First Food

The last two weeks have been filled with milestones! Crawling, sitting up, pulling herself up to standing, falling, and today food. I gave her a couple tastes of my mashed potatoes and she made the funniest face. Then she gagged. LOL. But from what I hear, it takes a bit for babies to get used to food. Hopefully she will grow to love it. I bought the Baby Bullet today so I can start making her food. Gonna do organic food, give her variety and taste...nothing bland. I want to make sure she doesn't turn out to be one of those kids who only eats Mac & Cheese. Most of all..I want her to be healthy and learn good habits early on.

In other news...she is really starting to explore now that she is getting the hang of crawling. She tried to go under the bed. Then she crawled to the sliding glass door, sat in the sun for a minute, and crawled along the door touching the vertical blinds along the way. Later, she crawled on the tile, and then under her swing. I am in trouble! I gave her a break from the floor and put her on the counter in her chair while I made some chocolates for an up coming party. The little rascal grabbed the chocolate spoon which I thought was out of reach, while my back was turned...and there was chocolate every where in just 5 seconds. So...technically, chocolate may have been her first taste of food.

The Work Begins When Baby Goes Night Night

I'm sure I am not the only mom out there who feels like their day actually starts when the baby is asleep. My sister-in-law was over one night and as soon as the baby was asleep, I started cleaning. She said "so this is what goes on here at 11pm?" Yes....it's my routine. Night time used to be time to wind down, relax, catch some TV. Not any more. There is laundry to do, bottles to wash, coupons to cut, the list goes on and on...sleep deprivation is a very real thing. I feel like I some how have a second wind....I used to be able to only sleep a few hours when I was young and still go go go. Then for a while I needed my 8 or 9 hours a night. Now...I am back to only a few hours a night. What is it about being a mom, or even just a woman in general that makes us feel like we have to accomplish so much? We have to be super woman...work, clean, cook, take care of the man and the kids. I have this strange need to make life easier on everyone else, but that makes my life much more difficult. But we women truck on...with a smile and full make up. God forbid we have a hair out of place, or sweat pants on. Hmmm....

Losing Baby Weight

Okay...I do realize that I am VERY lucky to have lost baby weight so fast. To be keeping it off...and to not have gained much to begin with. But I also do some work at it too...so if you need a little help, here are my tips. I am NOT an expert...this is just what has worked for me.

--I hate gyms. I think they are disgusting....and I don't have time for that anyway...are you kidding! I have a baby!!! So...this may sound totally nerdy but this is what I do:

1) take the stairs whenever possible. Lugging around baby, baby gear, and managing stairs is not easy. But I know I've gotten stronger.

2) Baby lifts...yep...I use Liv to strengthen and tone my arms and legs. She thinks we are playing and laughs...while I feel the burn.

3) Dance in front of the mirror. Liv cracks up watching me, or even when I grab her to dance with me. I do this while I am putting myself together for the day. I tighten my core muscles and move around. No one is watching but the baby so who cares if you look dumb. Doing it while I get ready saves me time, is a fun way to start the day, and gives me a boost of energy. Plus standing in front of the mirror shows you which muscles you are using.

--I do not diet, I just make a choice everyday to be healthy, or maybe not

1) I don't eat red meat

2) Breakfast is important...yogurt and a breakfast bar do it for me (Fiber One bars and special K bars are good ones)

3) Substitute ground beef for ground turkey (if you are a meat eater...try it sometimes to cut back on fat)

4) Don't add extra salt to your food

5) Drink water...I'm not so good at this one, but I try

6) Eat your food groups. Veggies and fruits are really important

7) Don't deprive yourself, but don't over indulge either. If you want a chocolate, have a small piece or two. Ice cream? Eat a few bites...that's all you need to satisfy your craving most of the time.

Most important...remember that your habits your child will inherit. If you obsess over your weight and constantly degrade yourself, your child will learn this too. If you over eat, eat lots of junk, and don't eat healthy...your kid will too. So if you don't do it for yourself...do it for your kid. Give them a good start by showing them how fun it is to be active. Play on the floor with them, crawl around, dance...have fun! Make good food choices so they will later too!

A Hole in My Heart

For many years I felt like I had a hole in my heart. There was always this unsettling feeling that something was missing. A void that I was constantly trying to fill with different things; pets, friends, boyfriends, alcohol, food, hobbies....but every fix was temporary and never really felt right. And then...she came into my life...my baby girl. I don't grumble (as much) when I have to wake up early, cause she wakes up with a smile on her face and it is contagious. She laughs at the weirdest things which makes me laugh too. Watching her discover things and learn is awe inspiring. Just thinking about silly, weird, or even small normal things she does puts a smile on my face. She makes funny noises when she drinks her bottle. She "talks" in her sleep. She gets mad and cries when she is frustrated because her little body wants to go, but she isn't quite coordinated enough yet. She is way advanced physically for her age. I love the way she inches towards me or Nick when she wants to cuddle in her sleep or when she just wakes up. I love the way her face lights up when I come home. I LOVE her laugh. I love that I laugh more just being around her. I love that Nick and I do totally silly things with her and its okay. She makes me feel younger and older at the same time. I have always been a worrier...but times that 51234560. I want to be her life long best friend and never go a day without talking to each other. I want her to say "my mom is my best friend." And not because I let her do anything she wants...but because I am a good mom. I want to be a better person, happier person, more positive person for her. I never for one second want her to ever doubt my love for her and what I would do to keep her safe. When she was born I sang to her the Beatles "All You Need is Love." It's true...she is the love of my life...she filled, over flowed, flooded that hole in my heart. Now...I don't know how I ever got through life without her in it. I am so excited and petrified of what the future holds for her. But I am going to give her the best start I possibly can.