Life Lessons of a (Some What) New Mom Cont'd...

Eating becomes a challenge...
...well at least eating hot food when you want it does lol.  It never fails, dinner is finally cooked and set out on the table, you sit down and as you are about to scoop that first bite into your mouth...the crying starts...or the fussing or just the general need for attention.  Most moms become pros at the one handed eating, you learn to master the knife and fork while entertaining baby at the same time!  It's not always easy but it can be done!  When the little one starts eating....that's a whole other story!  Right now I don't have to worry about that too much, but I know my days of eating while everyone else eats will soon be over, because for a while I will have to help Cole eat his dinner, until he gets the hang of feeding himself.  I enjoy this time though, so you won't catch me complaining.

You learn to love your new body...
....or you work extra hard to get your old one back.  Personally I am still working towards LOVING my new body....I like it, but can't say I love it.  I attend a bootcamp fitness class three times a week and enjoy spending that time on me and I am really liking the way my body is changing because of it.  You learn to just adjust to your new body, on the bright side it might mean a new wardrobe ;)

No one expects you to be "Super Mom" except for you...
I think a lot of new moms go through this...you expect yourself to be able to do everything...and you just can't! You can't expect to always have a super clean and tidy house, for dinner to be on the table by 5pm sharp, for your child to be well behaved, fed, cleaned and ready to go!  There is a lot to do as a new mom and eventually you get a schedule down, it might take a while, but you do.  I try to get cleaning in during nap times and food prep in while Cole is busy entertaining himself on the mats in the living room....and everything else will get done when it gets done.  My house never seems to be clean enough or tidy enough...but it's really all just baby stuff EVERYWHERE....and I'm ok with it!  If you spend too much time dwelling on everything you haven't got done or still need to do, you are going to run yourself into the ground.

My "Me" time often becomes thinking time...
Me time usually is comprised of going to bootcamp and coming home and taking a shower.  I should be spending most of this time focused on me, but instead I find myself running through every decision that needs to be made and making lists of things I need to do. When I'm in the shower I often find myself thinking about EVERYTHING....from what I should do with my hair to what I am going to make for dinner to all of the things that need to be done around the house!  I feel like my brain never shuts off.  Bootcamp usually takes my mind off everything for the hour that I'm doing it....it's the drive there and back that I spend thinking.  Lots of good decisions have been made in the shower....


Clean? What does that mean?!...
Nothing ever seems clean enough anymore.  I can vacuum, mop and tidy up and give it a day or two and everything seems in disarray again.  Most of the mess is baby stuff everywhere as I stated earlier.  Baby clothes, baby toys, books, blankets....everywhere lol.  I tidy everything up and then just have to take it all back out again when it's time to play (which is always).  I know it really shouldn't matter, I just miss having a semi-organized house.

Life Lessons of a (some what) New Mom

I'm sure all new mothers go through this...that eye opening experience that life has changed.  Now I'm not just talking about life in general...it's obvious that life is going to change once a baby enters your world, I'm talking about the less obvious life lessons you learn one you become a mom...the ones no one really talks about.

1. You learn who your "REAL" friends are...
Since having a baby, I apparently am not as much fun anymore....at least not in my friend's eyes...or that's how I see it, because it feels like everyone has dropped off the face of the Earth since giving birth.  The majority of my friends don't have children and probably won't for a while, so I get that having a baby around isn't always what they want.  A couple of weeks ago DH gave me the "you should call your friends" speech and to be honest...maybe I should...BUT I got tired of having to always be the one to initiate conversation and then having it die out quickly.  Friends that I thought would be around more aren't and others have surprised me and have made the effort to stick around.  It is kind of sad, but I have made so many new friends since giving birth that it doesn't really bother me!

2. There is NOT enough time in a day...
Some days seem to stretch on forever and other days you feel like you blink and it is over.  This week especially I just feel like I do not have enough time to get everything I need to get done done!  I wake up, give Cole breakfast, change his diaper and get him dressed, walk the dog, get myself some breakfast and then the day really gets started...chores need to be done! time to vacuum, sweep, mop and do the laundry! when that's done it's time to tidy up the toys and put Cole down for a nap.  While he is sleeping I prep his baby food for the freezer and tidy up a bit more, sometimes try to sneak in a nap of my own depending on how much sleep I got the night before.  Then we run and do our errands...our groceries, Wal-Mart trips and other adventures and then it's pretty much time for Daddy to return for work and for dinner to get started or for me to head out to bootcamp.  Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade it for the world...sometimes I just wish the day was longer or I was faster lol

3. I didn't think it was possible...but I love my husband MORE...
Everytime I watch hubby interact with Cole in any way...I love him more.  I love watching him play with Cole, feed him, make him laugh or go for his "Daddy Walk".  I go to bootcamp three times a week, it is my bit of time away, and Mike takes Cole while I go and they have a blast every single time!  Sometimes I come home and Cole doesn't want anything to do with me.  I love that they have a great relationship already and like the bolded sentence said....I didn't think it was possible but it makes me love him even more.

4. A baby's smile or laugh can make your whole day better....
I can be having the worst day or be at my wits end with something and then Cole smiles or laughs and the world seems right again.  There is no better sound than the sound of a baby laughing and baby smiles are just so genuine that you can't help but smile back.

There are a lot more lessons I have learned since becoming a mom...some of them big and some of them small.  This list is just a start of what I'm sure will be a LONG list :)

Growing up too quickly!

I started writing a new post a few days ago...then got totally side tracked.  I was reading it over today and realized that there was no point in even posting it any more, as things around here change so quickly with a baby!

My original post was about teething and baby food!  At the time I was writing it Cole was cutting his second tooth and had begun a food strike.  After our last doctors visit, we decided to move forward with solids since the little man was eating too many bottles a day.  We were doing really well with it too until that damned second tooth started to make its appearance!  All of a sudden Cole didn't want to eat anything anymore.  Thankfully as soon as his second tooth cut through the gums he began to eat again. 

Eating has been a fun little adventure.  When we first started more food ended up...well...anywhere BUT in his mouth!  After a couple of days he became a pro and was actually diving for the spoon before I could put it in his mouth.  We've had rice cereal, bananas, sweet potatoes, peas, carrots, apples and pears so far.  As of now, he likes everything!!  Every couple of days we try out a new fruit or veggie, and I have decided we are going to give meat a try in the very near future (trying meat grosses me out lol...have you seen what it looks like in a baby food jar?!).  Since I know that he likes quite a few fruits and veggies so far, I have started making up our own purees.  It's so quick and easy and so much cheaper than buying the jarred stuff.  I enjoy giving him new things to try and watching his little face for a reaction (some much funnier than others!).

Since we've started on solids, I can already that he has started putting on more weight than before, this and I think we are packing on the pudge before our 6 month growth spurt hits.  First we get all pudgy and then we get long and lean.

I can't believe how quickly time is flying by...in a couple of weeks my little Peanut is going to be 6 months old already...my maternity leave and time at home will be half over.  I'm so proud of the little person he is becoming and I'm excited for what is still yet to come!

5 Month Update

Age: 5 months
Date of Appt.: August 14th, 2012
Weight: 17lbs 6oz
Height:  27inches
Sleeping Patterns: You are still a great sleeper.  You take two long naps during the day and one short nap around dinner time.  At night you are going to bed around 9:30-10pm and you sleep until about 7am or later.  You have started sleeping on your tummy with your bum up in the air now...honestly it is one of the cutest things ever!  I'm also really proud of you because you have started taking your naps in your crib during the day and have learned to fall asleep on your own.
Eating Patterns: you are eating about 7.5oz every 4 hours or so...sometimes sooner
Anything You'd Like to Add?:
You've hit a few milestones this month!  You learned to roll belly to back this month, which got rid of a lot of the frustration of being on your tummy.  You have also started sitting on your own unassisted.  We've been practicing this a lot in the last couple of weeks and each week you seem to be a bit more stable on your own.  You have also started to prop yourself up on all fours...in no time you are going to be crawling!  In the last week you have started cutting your first tooth, I'm sure it is only a matter of days before we can see it!

Goodbye July, Hello August...

July seems to have just flown by!  It was a fun month though, spent mostly with friends and family.

Cole has grown up a lot this month as well, it's crazy to remember the little person that we brought home in March that slept all day long and couldn't do anything for himself and then look at the little man I have infront of me now :)  This month we have:

•  perfected rolling onto our tummy (which is how we prefer to be most of the time, sleeping on our tummy every night now...)
• learned to roll from belly to back (which isn't very graceful looking)
• perfected the baby push up and learned to army crawl
• are almost sitting up completely unassisted (but that's still going to take some practice!) 

It's amazing how fast they grow.  We also started swimming lessons this week.  These lessons consist of a lot of moving around in the pool and being dunked, but it's fun Mommy and Cole time.

 I look forward to all of the growth and changes that are going to happen this month.  It's going to be a busy month for Mommy and Daddy. Almost every weekend this month is already planned out.  This weekend we have our only wedding this year and friends are coming to visit.  We will probably end the weekend with a BBQ with the neighbours, since that seems to be our new weekly thing :)  Next weekend we are going up to a friend's cottage for 3 days, the weekend after that is our wedding anniversary and then the last weekend of August Mike has a volleyball tournament.  Lots of fun and exciting things happening!  Cole has his 5 month check up on the 14th, so that will most likely be the next time I update.  

4 Months Already!

Age: 4 months
Date of Appt.: July 12th, 2012
Weight: 16lbs 5oz
Height: 26.5 inches
Sleeping Patterns: Lately you have been sleeping even longer than before...you usually fall asleep around 10:30pm and sleep until about 8:30am.  You take 2-3 naps a day, sometimes more, sometimes less.  We had to stop swaddling you this month because you learned to roll onto your tummy, not being swaddled was a bit of an adjustment but now you are doing great :)
Eating Patterns: you are eating about 6.5-7oz every 3.5-4 hours
Anything You'd Like to Add?: This last month you learned to roll from back to belly...which can be interesting, as you get very frustrated once you are on your tummy!  You've also learned that if you "cry" mommy will come to see what is happening...only to find you with a big smile on your face!  Can't wait to see what you get up to this month :)

Watch Out! Baby on the Move!!

Our days of swaddling are now over...my child now enjoys rolling over!! 

On Saturday morning I woke up and went in to check on Cole, as he was still asleep, he was still nicely swaddled and deep in sleep....on his stomach *insert Mommy panic face here*.  When I realized he was on his tummy I quickly turned him over and was amazed that he had managed to do this without the help of his arms.  I figured it was just a one off since he didn't roll over at all that day while playing and swaddled him again for bedtime that night.  Swaddling is part of our bedtime routine, we usually do a diaper change, get naked and then get swaddled, followed by one last bottle for the night and he is out cold until the next morning.  Well that night I put him down in the crib and tilted his head to the left as I usually do....anddddd there went the rest of his body with it lol...rolled right over.  So I turned him back over....and again he rolls himself over.  Sadly (for Mommy's sleep's sake) I unswaddled him and put him into some PJs so that he would have the use of his arms if he needed to move himself during the night.  Within 5 minutes of being put to bed again he was on his tummy, as nervous as this made me, I knew it was a losing battle and let him sleep that way.  By the morning he was back on his back, so he knows how to roll both ways in the matter of one night. 

I'm very proud of him for accomplishing these two milestones (rolling back to belly and belly to back), but I will miss the days of swaddling!  He just does not sleep as soundly when he isn't swaddled...I usually have to get up a couple of times during the night and give him his soother so that he will go back to sleep.  I know there are moms who would still love to have that kind of a sleeper....I guess I was just spoiled for too long lol.  I love this little Peanut so much :) and I look forward to watching him meet many other milestones in the future!