5.29.2015

Blogger Love v.8


Let's see. Is it possible for me to start a blog post without mentioning the fact that I have had zero time to actually write a blog post?

Apparently not. Moving on.

Even when I'm unable to muster the energy to jot down my words, I'm always, always, always reading. Reading the news, reading blogs, reading social media statuses. Reading is like breathing to me, and thankfully, there have been some good reads in the blog world in the last few weeks:

All the Joys - Blogger Love


CollaboReads: A Book-lover's Link-Up by mr. thomas and me | I love books. Hate book clubs. I don't like reading assignments, but I do love book challenges. Especially book challenges that allow me to read what I'm inspired to read. I am so pumped to participate in Amber's new link-up next month.

An Aussie girl in an American world by See You in a Porridge (via TexErin in Sydneyland) | It's so entertaining to look at weird American culture quirks from an outsider's perspective. There are so many things we apparently take for granted here!

The Night I Gave My Husband a Free Pass via Scary Mommy | Although Chuck and I have only been married a few years, I think every married couple can relate to this on some level. Definitely one that will tug at your heartstrings.

What I want you to know about being a foster dad: a letter to my foster daughter's birth mom via Rage Against the Minivan | So.many.feels. Do not read this if you are not looking to be an emotional mess. But please, do read this at some point. So beautiful, yet so heartwrenching. 

Why we aren't finding out the sex... by The Florkens | I really thought I wouldn't want to find out the gender when I became pregnant with Charlie. Obviously, we did wind up finding out, but my feelings on gender stereotyping haven't changed. Kate totally hits this one out of the park.

[Love Looks Like] 14: On marriage, making magic, and demands by Sarah Bessey | Gah! Everything that Sarah Bessey writes is pure gold. This letter on life at year 14 of marriage nearly took my breath away. This woman can write


5.13.2015

10 Things They Don't Tell You About Being a New Mom (The Good Stuff)


If you've hung out in Bloggy World for any amount of time, you've probably seen at least a few "Things They Don't Tell You About Being a New Mom"-type posts. These lists talk about sleeplessness, the fact that you will be covered in bodily fluids, and how none of your clothes will fit you anymore. Before giving birth, I read these lists and was mildly terrified. After, I read some of these posts and related to many of the points. Too often, however, I feel like these same lists focus primarily on the not-so-fun aspects of new motherhood, and glaze over the super awesome, I-Can't-Believe-How-Lucky-I-Am parts. So today, that's exactly what I'm doing.



1. You will sleep. Not right away, and not as much as your pre-pregnant self did, but you will sleep and everything will be okay. This was one of my biggest fears- sleep and I go way back, but I'll let you in on a little secret: eventually, you do sleep. Charlie typically sleeps from 6:30pm-6:30am with about one nursing session at 3:00am. I go to bed around 11:00am and wake up at 5:00am. I know many babies his age aren't sleeping that much and I do count myself lucky, but even when he was waking up more frequently, I survived. These days, I average about 6 hours of (interrupted) sleep, but I'm managing so much better than I thought I would. You'll get used to it, I promise.

2. You will have to fight the urge to nibble on his/her fingers and toes. Seriously, I literally want to eat Charlie's face off every single day because he is the most adorable, delicious little human being on the planet (I may be biased). Every day I wake up thinking I can't possibly love him more than I do, and every day, I love him even more. I am absolutely obsessed with my little boy.

3. You will love staying in. As a homebody/introvert, this one obviously wasn't a huge adjustment for me, but even talking to my Mama friends with more exciting social lives, there will come a time when you will prefer to stay in with your baby and partner over the prospect of a party or girls' night. Nothing beats curling up with the loves of your life in cozy jammies on a Friday night. Nothing.

4. You do have Mama Bear instincts. Believe me, if me, the child-fearing weirdo has them, you do too. I can't explain it, other than it feels like this primal, biological need to do anything for your little bear cubs. I was told countless times to trust my motherly instincts and I didn't believe it. Let me tell you, the cliche is true. You will know your baby's cries. You will know when they need stimulation and when they need sleep. You will know exactly what to do to make them light up with the biggest toothless grin. You will know your baby.

5. You will have support. You will have to learn to ask for it, but 99% of the time, there is a Mama in your life who has gone through this before and will jump at the chance to give you a hug, some much-needed advice or just a "solidarity, sister." I know the "Mommy Wars" do exist, but in my experience, most Mommies are loving, supportive and will be there for you in a flash.

6. You will creepily watch them sleep. For minutes, even for hours. There is nothing more precious than a sleeping babe and you will lie there with them in complete ecstasy until your arm feels like it will fall off. 

7. You will cry all the time. I know this one sounds bad, but it's totally not. Just thinking about this magnitude of a blessing in your life will drive you to tears on the regular. Watching birth scenes (even the cheesy ones) will make you bawl, because you finally get it: this miracle of life is absolutely amazing, and you have had the opportunity to experience is firsthand.

8. You will realize you have everything you need to raise a baby. Baby showers and registries are completely overwhelming for a first-time Mom, but honestly, you'll learn real quickly that babies don't need as much as you think they do. Sure, you'll blow through dozens of packages of diapers and wipes, and it's not a bad idea to spring for a crib. But mostly, what your baby needs, is you

9. Your partner will help, if you let them. Chuck loves being a Daddy, and actually loved being on diaper duty when Charlie was a teeny, tiny newborn because it was his opportunity to feel like he was really contributing at a time when it feels like the bulk of the parenting responsibilities fall to the Mom. Let your partner step in and resist the urge to micromanage their every move. They will get their Papa Bear instincts, too, it might just take them a little longer to get there.

10. You will love like you have never loved before. Fo realz. Cheesy, but it's true.


5.11.2015

On Birthdays and Besties


It's not often I find myself with the time or mental capacity to publish a post these days, but the last few weeks have been a whirlwind of birthdays, babies and best friends, that I can't bring myself to let them slip by without documentation. The last month has seen my husband's 26th birthday, Charlie's 4-month birthday, my 27th birthday, a visit from my college best friends, a visit from my high school bestie, and my first Mother's Day. We've been occupied to say the least!

First up was Daddy's birthday. We honestly didn't do much for Chuck's actual birthday and both agreed that we would postpone the celebrating until the weekend because I had to work late. I managed to score some free tickets from work to see the Ohio State Spring Football game. Which was an awesome birthday plan in theory. In actuality, we got to the game, spent $23 on crappy pizza and 2 bottles of water and then learned that all the seats were filled so we turned around and went home.


Not the most ideal first trip for my husband to the Buckeye's stadium. Alas, I'm sure there will be other opportunities. Since we're still recovering from my 3ish months spend on unpaid maternity leave, presents were cheap and simple this year. I surprised Chuck with a fun, "Guess which beer" game and I received a bouquet of my favorite flowers and chocolate a week later.


Since Charlie and I shared a milestone this year, I had so much fun just snuggling and hanging out with my boys all day. We went out for a birthday brunch and then came home and cleaned all day. Which I realize doesn't sound like much fun, but clean house = clear mind, so I was more than happy with how the day unfolded.


The following weekend, my two college besties came to visit and meet Charlie for the first time! The last time I saw them was Halloween weekend/Charlie's baby shower so I had the best time introducing them to the new man in my life. Bekah arrived before my friend, Laura, so we spent an afternoon at Findlay Market in Cincinnati and then drove up to Columbus to pick Laura up from the airport. We spent the following day walking around my town, had my first Girls' Night since Charlie was born at a super yummy Middle Eastern place called Aladdin's and then followed it up on Sunday with a trip to Melt in Columbus, before Laura had to return home. Three-day weekends with these girls are just not enough, so we're already planning how we can arrange our next visit! 


This past weekend was another one for the books. My best friend from high school and I have been trying to plan a visit for ages. With her husband deployed, and an unexpected month-long break from grad school, it seemed like the perfect opportunity for her to come up. She texted me about two weeks ago asking when I was free and I responded, "Umm..can you come next weekend?" And she did, she did! My weekend with my college besties was activity-filled to say the least, so I was so thankful that Whitney was more than happy to look past my sink full of dirty dishes and unfolded laundry and just spend time watching bad movies and Friends reruns with me all weekend long. Such a reminder that despite the fact that we are (thankfully) much different people than we were in high school, we are absolutely best friends for a reason.


My weekend with Whitney wrapped up with an afternoon BBQ at my in-laws' for Mother's Day.

Fun fact: The youngest members of my husband's family are Linus, Charlie and Lucie. No, it was not planned, but that doesn't stop us from affectionately referring to them as the Peanuts gang. I was so excited to get a picture of the Peanuts and their respective Mommies. Even if the babies were uncooperative, the Mommies looked great!


Chuck said something to me a couple weeks ago that really stuck with me. He divulged that he counted me lucky to have friends that would travel all the way to middle-of-nowhere Ohio to come see me and admitted that he didn't have any friends that would do the same. I thought about it, and he was right. I really do have the best friends, and although it breaks my heart that we're separated by several states, I love that we have the kind of relationship where we can pick right up where we last left off. 

Moral of the story? I am one blessed lady.

5.08.2015

This One's for the Mamas (A Mother's Day Tribute)




TO SISTER-IN-LAW #1:
Thank you for your constant example. For teaching me how to love, how to discipline, and how to be the glue that keeps the family together. Thank you for your undying support. For the boxes of hand-me-down baby clothes. For cleaning my house from top-to-bottom shortly after Charlie was born. For your offerings of warm soup and fresh baked bread and a cozy place to crash should I ever need it. But most of all, thank you for encouraging me that I could do this. For being real about the not-so-fun parts, but helping me to see how they're all worth it when your heart infinitely grows to accommodate these little ones.

TO SISTER-IN-LAW #2:
Thank you for your listening ear. For being the only person who understands what it's like to be married to these men of ours. For sharing your stories, your secrets and your unused baby things. Thank you for Mama's nights filled with Mango-ritas. Thank you for movie nights and shopping days. Thank you for forgiving my flakiness and "Stuckert time." But most of all, thank you for being the best stand-in Mommy I could ever ask for, for my little boy.

TO MAMA-IN-LAW:
Thanks for giving me space when I get overwhelmed by the clan. Thank you for your patience, even when you may not understand my anxieties. Thank you for steak, brisket and "Stuckert salad" (wink, wink). Thanks for glasses of wine, sweet text messages and for being my constant writing cheerleader. Above all, thank you for your son. Thank you for raising up a kind, decent and loving man. Thanks for molding him into a wonderful husband and father. Thanks for unknowingly creating the source of my greatest happiness.

TO MOMMY:
Thank you for trips to Switzerland, New Jersey and Disney World. Thanks for fondue, table manners and the Girl Scout promise. Thank you for your sacrifice, 13-hour days and for being our constant in times of instability. Thank you for a hemmed wedding dress, a Jamaican honeymoon and for loving my hubby as your own son. Thank you for homemade Halloween costumes, for potty training and for those awful adolescent years. Thank you for your high expectations, your gypsy spirit and your model of strength. Thank you for teaching me how to Mommy. How to raise independent, self-sufficient and well-mannered kiddos. Thanks for making me, me.

And to all the other Mamas, Happy Mother's Day. I've never been so blessed as to count myself a part of your club.


5.07.2015

#tbt: That Time I Didn't Eat Meat (October 5, 2012)


A couple days ago I was on the phone with my Mom recapping my birthday activities for her. I told her that Chuck and Charlie had treated me to a birthday brunch at our favorite local hotel/pub and she wanted to know what I had ordered. "The Three Little Pigs Omelette- it was an omelette filled with ham, bacon and sausage," I replied. To which she exclaimed, "What happened to my little vegetarian?!" 

It's true, there was a time in my life when my diet was free from animals. Apparently, now I'm making up for lost time. Here's why I decided to convert back to my former carnivorous ways...

> > >

Many of you may or may not know that for a few years now I've tried to maintain a vegetarian diet. I even began a series on this blog about why I chose to "Go Veg" (see HERE and HERE), but I kind of fizzled out and didn't even get to my primary points: the environment and world hunger. I began my foray into vegetarianism while I was in Uganda- mostly because I didn't have a choice. Meat is a luxury in the developing world and I only ate it once or twice a week. It piqued my interest and I began researching the ways in which our diet is impacting starving people around the world. My findings were astounding.

In the last couple months, however, I've begun introducing more meat into my diet.

And here's why:

[1] I'm a lazy vegetarian. Vegetarianism requires being very conscious and intentional about eating. Because I wasn't eating meat and wasn't making a solid effort to get my fill of nuts, beans, etc, I wasn't getting the protein I needed. While there are plenty of ways to get protein while maintaining a meatless diet, I wasn't doing it and eating more meat has been my way of doing just that.


The words every vegetarian loves to hear.
via

[2] By removing meat from my diet, I was also removing my voice from an ongoing discussion about the state of meat production in this country and around the world. My intention was never to say "eating animals is bad," but I was displeased with the treatment of farm animals, with the hormones and unnatural elements going into my food and the toll conventional factory farming is taking on the environment. I mean, seriously, in what universe is a manure swamp healthy?! If I hope to rectify this, it's important to support the farmers who are "doing it right." If I want organic and sustainably produced meat, I need to model that in my diet!


via


[3] My husband loves food. He'll eat anything I make (one of the things I love about him), but while I come from a family who is all about the carbs (I really think I could survive off bread and fruit), my Boo comes from a family where protein is the law of the land. When he started eating more fast food to get his protein fix, it caused me to reevaluate if I was meeting his dietary needs. I wasn't. He made no complaints, but I knew it wasn't fair for me to expect him to eat my protein-lacking diet.


You're welcome, baby.

So where do we stand? We still don't eat meat every day. Americans, in general, eat much more meat than we will ever need. But I have begun experimenting more with carnivorous recipes and introducing chicken sausage or breast into my traditionally vegetarian dishes. I'm a big believer in "everything in moderation"  and I feel like I've found a healthy balance in meeting all my dietary needs.

5.05.2015

4 Months as Mommy


WORK
Not to say that balancing this full-time job and being a Mommy isn't challenging, but I'm enjoying it more than I thought I would. I totally get why women choose to do the SAHM thing (I was an emotional wreck at the prospect of leaving my days with Charlie behind), but I can honestly say, I think I need to be a working Mom. I need to be able to separate myself from the stress and exhaustion that comes with constantly thinking about the wellbeing of another person. I need to productively use my brain for the betterment of my community. I need to get out and socialize with adults. All these reasons, combined with the fact that I genuinely love my job have made the transition much easier than I was anticipating. 

BREASTFEEDING
I'm still pumping at work and breastfeeding Charlie whenever I'm home. My work schedule is a little non-traditional in that I'm on the road for anywhere from 3-16ish hours a week doing site visits. Not to mention, I feel like I'm always running between meetings so that there's barely time to accomplish my actual work, let alone eat or pump. This has made pumping really challenging for me and as I enter the busiest time of my year, I'm aware that I need to be really intentional about visiting the office lactation room when I intend to. It needs to be my first priority during the day- all my work will still be there when I'm done.

BABY FAT
I was talking to my sister-in-law the other day who had her first baby six weeks after me. We were comparing notes on our postpartum bodies and both agreed- it's not pregnancy that makes you fat, it's motherhood! It is so hard to eat a full meal while trying to wrangle a little one, let alone anything remotely healthy. Admittedly, my eating habits have been especially bad now that I'm working. I just don't have the time or energy to devote to making real meals, so I snack. A lot. All day.

As for Charlie...



MILESTONES
Oh my goodness, this month was crazy in terms of Charlie's development! He started laughing, holding himself up during tummy time and rolling over. Charlie also experienced his first Church service on Easter Sunday...and did great! I was so nervous, especially because the Church I attend is a Friends meeting so there is a time for silent reflection. Of course, Charlie chose this time to wake up and I was so paranoid he was going to start a ruckus. Thankfully, he sat there contentedly and charmed the pants off the ladies sitting in the pew in front of us.

Charlie also ran his first 5k! Although, "ran" may be an overstatement. My employer sponsored me and I kind of got guilted into participating by a co-worker, but I thought what's the harm in a brisk 3-mile walk? Well, we started out walking and as soon as everyone took off ahead of me, I felt seriously lame and left-behind so I jogged as much of it as I could. It was the first time I've run in nearly a year and I actually ran about half! I finished in just under 39 minutes and Charlie...well, he slept through the whole thing. Despite intruding on his nap time though, we won the award for the "Fastest Wheels." It was so much fun and made me want to invest in a jogging stroller ASAP so I can continue running with my baby boy!

We ventured out a lot more this month with a trip to "The Shoe" aka: The Ohio State stadium for the 2015 Spring Game. We got there after the game started, though, and couldn't find any seats so we didn't stick around for long.

In terms of clothing, we're still struggling to find pants to fit our skinny little lad. I ended up buying him a pair of leggings from the Carter's girls section, because all of the boy pants are too big and baggy. Which begs the question- why don't they make leggings for baby boys?! They seem so much more practical! We're still in 3-month clothing and we made our way into size 2 diapers.

FAMILY
Charlie got to spend tons of time with his family this month. Aunt Ashlee (my aforementioned sister-in-law) started watching him at the beginning of the month and it's been so sweet to see him and his cousin, Lucie begin to interact. Charlie also had a great weekend hanging out with Aunt Kelly (my sister) when she came to visit Easter weekend while on her spring break. My sister is like me- not comfortable with children, so I seriously was not expecting her to bond as much as she did with her little nephew. The two of them fell in love, and Charlie would start crying as soon as she put him down. It was the sweetest thing.

Charlie also helped both his Daddy and Mommy celebrate birthdays this year! Daddy turned 26 on the 15th and Mommy turned 27 on the 26th. In fact, Mommy and Charlie got to share their day as it was Charlie's 4-month birthday!

STATS
This morning, Charlie had his 4-month appointment, complete with shots! *Sad face* He measured in at 24.25 inches, weighing 11 lbs 14 oz and had a 41cm noggin! That puts him in the 10th, 3rd and 25th percentiles, respectively. Obviously, his weight is still a concern, but because he's developing so well and is still following the growth curve, the doctor thinks he's just a peanut. Both Chuck's parents and my Mom are shorties, so it's possible he's just a little runt! Just to be safe though, we had blood drawn and are waiting to hear if there's something else that could be hampering his growth. Needless to say, it's been a long day for little Charlie and it's not even noon!

And on that note, I'm off to snuggle my little baby for the rest of the day!





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