practice Makes Perfect

Hey Scholars,

In usual autodidact fashion, I've been teaching myself a new program in the quest to become a better blogger and expand my career opportunities.

I was recently introduced to a design program called Inkscape. It's similar to Adobe Illustrator, but it's free and can be customized for your needs (Open Source). It can be downloaded here.

I had a lot of trouble reading the manual for the program. There were too many words and pictures and it was overwhelming. I opted for flying by the seat of my pants and just playing with the tools and options until I figured it out. This took me a little over 4 hours to do before I finished my second creation. The first was never saved and the program crashed mid-design.

I am impressed with the result after a few hours of messing around and I definitely plan on using this program more in the coming weeks.

I hope you enjoyed this short post!

Until Next Time Friends,

♥ Domonique ♥

Sanity Savers #1: What Planners Can Do for You

Hello Scholars,
Welcome to part one of Sanity Savers! I know I've been promising to do this series for months now and I finally feel like I have enough tried and true tips to share that have actually worked for me long-term. I'm going to be posting a lot of tips and giving advice in this series that will help even the most disorganized person become a little more disciplined in their everyday life.
Today's post is going to involve planners and how I use them to keep track of the many commitments in my life. For those of you who don't like reading longer posts, you may want to click away now and wait for my YouTube video to go up on this topic in the near future.

Let's Get Down to Business

Hey Scholars,

Some of you may not know this, but earlier this year, along with registering this domain name, I also became self-employed. Yup! I am a small business owner and have the pleasure of filing quarterly and annual taxes. *so much sarcasm* It was a huge financial and personal decision for me, but I have always dreamed of being my own boss and now I am finally living that dream!

My Ideal Work Space
Being a busy Mom and having another little guy due in May, I feel the crunch to find a work schedule that works best for my family dynamic and fits my personal needs. Here are my needs for a successful working environment:

• Convenience - I can begin working as soon as I enter the space; No set up is required. Also, no travel required since I do not drive.
  
• Flexibility - A schedule that can accommodate standing commitments and appointments for my children and myself. I also need the ability to work late at night when I am the most alert and creative.
  
• ADD Friendly - No distracting colors or other stimuli.
  
• Child Friendly - Nothing in the space poses an immediate threat to my children.
  
• Scalability - I can expand my setup to accommodate new technologies, equipment, or furnishings.
  
• Multifunctionalism - Can be used as a home office, business office, and personal retreat.

I do require a lot of special requirements to be able to work, which is why I decided in part that working independently is the best option for myself and my family's needs. I would also like to be the person who makes decisions about my future, not an employer or corporation. I wanted to increase my earning potential by being in control of my workload and which business opportunities I pursue.


What Does This Mean for The Lazy Scholar Blog?

This blog is a labor of love and I put a lot of thought into each post and design concept. I've even taken up learning graphic design and HTML to tweak the layouts and learn how to build new ones! Here is what you can expect in the future from me and this blog:

• More Consistent Posts - I'm working on a set schedule for posting and my goal is to stick to it.
  
• Better Content - Currently, I'm working on becoming a better writer so I can express myself more thoroughly through my posts. I've been taking freelance jobs to gain more experience and I've also been writing in greater quantities a lot more often.
  
• Varied Content - Including more photos in my posts and filming videos for the YouTube channel created especially for this blog are among my top priorities this year. I think videos and photos will help my readers relate to me and also cater to people who like to do more than just read.
  
• eCommerce - This year, I hope to have either an eCommerce page on this site or an ETSY shop fully operational. I want to provide my freelancing services and handmade products. I've been thinking about this for about a year, but I finally feel confident enough to attempt it this year!
  
• Enhanced Layouts - I have been studying HTML and other languages to how to customize this blog. If you've been visiting over the last few months, you'll see that I've changed quite a few things from adding the tabs and social media buttons to creating seasonal layouts. I'd like to continue that and learn even more to add other amazing features to the site. I think slideshows and embedded videos are next on the list!
  
• Building Community - I am guilty of being a hermit in real life and also on the internet. This year, I want to be more involved in social media. Every account associated with this blog deserves attention from me and I just haven't been doing that. I lurk around other blogs, but rarely comment. This year, that stops. I want mt readers to know that my blog is a safe place to have discussions and that I'll also return the favor and join in sometimes.
  
• Blogging Conferences - I'm not new to attending conferences, having been tech support, a presenter, and an attendee before. I do want to attend a conference or two in the next year related to blogging so I can meet others like myself. Traveling is also awesome and I'd like to take my boys with me.

I have a lot of goals and aspirations for this blog and I know I won't reach them just talking/writing about them. I also know it won't be cheap, but I'm a hard worker and when I'm determined, I can do anything.

Please continue to support The Lazy Scholar Blog and stick around to watch it evolve into something awesome!

~ Until Next Time Friends ~

♥Domonique ♥

Little Eli Guy #6: Months 18 - 23

Hey Scholars,
Today marks the last day of Eli's 2nd year of life and it has been an amazing journey to witness so far. Eli has become his own person and I'm blessed to have been able to watch him grow thus far.
 Some of the highlights of Eli's life the last 6 months have been:

• Speaking in full sentences
• Running
• Recognizing letters and repeating them
• Interest in playing the guitar (and singing)
• Interest in reading books
• Grooming himself (brushing and combing his hair, washing his face and hands, putting on and taking off his clothes, etc.)
• Potty Training!

Eli has become such smart little boy. He's very tech savvy for a toddler. He can navigate Android interfaces better than even I can. He'll watch you do something and can usually mimic it very closely. I really enjoy watching him go about his day as I work from home.
 Even though Eli has been developing amazingly the past six months, things have not been perfect. Eli had a slight run in with his G6PD a few months ago. It left his legs scarred and his body covered in rashes and hives. We visited the ER and he was given steroids that cleared up his condition within the first 48 hours. Since then, I've been a lot more conscious about what I feed him. No beans whatsoever, I give him as much fresh fruit and veggies as possible, and I read the ingredients on EVERYTHING. I have also limited or completely cut out most soy products and I make a lot of his meals myself instead of buying them prepackaged. Eli has had very little breakouts since I've started following these rules. I'd like to keep it that way.
 Goals I have for the next six months:

• Document Eli's life more often through writing and pictures
• Teaching him to count to 10
• Teach Eli the first 10 letters of the alphabet and have him recognize the letters
• Let Eli explore nature more often
• Have Eli play with other children more often

 Picture Time!

Potty Training Time!

~ Until next time friends ~
 ♥ Domonique & Eli ♥

Good Morning

It's nearing the end of the week and I still haven't posted yet, luckily, the week isn't over yet and you'll have new content to read this weekend!

Thank you for sticking with me!

<3 Domonique

Updates

Hi There!

It's been a few weeks since I posted anything and I just wanted to let my readers know that I haven't forgotten about the blog.

Tomorrow there will be a new post up and then later this week, I'll finally be posting part 3 of my mental health awareness series. So look forward to new content!

In a more formal post, you can expect an actual explanation and an apology for my absence.

Please look out for more information on the Official Lazy Scholar Blog Facebook Fan Page.

Until next time friends,

Domonique

The Faces of Laughter

Hello There!

I haven't had time to queue a proper post, but I've been taking plenty of pictures and messing around on Blogger Mobile. here are my favorite photos of the last few days.

Enjoy and look forward to the third post in my Mental Health Awareness series later this week!