Things are finally starting to feel like they make sense to me…
In the last few weeks the girls and I have gotten into a pretty good groove during the week. Lillian takes a pretty reliable morning nap and, usually an afternoon nap as well. In between, we have a great time playing with toys, enjoying lunch and snacks, running errands, going for walks with Zoey or joining the other moms and babies at play group. I think the sense of routine helps all of us feel grounded, even though every day is still a little bit different.
I’ve also felt like JiT and I have actually been able to reconnect a little bit lately. Over the course of the move and the holidays and him getting settled into his new office, we’d kind of drifted a little bit. I guess there were just so many other priorities in our lives. By the time we ever had the chance to focus on “us” we were too damned tired to care. But over the last few weekends we’ve tried to make time to do stuff as a family, and particularly with each other. Sometimes its as simple as a family walk around the neighborhood or a group trip to the grocery store. A couple of times we’ve put Lilly to bed early and enjoyed a quiet dinner at the dining room table (no tv) with a glass of wine and some jazz music. Its been wonderful.
Other things making me happy right now:
Freelance Work! I love, love, love being able to work while I’m home with Lillian. Of course, being a mom, wife and homemaker is priority ONE, but being able to have a career (even just a little one), is so immensely satisfying. Since the start of 2012, I’ve been working pretty steadily with a handful of clients. I’m doing everything from media coordination to trade show work to press release writing to recipe development and testing. Most days I’m able to squeeze work in during Lilly’s naps and after her bedtime. So far, I’ve been able to strike a pretty good balance. I love the work I’m doing….writing is so much fun and the culinary work is literally my dream come true. The fact that I’m getting paid for this stuff is the icing on the cake. Icing that we’re using to pay for an anniversary trip next month to Las Vegas ; )
Feeding Lillian! My daughter is a fantastic eater. At not quite eight months old she eats such a varied and wonderful diet. We’ve already graduated from “baby food,” and moved right into family dinners. She usually eats a slightly modified version of whatever we’re eating. If I’m having grilled cheese and homemade tomato soup, I’m cutting up little pieces of sandwich and dipping them in the soup for her. If we’re having fish, baked potatoes and sauteed greens for dinner, she’s having exactly the same thing…just chopped into small pieces. Tonight we had butternut squash ravioli with squash, apples and spinach. She ate the same thing, I just pureed her veggies and chopped up her raviolis before tossing them together. I absolutely love feeding her. So far, she has been receptive to every new flavor. From pasta to Mexican to Indian food, she’s enthusiastically tried it all.
That said, I’m very conscientious about the types of food we feed her. Obviously no nuts or shellfish or honey at this point. We avoid excess sodium and processed foods and try to use fresh, organic ingredients (especially meats and dairy) whenever possible. But the challenge has become half the fun. I love coming up with new meal ideas that we can all enjoy together. I love watching her try to pick up food on her own….everything from steamed carrot sticks and apple slices to pieces of chicken to Cheerios. I love sitting at the table as a family when JiT gets home from work. We all eat dinner, catch up on the day and share giggles and silly faces. Its perfect. We’re having so much fun, I’m actually starting to think about developing a cookbook based on our experience…but we’ll see how things continue.
Ma Hair! Its finally growing out of the awkward in-between stage. Even though I liked my short hair, I’m looking forward to reclaiming the “old” me once my hair grows out a few inches more. Already I can get it into a ponytail. Even better, I recently discovered John Frieda 3-Day Straight spray. This stuff is awesome. You’re supposed to use it with a flat-iron…and when you do you end up with super-straight hair that lasts way longer and requires less time and futzing to look nice. It makes the whole hair styling process so much easier. But I’ve found that even if I just use the spray and blow my hair dry (no straightener) it still looks decent in way, way less time that I would normally have to spend to make my hair look presentable. I know it seems like a minor thing but time alone is such a premium at this point that I’d pretty much given up on trying to make my hair look nice unless there was a special occasion. Now, even on weekdays, if Lillian takes a nap I can usually shower and blow dry my hair with plenty of time left for housework or freelance projects. And when I look in the mirror I feel a little bit more like a human being and less like a bum. Its a nice feeling. (Oh, and I wasn’t paid or perked for mentioning this stuff, I just really, really like it).
I'm glad that you're settling into a routine and that you've hit your stride. Its important to take time for yourself in the midst of everything going on around you.
I'm glad that you're settling into a routine and that you've hit your stride. Its important to take time for yourself in the midst of everything going on around you.