State of Motherhood Address

Last week (before the Great Sickness of 2013) we had Weston’s 12 month doctor’s appointment, which officially marked his passing into toddlerhood.  I can’t believe my little guy is walking, climbing stairs, reaching doorknobs and getting into dirt all the time.  It really does seem like just yesterday we were feeding him every 3 hours and celebrating over him lifting his head off the floor during tummy time.

And now?  Now my baby is 24-1/2 pounds and 32.5 inches long.  Y’all, he’s tripled his weight and grown a foot in the past year.  I guess all the worrying about if he’s eating enough should subside soon…

 

Anyway, now that Wes is 12 months old I’m starting to realize that the days of monthly updates on the blog are coming to a close.  I really love sharing the things Wes is doing and learning, but also really want to keep this time of growth and learning sacred and close to home.  I really appreciate mommas who put everything out there, and will definitely not hold back on the things that I feel are important to share with others, but there is a large part of our lives that we want to keep close and personal.  That being said, I will still be posting monthly, but less about everything Wes is doing and more about things that are happening in the world of motherhood.  I hope you guys are still along for the ride 🙂

 

The State of Motherhood – Food

I have to be honest here:  I really hate diets and fads and labels (i.e. paleo, vegan, gluten-free, etc) when it comes to describing my way of eating.  I believe that balance can be achieved and that health doesn’t come as the result of eliminating food groups needlessly (as in not for a medical condition).  That being said, I’ve been really starting to watch the amount of simple carbs we’ve been eating lately.  Type 2 diabetes runs on both sides of my family and is in Nate’s family as well, and more than anything we want to do whatever we can to prevent developing it.  With my gestational diabetes I was able to learn more about diabetes in general and how to prevent it with diet and exercise; now it’s just about applying that learning to real and forever life.

 

That being said, I may not be posting as many sweets and bread-y things on here because let’s face it: if it’s around I really have no self control and will probably eat it all.  Making sure that the things I make on the blog and with freelance work are in line with our lifestyle needs is important to making sure that we stick with healthier choices.

 

So now that I’ve told you guys that guess what I’ve eaten for the past few days?  Pasta.  Like all the time.  It’s the only thing I could really keep down until yesterday afternoon.  So this week, since I’m feeling better, I’m excited to start having a lot more veggies and protein and finally getting to work out more!

 

The State of Motherhood – Exercise

Honestly there’s not much that I’ve changed with my workouts – I still really love doing GPP workouts (and modifying as needed) and/or CrossFit Mamas workouts.  They’re both perfect for people who workout at home (me), who like having different workouts every day (me), who need inexpensive workout ideas (me), and who like to push themselves physically (me).

 

Since the weather is getting warmer we’ve been spending a lot more time outside, going on walks and chasing our little guy down the sidewalk.  All of it counts as exercise, and I love it!  One of my favorite things about the spring and summer and fall down here is that we really can spend time outside.  Nate and I love it, and Wes loves it too!

 

The State of Motherhood – Fashion

Well, besides the fact that I wear the things I get from StitchFix every time I go out in public (which reminds me, I need to make sure I schedule a new fix soon!), you can always find me in workout clothes.  The way I see it I have the amazing chance to work and mother from home, which means that I choose my dress code.  And that means that showering every morning is optional (and probably not super consistent) and I choose to not wash more clothes than is really needed 😉

One thing I’ve really been loving lately is Ellie – have you guys heard of/seen them/tried them?  You can become a member and have a cute outfit sent to you monthly OR you can just shop their yummy workout clothes as you need/want.  So here’s the deal:  I’ve really found that the clothes are AMAZING quality and super comparable to products like Lululemon at a fraction of the cost.  If you want to sign up here I would highly recommend it, but at the very least you should go check ‘em out!

OH OH OH!  Tonight I’m going over to my friend Mandy’s house to get my hair done and I cannot wait.  I was actually supposed to get it done last week, but was curled in the fetal position and afraid to move instead.  Suffice to say that I’m excited to no longer have 3-inch roots and have a style again.  YAY!

 

The State of Motherhood – Work

I am truly loving my “job” – is that what you call something you really love? – of blogging, freelance recipe development and writing.  I feel and know of some big changes coming to this, and I can’t wait to see how that continues in the future.

 

One of the biggest things I’m excited about this year is working with Bumble Bee Tuna as part of their Bee Squad.

I mentioned this a few weeks ago, but there are a lot of things I love about this company.  Besides the fact that I used their products long before they ever reached out to me, they have a really awesome healthy lifestyle initiative called Bee Well for Life that uses their influence to help spread awareness of healthy living and gives back to the American Diabetes Association and the National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease.  All you have to do is create an account, log your exercise efforts, and money is donated to whichever one of those organizations you choose.  That’s something I can really stand behind, and log my exercise every day!

 

The State of Motherhood – Marriage

This past weekend was one that I already wasn’t looking forward to – Nate was out of town for 3 nights for work, which I always hate.  Add the sickness on top of that and it was no bueno!  See, he just makes it so awesome to be married to him.  I can’t believe that I get to be married to my best friend.  I get to hug him and kiss him any time I want.  I get to brag about him to my friends and family (and apparently the entire world).

 

Sure, we have problems and hard times and communication issues – every marriage, every relationship does – but if there’s anyone I would want to fight through it with and for, it’s Nate.  Working on our marriage is one of the biggest joys in my life, and I just love how becoming parents has added to the joy we have with one another.  Nate, I love you 🙂

Alright guys – that’s the first State of Motherhood Address!  I’ll be doing one every month on the 8th – please let me know if there are ever any topics you want me to talk about!