Six Month Check In Part 2 - How Do I Look?

I remember having these grandiose ideas about how my body would rebound after childbirth. I thought that come the holidays (less than two months after Phinn was born) I would "wow" everyone with my fabulous post pregnancy body. I thought that less than four months after Phinn was born I'd be able to run a half marathon. I remember less than six weeks after Phinn was born I pulled out my loosest pair of pre-pregnancy jeans, only to find that when I pulled them up, they wouldn't go over my thighs. I think that's when I realized the road to getting my body back was going to be longer than I thought.

I was itching to exercise, so I tried to start off small by just going for walks but over did it a couple times and ended up laying on the couch with a bag of frozen peas under my rear. (I think that bag of peas were affectionately named mama's bag of butt peas from there on out!!)

After conquering a few short walks with little pain, I moved on to Tracy Anderson's Post-Pregnancy DVD. The first time I did it, I certainly felt it the next day. It hurt to sit up, lift my arms, and carry my baby! I guess that's what happens when you use muscles that were not only rusty but had also been stretched beyond belief. Now, I cannot get enough of her workout. It still kicks my butt (which I secretly love!) and I think I owe it a lot of credit for my physical rebound. I am looking into her Metamorphosis program which is 90 days of workouts semi-tailored to your body type.

I started really running at the beginning of the year in hopes of completing a half-marathon in March and then begin training for a full in November. Well as you can imagine - and as fellow moms know - having time to get in a decent run can be pretty impossible. Some days you feel like you have a better shot of winning the Powerball! I will say that I have gotten much better about making the time because you eventually learn that is the only way it is going to happen. I have added a treadmill to my wish list to help me squeeze in more runs, especially longer ones.

Whether or not I run a marathon in November is still up in the air. I want to run because it will help me meet a lot of my personal goals, BUT I do not want my family time to suffer because of my crazy training schedule. I have given some thought to just doing the half and putting the full off for another time. I may be able to convince my mom (and current running buddy!) to do the half with me which would be lots of fun. I just want to keep running as enjoyable and stress free as I can.

As the weather has improved, I have also gotten much better at running outdoors. Phinn and I take BOB out daily- three or four days for runs and the other days for long walks. I try to get my exercise in first thing in the morning. It seems to get those happy endorphins going and makes for more productive days.

Well between my workout DVDs and running, my body is looking more fit again! I think it started around month five that I actually began to feel like my exercising was paying off. I dared to try on my more fit pre-prego clothes and they fit - nicely! I didn't have to lay on the bed to button my jeans or do lunges to give myself some breathing room ;)

Post Pregnancy Transformation Weeks 2, 3, 7, 8, and 11

There are some things that I still haven't quite adjusted to such as having boobs. For whatever reason, they make me feel like I look bigger. I also have some pretty terrible stretch marks on my stomach. I have used creams and what not but I figure there isn't a whole lot I can do for those until I'm done having kids. I'm adjusting to the loss of bikinis (not that I was ever a huge bikini beach/pool goer with my fair complexion!) and wished that I would have had the confidence to rock my baby bump in a bikini last summer. Oh well! At least super sleek, sexy retro one pieces have made a comeback!! One piece options have come along way from the one-piece with an attached skirt days of our moms - thank goodness!!

Five months post-pregnancy

So it has been six months and it has been a hard and at times frustrating journey to get my body back and I'm by no means done yet BUT I am feeling healthy, feeling fit, and fitting into those skinny jeans which is an added bonus!

Stay tuned for some up-to-date pictures! ( I have been slacking on taking pictures of myself, but I'll get someone to snap a couple before I run tomorrow.)

6 Months Already?!?

Seriously, where has the time gone??? I cannot believe my baby boy is six months old today. Please slow time down! I'm not ready for my baby to grow up so fast. There are still moments every day that I look at him and think "Wow! He's my baby!" I feel so blessed to have such a healthy and happy son.

Someone told me that from six months to one year is the golden time. They are independent enough to not need you for every little thing, but of course they are still a baby and need a fair amount from you. I guess around age one that whole desire to be independent starts to kick in and the babyness starts to fade. While it will be amazing to see Phinn grow and change, I do know it will be an adjustment for me to not be so in demand so to say. But I'll deal with that when the time comes - right now I am going to live in the present and enjoy every moment with him!

Moving on to the REAL stuff - like what it’s like to be a mom, how things have changed over the past six months, what my body is looking like (and more importantly how I feel about it!), and would I do anything differently next time around...

I'm going to break this six month check-up in to a few blog posts, otherwise I'd be writing forever. This way - barring any brain melt downs from the infamous "mommy brain" syndrome or occasional sleep deprivation - I should be able to share with you all of my thoughts, successes, and challenges over the past six months.

Real Life Mom

After you have your first baby, everyone is asking you "What it is like to be a mom?", "How do you like it?", "Is it everything wonderful you imagined it to be?", and other questions of that nature. I will say it is almost nothing like I imagined it to be. Most of the time it is WAY more awesome than I could have ever imagined, but I am not going to lie, there are times that are also WAY tougher than I had imagined too (especially at the beginning).

While we all might think we have a good handle on what being a mom entails from watching other mothers, spending time babysitting, and playing with babies and kids; then your little one comes along and you realize you had no clue! I had no fear of becoming a mom while I was pregnant. I had spent endless hours babysitting and also come from a large extended family, so there was always a baby around. But none of that prepared me for how something so small is turned my life inside out.

The beginning of motherhood is slightly blurry for me. It seems to have come and gone so quickly in hindsight (so for new mommies out there - hang tough!! It only gets better!!). I remember the first few weeks just being totally enamored by this precious baby boy and then reality started to creep back in. Hunter had to return to work. It was beginning to feel a little slovenly to remain in my pajamas around the clock. The home cooked dinners from family and friends stopped coming. My house was covered in a layer of funk. The holidays and all the joyous activities that come with were around the corner. And I was getting tired of only seeing my bedroom and the family room and occasionally the bathroom. I remember being stressed and feeling overwhelmed.

Here are some of the realities of being a mom:

• There will be times when your personal hygiene takes a hit, especially in the beginning. I remember being in disbelief as other new moms told me that they didn't have time to shower or brush their teeth. I recall thinking "Babies take naps. In our class they said they sleep for about 18 hours a day. How can you not have time?" And then poof, I was a new mom and I learned very quickly how taking a shower is sometimes a luxury and not brushing your teeth until after lunch was not all that uncommon. As I became more confident in my mommyhood, I found ways to make those things happen (at least most days). I would put Phinn in his bouncer seat and bring him into the bathroom with me and entertain him with renditions of “Old McDonald Had a Farm” and “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” while I showered and brushed my teeth.
• Breastfeeding is not always as easy as everyone makes it out to be. BUT the bonding experience you'll have with your baby is priceless. So if you are or do have trouble with it, definitely don't give up and reach to a lactation specialist if needed. (I think most hospitals have them, if not ask your OB or your pediatrician.) I thought it would be simple. I mean it seems simple enough, right?! I actually struggled with it a lot and at times it has not only been inconvenient but also stressful. Just remember that by doing this and making some sacrifices, you are giving you baby the best start. That's what got me through! Also learn to be okay if it ultimately doesn't work out. There was definitely a time when I thought I was going to have to make peace with that and it was not easy. Just remember, you not only need to have a healthy, happy baby but a healthy, happy mama too!
• Not everyone's body magically returns to the way it was overnight or even in six months. I'll discuss this more in a later post but like you hear other women say - it took nine months for your body to get that way, it is going to take some time (AND hard work) to get it back. I guess that just took awhile for me to accept, especially when I felt surrounded by pictures of Hollywood moms who say that they got their bodies back in weeks and did not have to do much in terms of eating and/or exercising. For the longest time, I just felt like I was in a stranger's body. Try not to stress too much and instead eat healthy and exercise. My body is not back to what it was before but in some ways I think it is even better. I really only gained this self-confidence in my post-preggo body around month four and it has taken some work!
• There are never enough hours in the day to conquer everything on your list - especially if you are an over-achieving list maker like me - and that is okay. This is another thing that took me some time to get used to. I am a compulsive list maker. I love making my lists and even more I love checking things off! My concept of time for the list has become more fluid though because you never quite know what your baby has planned for you. He may need to be feed or decide not to take his nap or not want to hang out on his play mat while you try to squeeze in a workout. Once I loosened up on my expectations of my list and accepted that the world wasn't going to crumble if I didn't get the laundry done or clean the hardwood floors, I was much happier. Plus, I knew I need to enjoy this precious time with my baby because it won't be this way forever.
• You have to let go of some things to make room for the new things. There is so much that a new baby brings to your life - both things you want to do like read books and play airplane on the ground and things you aren't so crazy about like the ten loads of laundry you do on a daily basis. Much like my struggle with lists, I also had a hard time accepting that getting to the gym or having dinner on the table at a reasonable hour were not always going to be as easy to accomplish as I once imagined, but you adjust and find ways to make it work. For example, my husband started making dinner a lot and who knew he is actually a good cook?! I had to find balance between the new things I want to do, the old things, and those pesky things – like laundry – that I just have to do.
• Sometimes you need a break and that is okay! I am still struggling with this one. Of course besides being a wife and a mother, I am still me, and as moms and wives we have to remember to take care of ourselves. I remember the first time I was without Phinn. I went to get a haircut when he was almost two months old, and I felt guilty the whole time because I didn’t feel like I was missing him enough. I still have times like that such as last weekend when I got a pedicure, I felt those same feelings. I know I need to accept that it is okay – heck it is healthy – for me to put myself first sometimes otherwise I run the risk of burning out and having a meltdown from not being able to decompress and that won’t be doing anyone any good!
• Every day there will be moments that make your heart melt. Like I said, I catch myself on a daily basis just being in awe that God has given me such a happy, healthy, beautiful baby boy. I find myself amazed at everything he has learned and how much he has grown and developed over these six months. I love the sound of his laugh and how his eyes radiate with happiness. I pray that those things will never change! I love when his fingers grab mine, when I see his toothless grin, when he wraps his arms around my neck, and so much more. Those are the things that make the challenges and sacrifices well worth it. Bottom line – being a mom rocks!

See....







A lot of these realities may sound negative, but in fact they are not. They are the ways in which I have been challenged to change my life to make room to be a great mom. If you ask me, motherhood helps put life in perspective and realize what is truly important.These past six months have caused me to grow in so many ways. Not to turn you off by further mushiness, but I know love now on an entirely different level - one that you cannot even fathom before you becoming a parent.

Next up – Six Months Post Pregnancy, How Do I Look?

Muffin Mania

So in my last post I posted a picture of the little muffin baskets or should I more accurately say pots that I made for our neighbors. You are probably wondering where I got the crazy idea to put muffins inside flower pots. I know my husband was! He kept saying, "And you put the muffins inside the flower pot? Like just in tissue paper inside the pot?" Well this little creative idea came from something my siblings and I used to do with my mom every May growing up.

On May 1st or May Day as we called it, she we made batches and batches of chocolate chip cookies and we would put them in clay flower pots with tissue paper and then we would get to deliver them to the neighbors. However, it wasn't your typical drop off. We would place the pot of cookies on the front porch, ring the door bell, and run away. We would always run and hide so that we could see the neighbor come out and see our special delivery. It was supposed to be a secret as to who these cookies came from (but I have a sneaking suspicion that they may have had a good hunch!), and as a kid what is more fun than a secret and having permission from your mom to ring doorbells and run away!?! I cannot wait to do May Day with Phinn!

Anyway so that is where my idea of the muffin pots came from. I also threw in some seed packets so that perhaps the pots could serve another purpose when they were finished holding muffins.

As promised here are some great muffin recipes. All of them are easy to make and are great to take for a brunch or keep on hand for breakfast.

Poppy Seed Muffins

My mom made these when we were kids. Both of my siblings were crazy about them but I always refused to try them. In my head, I had myself convinced that I did not like poppy seeds even though I don't think I had ever tried them. So as a 26 year old adult I tried one and they are the most delicious thing ever! My husband says they are more like cupcakes than muffins.

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour (I have not used whole wheat flour yet with these but have considered it...)

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3 eggs

1 1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup oil

2 1/4 c. sugar

1 1/2 tablespoon poppy seeds

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

You can also add a little orange or lemon zest for an added kick.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Soften butter to room temperature then cream. Gradually mix in sugar. Then add eggs, oil, and milk. Mix again then add all dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder) followed by vanilla extract and almond extract. Finally add poppy seeds and orange/lemon zest if you choose. Mix for a least 3 minutes. Pour into muffin pans and bake for 22 minutes or until golden brown on top (It usually takes me closer to 25 minutes). This recipe makes about 30 muffins and can be trimmed if you don't quite need that many.

Meg's Blueberry Muffins

I have been making these muffins for years. It was a recipe from my babysitter when I was a kid. My mom would help me make them for the annual neighborhood garage sale and I would sell blueberry muffins and coffee - quite a little entrepreneur.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup margarine (I have used margarine and butter - either will do.)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup low fat yogurt (I use vanilla Greek yogurt)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups flour (I use whole wheat flour - much tastier if you ask me!)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup blueberries (I tend to mix in blueberries until I think it is enough!)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream margarine/butter and gradually add sugar. Mix until well blended. Add eggs and yogurt, mixing well. Add in vanilla and mix again. Combine dry ingredients and add combination slowly to creamed mixture. After it is well mixed, fold in blueberries gently. (I recommend fresh blueberries as opposed to frozen ones.) Spoon into lined muffin tins. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Optional: For a little something extra, sprinkle with powdered sugar after removing from oven. This recipe makes about 18 muffins.

Banana Oatmeal Cups

This is a new recipe that I got off of another mom blog Real Mom Nutrition who got the recipe from GreenLite Bites. I was not a huge fan of them, but I tend to not like banana flavored food (The only exception is my father-in-law's banana pudding - somehow I can't refuse that!), but Hunter loved them. They were also very easy to make.

Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup vanilla Almond milk (I used vanilla soy milk because that's what I had in the fridge.)
2 eggs
1 tablespoon Baking powder
3 cups Old Fashioned or Rolled Oats
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons mini chocolate chips(I am sure I used more than that! Three just didn't seem like enough...)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all ingredients except the chocolate chips together, and let sit while you prepare the muffin pans. Spray a muffin pan and/or liners with with non-stick spray. Stir the chocolate chips into the oatmeal batter. Divide batter into 15 muffin cups. Bake 20-30 minutes, you’ll see the edges just starting to brown and they will be firm to the touch. The muffins may stick when hot but are removed easily when cooled for a bit.

So there you go! Hope you enjoy them. They are perfect to have around the house for quick breakfast or packing in lunches and they are also great to take to the office (Your co-workers will love you!) or to give as neighborly gifts.

*I wanted to post some picture of each individual type of muffin but I learned that in a full house, you have to be pretty fast with the camera because these muffins tend to disappear quickly :)

Lifetime of Saturdays

I always hate to see the weekends come to an end, but I find Mondays are a little easier to digest when I feel like I have squeezed every available drop of time and enjoyment out of my weekend, and this weekend just happened to be one of those.

On Saturday, we woke up bright and early for the Monument Avenue 10K. I have done this race for the past three years with my mom and sister and it has quickly become one of my favorites and not just because the course is mostly flat (which is indeed a nice plus!). I love running in the Fan district. The houses are all so historic and unique - a nice break from the cookie cutter suburbs or the redundancy of the treadmill- and the street is home to many Richmond monuments (hence the name Monument Ave).

Me, my sister, and my mom after finishing the Monument Avenue 10K

Not only does the scenery make the run more enjoyable, but so do the people. The street is lined on both sides with energetic fans holding up signs and shouting words of encouragement. This race is probably as much if not more fun for the spectators than it is for the runners. There are lawn parties complete with solo cups (We all know what that means!) and music. There are even bands stationed throughout the race (similar to the Rock n' Roll races) playing songs to keep your feet moving. (Although I still prefer my ipod shuffle. No offense to the bands - everyone just has their own music that motivates them.)

I was a little concerned as to how I was going to do since it had been a few weeks since I'd had the opportunity to run a six or seven miler, but I guess pushing the BOB and the training I was able to squeeze in were enough for me. I finished the race in 53:54 - just under 9 minute/miles.

It has been awesome to have Phinn in the crowd at my last two races. He is my good luck charm! I have set PR's at both of them. I keep telling myself that I don't want Phinn to see me walking or taking a break and that is enough to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Like I've said before the goal of being fit and healthy for my family and setting a good example is POWERFUL motivation for me.

Me and my lucky charm after the race. He was tuckered out from cheering so hard!

Also on Saturday, VCU played in the Final Four against Butler so it was a big weekend for the city of Richmond. After the race, we changed into whatever black and yellow apparel we could find. Phinn and I had better luck than Hunter. His clothing stash at my parents' house doesn't seem to be quite as plentiful as mine and Phinn's. (Hmm... I wonder who packed?!) Any way we changed up and went to a cookout at our friend Meghan's house in the Fan.

The Smith Fam with Meghan

It was our first "party" (using that very loosely) with Phinn and after everyone got over the shock of a baby being there, Phinn was a hit. We also discovered Phinn's love for beer bottles. He was doing everything possible to get his hands on them and was quite upset when I had to take my bottle out of his reach and line of sight. I think Meghan put it best when she said, "Apple doesn't fall far from the tree." At times, he truly is his father's son!

Also while we were there, Phinn had spit-up and Hunter and I didn't notice until some sweet girl came to wipe the floor near where we were standing. She said she didn't say anything because she did not want to embarrass us. Little did she know that once you have a baby, if you are embarrassed by him spitting up when you are out in public, you are going to spend most of the rest of your life completely mortified. She obviously has never experienced a baby diaper blowout in the middle of the Nordstrom's Women's Lounge during the Christmas shopping season!!

We were also able to finish the night with a romantic homemade dinner (Since becoming parents, anytime you get to have dinner alone together whether you are eating PB&J or a filet mignon, it is romantic!) and a glass of wine and a little bit of grown-up conversations before the wine kicked in and we were too sleepy to make much sense. We went off to bed at the late hour of 10PM. (We were both very impressed by our late night!)

Both of us couldn't help thinking that if you told us five years ago that this was what our life would be like, we would have a hard time believing it and now we could not imagine it any other way. I'm looking forward to a lifetime of Saturdays just like this one...

Richmond or Bust!!

Moving weekend has come and gone! Of course I wanted to write about it last weekend but I was preoccupied loading and unloading cars and trying to make some organizational sense of our stuff. I cannot stand having things in disarray, so I am the person that will unpack and find a home for everything as quickly as I can. Needless to say this has been a little more challenging with a baby, but I'm making some sense of our suitcases and boxes slowly but surely.

I remember when we found out in February that we were moving, the end of March seemed ages away but it arrived in the blink of an eye. We have been gradually packing and will be doing so for the next month, but as of this last Sunday our "home" is in Midlothian (at least until we find a place in Charlottesville). We moved all the essentials (Yes, a Rubbermaid container filled with dresses for spring/summer is an essential!) and the rest of it we will whittle away at over the weekends in April.

We kicked off moving weekend with a neighborhood brunch. We have had the great fortune of having wonderful neighbors. Previously, we had been living in apartment communities which were so transitional that no one bothered to get to know their neighbors. Our experience was quite the opposite in Purcellville. It was a great first house for us. It holds so many memories, especially bringing home our new addition last fall. Our neighbors, Purcellville, and our little house will always hold a special place in our hearts.

I made muffin baskets (blueberry, poppy seed, and oatmeal banana chocolate chip) for
our neighbors and gave them some seeds to plant to remember us. Muffin recipes to follow :)

On Saturday evening, we got to have a wonderful dinner with our friends and their nearly 8 month old son. We sure are going to miss hanging out with them!

Have you ever seen anything cuter?!
We hope to still get the boys together from time to time.

We packed up the car and hit the road to Midlothian early Sunday morning. With temperatures back around freezing, it was looking like a great day to head south!

This week we have been working on getting accustom to our new routine - Hunter's commute to Charlottesville, me working from my parents' house, and Phinn being showered with more love and attention than he knows what to do with!!