After being in our new place for just over a month now, I can say it definitely feels like home. We've had some time to figure out where things are, how to get places, and meet our neighbors. Zaiden is also now about 3.5 months old and into a much more regular routine. He eats about every two hours from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. then takes a nice long nap, is up for an hour, then heads to bed around 8/8:30 p.m.
Taking all this into consideration, it felt like it was time to finally get back into the gym. This past week I did a bit of research and comparing and finally decided to join Fitness First. I got a great corporate rate and it's less than 1 mile from our apartment with great hours and childcare. As part of the deal for joining, I got a free personal training session that I took advantage of today. As you all know, I love working out, and some might say I'm kinda obsessed with having a very healthy lifestyle. For me, getting a personal training session was like a gift from above. After having Zaiden things just don't look/feel like they did before and I really feel like I've lost a lot of muscle. The other issue for me is that I'm really lost as to where to start back up with my routines. I was pretty hardcore before I got pregnant and I had to slow down a lot towards the end of my pregnancy. I still walked a ton, but it definitely wasn't the intensity that I was used to. Anyways, my issue is that I don't know what to do in the gym - I can't go full out like I used to, but at the same time I'm not really good at finding "middle ground." My personal trainer today was awesome and really helped me realize that I was already on the right track. Right now, my body fat % is at 29% - that was super disappointing for me, but my trainer did remind me that it is still in the healthy range for women and is really really awesome for only having a baby 3 months ago (he though I should be able to get to 18-19% body fat once I got back into my schedule). He also was very impressed with my diet and I really blew him away in our session with how much I could push myself. He gave me some awesome ideas for some new weight exercises and ways to build up my ab wall and muscles again. It was great to get a professional outside perspective on where I am with my fitness and the importance of easing back into my routine. I guess I didn't realize that I could do a lot of damage if I just rushed back to my old routine and it was great to get affirmation that I have been doing the right things in terms of diet.
It would definitely be awesome to continue personal training sessions, but they are just so expensive and I really can't justify it with all the added expenses we currently have and the reduced income from me working part-time. Plus, since I basically got confirmation that I know what I'm doing, I don't feel like I need a trainer each time I go to the gym. I might try to do it once every 3 months just to get new ideas/routines, but we'll see. Right now my goal is to get to the gym for 1 hour 3-4 days a week and I'd like to get back to feeling like myself in about 3 months. I'd like to get back to my pre-pregnancy body by the end of January, which would be 9 months after I had Zaiden (going by the 9 months to put it on, 9 months to take it off philosophy). We'll see though - I know sometimes you hold onto a bit more fat while breastfeeding and if that's the case I probably won't get my pre-pregnancy body back for a while (I definitely want to breastfeed for at least a year and would really like to make it to 2 years like WHO recommends). But, I'm OK with that and as long as I can keep working out and taking care of myself, I'll be happy.
In any case, I'm super excited to be back in the gym and really really excited for more workouts that make me feel strong, confident and energized. I feel like I'm such a better person to be around when I've had a good workout - I'm a better wife and a better mother and I'm definitely a more confident person with waay more energy. I'm definitely going to need all of that in the very near future as I embark up Business School. Orientation starts tomorrow and it will be the longest I've been away from Zaiden (nearly 13 hours!). It will be a trial run of Mondays and Wednesdays to come once classes start and will definitely give Eric and I a taste of what's in store. Looks for updates this weekend about how it went (for me, and for Eric and Zaiden:)
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
Zaiden's 3 Month Birthday
It seems hard to believe that 3 months have flown by so quickly! Zaiden is doing so well and doing so many new things - he talks up a storm now and he's mastered the art of grabbing things. If the past few weeks are any indication, I think Zaiden definitely has his mommy's temperment. He knows what he wants, when he wants and he gets very upset if he doesn't get it right away (granted, right now these "wants" are really needs, like getting fed, sleeping and getting his diaper changed). I forsee problems in the future when his "wants" actually become wants rather than needs. This month, Zaiden has also mastered the art of sucking his thumb, eating his hand, and rolling over (on 6/28)! Here are some videos from the past three months - it's amazing to see how much he's changed:) Enjoy!
Zaiden's First Bath: http://sharing.theflip.com/session/733748348c5fa3d2c2caeb071ae2d6a9/video/101791091
Story Time:
http://sharing.theflip.com/session/733748348c5fa3d2c2caeb071ae2d6a9/video/101788951
Tummy Time I:
http://sharing.theflip.com/session/733748348c5fa3d2c2caeb071ae2d6a9/video/101788391
Zaiden v. Pacifier:
http://sharing.theflip.com/session/733748348c5fa3d2c2caeb071ae2d6a9/video/101787631
Tummy Time II:
http://sharing.theflip.com/session/733748348c5fa3d2c2caeb071ae2d6a9/video/101787041
Tummy Time III - The Roll Over:
http://sharing.theflip.com/session/733748348c5fa3d2c2caeb071ae2d6a9/video/101785441
Zaiden's First Bath: http://sharing.theflip.com/session/733748348c5fa3d2c2caeb071ae2d6a9/video/101791091
Story Time:
http://sharing.theflip.com/session/733748348c5fa3d2c2caeb071ae2d6a9/video/101788951
Tummy Time I:
http://sharing.theflip.com/session/733748348c5fa3d2c2caeb071ae2d6a9/video/101788391
Zaiden v. Pacifier:
http://sharing.theflip.com/session/733748348c5fa3d2c2caeb071ae2d6a9/video/101787631
Tummy Time II:
http://sharing.theflip.com/session/733748348c5fa3d2c2caeb071ae2d6a9/video/101787041
Tummy Time III - The Roll Over:
http://sharing.theflip.com/session/733748348c5fa3d2c2caeb071ae2d6a9/video/101785441
Our Anniversary
This weekend Eric and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary! It is amazing to think that one year has already flown by and it is insane how many changes have occurred in so short a time. Last year we were worrying about placecards and seating arrangements and now we worry about where we'll put the highchair in the dining room. Last year we had an amazing reception and danced the night away to our favorite classics and the newest hits. Last night we had a dance party for three courtesy of the baby einstien playmat. It hasn't been a perfect year - it was actually quite challenging reconciling all the changes that happened so quickly. Even though we had lived together for nearly 2 years before we got married, it seemed like a lot of things changed very quickly once we came back from our honeymoon. We found out I was pregnant and shortly after I was off on a plane to Rwanda for a month. I got back and then had to start the process of research business schools and decided that it might be better to stay in the area and go part-time rather than move away and go full time like we had planned. Then came the GMATs and the holidays and we were off to Sri Lanka for an awesome adventure. When we returned my business school application awaited me as I scrambled to finish my essays by the deadline. Once those were turned in we celebrated Eric's birthday, then a romantic Valentine's Day celebration. Before we knew it, it was time for my baby shower and then one short month later we celebrated my birthday in the hospital with our newest family member. The last three months have gone by in the blink of an eye and somehow in that time we managed to make a trip to PA, a trip to Charlottesville, many many trips to Warrenton and Tyson's to visit family, move and have Zaiden's bay'ah.
Now that I'm back to work and things are settling into more of a routine at home with Zaiden, I feel like I've finally had time to process all that has happened in the past year and it's really overwhelming. I loved going out with my friends for happy hour, having date nights, going into the city every once in a while, even going out every once in a while. I loved lazy weekend mornings - getting up at 8, cuddling over coffee and enjoying a leisurely breakfast. I loved going to the gym everyday and the feeling you get when you know you've had a really good workout. All those things that I loved so much have gone away to some degree, if not completely and I really really miss them. I miss date nights and romance, I miss lazy weekend mornings, I miss being able to do things on my own schedule, I miss hanging out with my friends and I miss having a group of people that could always relate to exactly where I was in my life. I think that there's an expectation, especially for women, that when you have a child you are supposed to be so happy and so consumed by that happiness that nothing bothers you - that the happiness you derive from your child replaces the happiness you derived from other aspects of your life before you had a child. For me, this really isn't the case. I love Zaiden with every ounce of my being and he makes me immensely happy, but the happiness I get from playing with him, interacting with him, and just being his mom does not replace the joys and happiness I derived from the other aspects of my life described above. While I know I am a better mom when I am able to take care of my emotional and physical needs, it's really hard to do - there just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day to take care of Zaiden and do the little things around the house that need to get done everyday and prep for school and deal with work.
Anyway, after that slightly serious tangent, the exciting thing this weekend was celebrating our anniversary and getting our first real date in 3 months! On Saturday, my parents came over and watch Zaiden while Eric and I went our for dinner in DC to CityZen. It was spectacular and we had an amazing time. I was super excited that I could actually fit into a dress I wore when we were honeymooning in Belize and for the first time in a while, I felt beautiful. The food was incredibe, the atmosphere was incredible and it felt incredible to get all dolled up for an evening that was just about the two of us. Annnd we only talked about Zaiden for about 5 minutes in the car - that was it. The entire night was about us and it was just what we needed. It was fablous to focus on our relationship for a change and it was so romantic to just get to eat together and share 3 whole hours alone. We were feeling so good and romantic and lovey-dovey and were quicly broken out of our spell by a hungry baby literally 5 minutes after we walked in the door. While it was good to cuddle and hold our little guy after being away from him for so long, there were definitely other ways I would have preferred to end our evening. On our actual anniversary Sunday, I was feeling kind of down. I had thought our anniversary would feel special and it didn't start out that way so that got me thinking about how different things were now than before and I was kind of down. We had a fun day with Zaiden though and he actually was asleep by 8:30. Once he was down, Eric and I finally got to spend some time together and it was fantastic. We had a fabulous Italian feast for dinner, got to watch our wedding video, enjoyed champagne from our toasting flutes and stuffed ourselves with delicious wedding cake as we cuddled on the couch and watched the baby monitor. I can't believe how lucky I am to be loved so much by such an incredible man. There were no flowers or expensive gifts, just a thoughtful card from each of us to the other and it was perfect.
Now that I'm back to work and things are settling into more of a routine at home with Zaiden, I feel like I've finally had time to process all that has happened in the past year and it's really overwhelming. I loved going out with my friends for happy hour, having date nights, going into the city every once in a while, even going out every once in a while. I loved lazy weekend mornings - getting up at 8, cuddling over coffee and enjoying a leisurely breakfast. I loved going to the gym everyday and the feeling you get when you know you've had a really good workout. All those things that I loved so much have gone away to some degree, if not completely and I really really miss them. I miss date nights and romance, I miss lazy weekend mornings, I miss being able to do things on my own schedule, I miss hanging out with my friends and I miss having a group of people that could always relate to exactly where I was in my life. I think that there's an expectation, especially for women, that when you have a child you are supposed to be so happy and so consumed by that happiness that nothing bothers you - that the happiness you derive from your child replaces the happiness you derived from other aspects of your life before you had a child. For me, this really isn't the case. I love Zaiden with every ounce of my being and he makes me immensely happy, but the happiness I get from playing with him, interacting with him, and just being his mom does not replace the joys and happiness I derived from the other aspects of my life described above. While I know I am a better mom when I am able to take care of my emotional and physical needs, it's really hard to do - there just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day to take care of Zaiden and do the little things around the house that need to get done everyday and prep for school and deal with work.
Anyway, after that slightly serious tangent, the exciting thing this weekend was celebrating our anniversary and getting our first real date in 3 months! On Saturday, my parents came over and watch Zaiden while Eric and I went our for dinner in DC to CityZen. It was spectacular and we had an amazing time. I was super excited that I could actually fit into a dress I wore when we were honeymooning in Belize and for the first time in a while, I felt beautiful. The food was incredibe, the atmosphere was incredible and it felt incredible to get all dolled up for an evening that was just about the two of us. Annnd we only talked about Zaiden for about 5 minutes in the car - that was it. The entire night was about us and it was just what we needed. It was fablous to focus on our relationship for a change and it was so romantic to just get to eat together and share 3 whole hours alone. We were feeling so good and romantic and lovey-dovey and were quicly broken out of our spell by a hungry baby literally 5 minutes after we walked in the door. While it was good to cuddle and hold our little guy after being away from him for so long, there were definitely other ways I would have preferred to end our evening. On our actual anniversary Sunday, I was feeling kind of down. I had thought our anniversary would feel special and it didn't start out that way so that got me thinking about how different things were now than before and I was kind of down. We had a fun day with Zaiden though and he actually was asleep by 8:30. Once he was down, Eric and I finally got to spend some time together and it was fantastic. We had a fabulous Italian feast for dinner, got to watch our wedding video, enjoyed champagne from our toasting flutes and stuffed ourselves with delicious wedding cake as we cuddled on the couch and watched the baby monitor. I can't believe how lucky I am to be loved so much by such an incredible man. There were no flowers or expensive gifts, just a thoughtful card from each of us to the other and it was perfect.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
First Day of Work
After 12 weeks and 2 days of maternity leave, I have officially returned to the work force! Today was my first day back at work and boy has it been interesting. I have been dreading this day since I started my leave and getting out of the house this morning was so difficult. Little Z definitely loves his mommy and for the past 12 weeks I've been there to feed him whenever he was hungry, comfort him whenever he was upset and hold and cuddle him as much as he needed. I've watched as his eyes search for me when I move just out of sight and I've heard how he cries inconsolibly when I leave the room and he needs me (even if it's just for me to hold him). Given all of this, I'm sure you can imagine that today was a difficult day for us.
Everything this morning when exactly as planned - I fed Little Z at 5:30, got up at 6, took the dog for a couple mile walk/jog, showered, got ready then fed Little Z again around 7:30 before I left. Our feeding this morning was so special. I tried to memorize his face as I gazed into his eyes while he eat. I tried to burn the image of his eyes staring so lovingly back at me, and as I held his tiny hand I tried to imprint the feeling of him gripping me so tightly. Leaving him this morning was one of the hardest things I've done and I had tears in my eyes as I walked out the door. I was so concerned about him - what would he do when he realized mommy wasn't home? Would he have enough milk? Would Eric be able to calm him when he was fussy?
At the office, everything went smoothly. I spent most of the day catching on admin and HR things with a couple meetings interspersed throughout the day. Pumping hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be and it's been kind of nice to have those 15 minute breaks throughout the day to look forward to. I only called home twice - once after my mid morning pumping session and once after my lunch pumping session. It sounded like Zaiden was doing pretty well - no inconsolible crying or fussiness and there definitely was enough milk. Plus it seems like what I've been expressing is totally in line with what he's been eating all day. So now, with just 1 more hour left in my work day, I have to say I think it was a success.
I am so happy that I am only working part-time now. I think it's going to be the perfect balance of work and family. I think it will help me focus on work while I'm at work and our family when I'm at home and it will help me appreciate and enjoy both more. I think I'm going to value my time with Eric and Zaiden even more than I already did, and I already am gaining an appreciation for being at work and reading things other than Are You My Mother?, That's Not My Puppy, and the Ocean Alphabet Book (all of which I can recite from memory now:P). I'm also very excited about being able to eat on a regular schedule, send emails from my computer and use 2 hands for most of my activities. It's pretty exciting stuff after not being able to do any of that for 12 weeks. On the other hand, I do miss the huge smiles my little man gives me all day and how just hearing my voice makes him beam. I am just so thankful that Eric is able to be home with him all summer. He is such an amazing father and I feel so much better knowing that Little Z is still getting the love and attention he needs. I'm also glad Eric is staying at home with him because I think it will give him a new perspective on the things I've done since Little Z was born. Eric definitely appreciates all the work that I've done taking care of our little guy, but I don't think he fully got how frustrating and exhausting it can be to be the sole person that can feed and effectively comfort your child. Little Z definitely knows and loves his daddy, but he is dependent upon me in a very different way. It's an amazing responsibility, but it can also get to be very draining and I'm not sure it's something that he or anyone else can fully understand unless they are exclusively breastfeeding on demand. I totally believe that it is the best thing for our son and I'm happy to do it, but it is very confining and limiting and since not many people do this any more, there are a very few people that can relate to the feelings that you have in that particular situation.
OK - enoiugh babbling for now! Time to finish up the work day and head home to see my very awesome family:) I promise I'll be posting more often now, so check back for more updates. We're hoping to get some videos uploaded on here soon as well so y'all can see some of our adventures from the past 12 weeks!
Everything this morning when exactly as planned - I fed Little Z at 5:30, got up at 6, took the dog for a couple mile walk/jog, showered, got ready then fed Little Z again around 7:30 before I left. Our feeding this morning was so special. I tried to memorize his face as I gazed into his eyes while he eat. I tried to burn the image of his eyes staring so lovingly back at me, and as I held his tiny hand I tried to imprint the feeling of him gripping me so tightly. Leaving him this morning was one of the hardest things I've done and I had tears in my eyes as I walked out the door. I was so concerned about him - what would he do when he realized mommy wasn't home? Would he have enough milk? Would Eric be able to calm him when he was fussy?
At the office, everything went smoothly. I spent most of the day catching on admin and HR things with a couple meetings interspersed throughout the day. Pumping hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be and it's been kind of nice to have those 15 minute breaks throughout the day to look forward to. I only called home twice - once after my mid morning pumping session and once after my lunch pumping session. It sounded like Zaiden was doing pretty well - no inconsolible crying or fussiness and there definitely was enough milk. Plus it seems like what I've been expressing is totally in line with what he's been eating all day. So now, with just 1 more hour left in my work day, I have to say I think it was a success.
I am so happy that I am only working part-time now. I think it's going to be the perfect balance of work and family. I think it will help me focus on work while I'm at work and our family when I'm at home and it will help me appreciate and enjoy both more. I think I'm going to value my time with Eric and Zaiden even more than I already did, and I already am gaining an appreciation for being at work and reading things other than Are You My Mother?, That's Not My Puppy, and the Ocean Alphabet Book (all of which I can recite from memory now:P). I'm also very excited about being able to eat on a regular schedule, send emails from my computer and use 2 hands for most of my activities. It's pretty exciting stuff after not being able to do any of that for 12 weeks. On the other hand, I do miss the huge smiles my little man gives me all day and how just hearing my voice makes him beam. I am just so thankful that Eric is able to be home with him all summer. He is such an amazing father and I feel so much better knowing that Little Z is still getting the love and attention he needs. I'm also glad Eric is staying at home with him because I think it will give him a new perspective on the things I've done since Little Z was born. Eric definitely appreciates all the work that I've done taking care of our little guy, but I don't think he fully got how frustrating and exhausting it can be to be the sole person that can feed and effectively comfort your child. Little Z definitely knows and loves his daddy, but he is dependent upon me in a very different way. It's an amazing responsibility, but it can also get to be very draining and I'm not sure it's something that he or anyone else can fully understand unless they are exclusively breastfeeding on demand. I totally believe that it is the best thing for our son and I'm happy to do it, but it is very confining and limiting and since not many people do this any more, there are a very few people that can relate to the feelings that you have in that particular situation.
OK - enoiugh babbling for now! Time to finish up the work day and head home to see my very awesome family:) I promise I'll be posting more often now, so check back for more updates. We're hoping to get some videos uploaded on here soon as well so y'all can see some of our adventures from the past 12 weeks!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Updates!
I can't believe it's been almost 3 weeks since my last post! The time just seems to be flying by and it's been hard to keep this updated with all the things that seem to need attention during the day when Zaiden is napping.
Since my last post so much has happened! Zaiden is awake so much now during the day and it is so fun to play with him. I think he's starting to get himself into more of a routine, but I'm not sure. This past weekend he was eating every 2.5-3 hours, and he started that way yesterday, but wanted to eat every hour starting early afternoon. I know this will sort itself out and I'm really a believer of feeding on demand, especially when he's so young. I figure that he knows when he's hungry and full and if he's scared or insecure or just needs to be held, there's a reason for that. I don't think he really has wants just yet and I don't believe the theory that he's manipulating me or that I'll spoil him if I hold him, love him, and give him what he needs when he needs it. That being said, there are days where feeding on demand gets purely exhausting and frustrating. Once we move, I'm hoping to go to some La Leche League meetings - I think it will really help to connect with other women that are experiencing the same thing.
Speaking of La Leche League, that reminds me of another important discovery...I think I need to make mommy friends. Now, I love all my current friends dearly and I kind of feel like making new friends is going to be a lot of effort and time (that I don't really have and that I'd rather spend with my current friends!). However, I think I need to do it for my own sanity. In addition to my awesome friends without kids, I think I need to make a few with kids just so there are some people that can relate to what I'm going through. People I can bounce ideas off of, share experiences with and trade of strategies for the various phases that kids inevitabily go through. Now, I haven't really had to make new friends since college. Many of my close friends from undergrad moved to DC after school so we all hung out together. I did make friends at work that I hang out with, but I also see them everyday so it's easy to connect and develop friendships. But making mommy friends seems a bit trickier - like I have to seek it out and be really active. And I have a feeling that is going to be really hard once I go back to work and go to school. I'm hoping that my program at Georgetown will allow me to meet some other parents and that, in conjunction with some La Leche League meetings and maybe joining a new moms group (if I can find one) in Reston on my days off will help me meet some new people.
In other, not so serious news, Zaiden took his first real trip! We took him to Charlottesville a couple weekends ago for my 5 year college reunion. Let me just say that it was awesome! It was soooo fun to be back in Charlottesville with all the people that made it so special, particularly Julie, Jenn, Sonal, and Aileen:) It was fun to run into random people I hadn't seen since college and it was even more fun to go to all the places that made UVA so memorable. We started out our weekend with breakfast at Bodos, then visited Mincers and walked along the lawn before going to our class lunch. The food at class lunch wasn't too good, so after a quick trip to the bookstore, we went to Take-it-Away for lunch. After such a yummy lunch, we decided we needed dessert and headed over to Arches. Then it was time for beer in the gardens! I even got to have 4 whole sips:) After beer, we headed back to our hotel to get ready for the evening. We skipped class dinner since Zaiden needed to eat and then met up with the girls at Zocalo for real dinner (can we say cheese fritters???) followed by Splendora for dessert. After dinner I went back to the hotel with Eric to nurse Zaiden to sleep then headed over to the corner for a night out with the girls! It was my first real night out and I thouroughly enjoyed it:) I got my usual at the Biltmore and split a 4 cheese sub at Little John's with Sonal - the perfect end to a perfect day.
And now, my sleeping beast has awoken and it's time for another feeding so I'll have to stop here:) Hopefully, it won't take me another 3 weeks to update this thing!!
Since my last post so much has happened! Zaiden is awake so much now during the day and it is so fun to play with him. I think he's starting to get himself into more of a routine, but I'm not sure. This past weekend he was eating every 2.5-3 hours, and he started that way yesterday, but wanted to eat every hour starting early afternoon. I know this will sort itself out and I'm really a believer of feeding on demand, especially when he's so young. I figure that he knows when he's hungry and full and if he's scared or insecure or just needs to be held, there's a reason for that. I don't think he really has wants just yet and I don't believe the theory that he's manipulating me or that I'll spoil him if I hold him, love him, and give him what he needs when he needs it. That being said, there are days where feeding on demand gets purely exhausting and frustrating. Once we move, I'm hoping to go to some La Leche League meetings - I think it will really help to connect with other women that are experiencing the same thing.
Speaking of La Leche League, that reminds me of another important discovery...I think I need to make mommy friends. Now, I love all my current friends dearly and I kind of feel like making new friends is going to be a lot of effort and time (that I don't really have and that I'd rather spend with my current friends!). However, I think I need to do it for my own sanity. In addition to my awesome friends without kids, I think I need to make a few with kids just so there are some people that can relate to what I'm going through. People I can bounce ideas off of, share experiences with and trade of strategies for the various phases that kids inevitabily go through. Now, I haven't really had to make new friends since college. Many of my close friends from undergrad moved to DC after school so we all hung out together. I did make friends at work that I hang out with, but I also see them everyday so it's easy to connect and develop friendships. But making mommy friends seems a bit trickier - like I have to seek it out and be really active. And I have a feeling that is going to be really hard once I go back to work and go to school. I'm hoping that my program at Georgetown will allow me to meet some other parents and that, in conjunction with some La Leche League meetings and maybe joining a new moms group (if I can find one) in Reston on my days off will help me meet some new people.
In other, not so serious news, Zaiden took his first real trip! We took him to Charlottesville a couple weekends ago for my 5 year college reunion. Let me just say that it was awesome! It was soooo fun to be back in Charlottesville with all the people that made it so special, particularly Julie, Jenn, Sonal, and Aileen:) It was fun to run into random people I hadn't seen since college and it was even more fun to go to all the places that made UVA so memorable. We started out our weekend with breakfast at Bodos, then visited Mincers and walked along the lawn before going to our class lunch. The food at class lunch wasn't too good, so after a quick trip to the bookstore, we went to Take-it-Away for lunch. After such a yummy lunch, we decided we needed dessert and headed over to Arches. Then it was time for beer in the gardens! I even got to have 4 whole sips:) After beer, we headed back to our hotel to get ready for the evening. We skipped class dinner since Zaiden needed to eat and then met up with the girls at Zocalo for real dinner (can we say cheese fritters???) followed by Splendora for dessert. After dinner I went back to the hotel with Eric to nurse Zaiden to sleep then headed over to the corner for a night out with the girls! It was my first real night out and I thouroughly enjoyed it:) I got my usual at the Biltmore and split a 4 cheese sub at Little John's with Sonal - the perfect end to a perfect day.
And now, my sleeping beast has awoken and it's time for another feeding so I'll have to stop here:) Hopefully, it won't take me another 3 weeks to update this thing!!
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Little Z's Adventures
We have been super super busy for the past few weeks and I've been dying to update the blog, but between the several "trips" we've taken, nursing and taking care of basic stuff (like showering!) I haven't had any time! We've had some fun adventures and Little Z has grown so much in the past month. Here are some fun highlights:
We celebrated my first mother's day at my parents house! That was Little Z's first "long" trip and we made the 1 hour drive without having to stop! We got there on Friday and stayed until Tuesday morning so it was a long visit. My parents were so excited to have the baby in the house and he had such a good time. Little Z got to meet Tariq Uncle and Raabia Auntie and I got to have my first alcoholic drink since August - 4 delicious sips of a lovely mango margarita made by Raabia:) Little Z also got a very special visit from Aunt Cindy and Uncle Chris since they were in town too! Little Z got a little overstimulated though over the weekend with all the new people. However, after a day of not letting anyone hold him except for Mommy and Daddy, he was back to normal:)
This past weekend we made the first really long trip with Little Z...we went to St. Mary's to visit Eric's family. It was a looooong trip. Usually it takes 4.5 - 5 hrs to drive up if there is no traffic. We left at 11 a.m. on Thursday and it took us 8 hours to get to St. Marys! We started off really well and made it to Breezewood in 2.5 hrs. However, after that it was a smooth downhill tumble and we stopped basically every hour for 30-45 minutes to nurse. Now, this trip probably would have been easier if we were using a pacifier, but we're really trying to hold off on that as long as possible. It probably would have been easier if I was nursing on a schedule, but I'm nursing on demand and plan to continue doing so that's not really an option. The trip back was a little better (7 hrs) though and our visit was a ton of fun! We got to see a bunch of Eric's friends and meet baby Bruno and baby Avery (who is so big! I can't belive our baby will be like that in 5 months!). It was so fun to catch up with everyone and since all the visits were spaced out, it made each day really fun:)
After two such fun weeks full of a ton of yummy (but not so good for you) food, we're finally back home for a couple weeks before heading to Charlottesville for Reunions! That means that I'm back on track with eating and committing to starting up a workout routine again. So for the eating has bee going well and I've been trying to walk for a little bit each day. Next week though I'm hitting the gym for real and starting up with my workouts. I'm so excited to sweat...really sweat and workout and feel exhausted afterwards. It's going to be fantastic. The only reason I'm not starting right now is because Eric is sick and doesn't want to be too close to the baby since he's scared of getting him sick. It actually works out well since it gives me some time to get back on track with eating.
Looking back on the past month, it amazes me how much Zaiden has grown and changed. He went from sleeping all day to being awake a couple hours a day. His features have really come in and his expressions are so precious! I love watching him when he's waking up and squirming. And now when he's awake, it's so cool to watch him explore and take in all the new sights. He loves looking out the window and he make such fun faces when he's looking at me too. Tummy time is really entertaining as well - he loved it from the beginning, but now he's gone from keeping his head up for a few seconds at a time to keeping it up for minutes at a time. He moves his legs at the same time and is now trying to grab onto stuff with his hands to try and move himself. I'm sure we'll have a crawler in no time:P He also kind of gives me a hug now when he's nursing - he'll take whatever hand is below my breast and wrap it around my side/waist. He'll also hold or place his hand on my chest as he's falling asleep. It is the most incredible thing to feel so connected to him so many times a day. I know that they say breast feeding is a great gift that you can give to your baby, but I really think it is a great gift that your baby gives to you. I love the time that we get to spend together each day and even though it takes so much time, it really is precious.
I also have to say that looking back on the past month, I have no idea how I would have gotten through it without Eric being home. I know so many dads have to go back to work after just a week or two and we are so lucky that Eric was able to get a full 6 weeks off work. I just really don't know what I would have done without him! I know he doesn't think he's done much but honestly, it is invaluable to have someone cook, clean, deal with the dog, change diapers, hold a sleeping baby so I can take a shower, and do tummy time so I can go to the bathroom. Just one day with Eric being sick really showed me what it would be like without him and I seriously just about died. I have no idea what I will do when he goes back to work, but I'm glad we still have a couple of weeks to figure it out (and a Moby so I can have both my hands while he's sleeping!).
We celebrated my first mother's day at my parents house! That was Little Z's first "long" trip and we made the 1 hour drive without having to stop! We got there on Friday and stayed until Tuesday morning so it was a long visit. My parents were so excited to have the baby in the house and he had such a good time. Little Z got to meet Tariq Uncle and Raabia Auntie and I got to have my first alcoholic drink since August - 4 delicious sips of a lovely mango margarita made by Raabia:) Little Z also got a very special visit from Aunt Cindy and Uncle Chris since they were in town too! Little Z got a little overstimulated though over the weekend with all the new people. However, after a day of not letting anyone hold him except for Mommy and Daddy, he was back to normal:)
This past weekend we made the first really long trip with Little Z...we went to St. Mary's to visit Eric's family. It was a looooong trip. Usually it takes 4.5 - 5 hrs to drive up if there is no traffic. We left at 11 a.m. on Thursday and it took us 8 hours to get to St. Marys! We started off really well and made it to Breezewood in 2.5 hrs. However, after that it was a smooth downhill tumble and we stopped basically every hour for 30-45 minutes to nurse. Now, this trip probably would have been easier if we were using a pacifier, but we're really trying to hold off on that as long as possible. It probably would have been easier if I was nursing on a schedule, but I'm nursing on demand and plan to continue doing so that's not really an option. The trip back was a little better (7 hrs) though and our visit was a ton of fun! We got to see a bunch of Eric's friends and meet baby Bruno and baby Avery (who is so big! I can't belive our baby will be like that in 5 months!). It was so fun to catch up with everyone and since all the visits were spaced out, it made each day really fun:)
After two such fun weeks full of a ton of yummy (but not so good for you) food, we're finally back home for a couple weeks before heading to Charlottesville for Reunions! That means that I'm back on track with eating and committing to starting up a workout routine again. So for the eating has bee going well and I've been trying to walk for a little bit each day. Next week though I'm hitting the gym for real and starting up with my workouts. I'm so excited to sweat...really sweat and workout and feel exhausted afterwards. It's going to be fantastic. The only reason I'm not starting right now is because Eric is sick and doesn't want to be too close to the baby since he's scared of getting him sick. It actually works out well since it gives me some time to get back on track with eating.
Looking back on the past month, it amazes me how much Zaiden has grown and changed. He went from sleeping all day to being awake a couple hours a day. His features have really come in and his expressions are so precious! I love watching him when he's waking up and squirming. And now when he's awake, it's so cool to watch him explore and take in all the new sights. He loves looking out the window and he make such fun faces when he's looking at me too. Tummy time is really entertaining as well - he loved it from the beginning, but now he's gone from keeping his head up for a few seconds at a time to keeping it up for minutes at a time. He moves his legs at the same time and is now trying to grab onto stuff with his hands to try and move himself. I'm sure we'll have a crawler in no time:P He also kind of gives me a hug now when he's nursing - he'll take whatever hand is below my breast and wrap it around my side/waist. He'll also hold or place his hand on my chest as he's falling asleep. It is the most incredible thing to feel so connected to him so many times a day. I know that they say breast feeding is a great gift that you can give to your baby, but I really think it is a great gift that your baby gives to you. I love the time that we get to spend together each day and even though it takes so much time, it really is precious.
I also have to say that looking back on the past month, I have no idea how I would have gotten through it without Eric being home. I know so many dads have to go back to work after just a week or two and we are so lucky that Eric was able to get a full 6 weeks off work. I just really don't know what I would have done without him! I know he doesn't think he's done much but honestly, it is invaluable to have someone cook, clean, deal with the dog, change diapers, hold a sleeping baby so I can take a shower, and do tummy time so I can go to the bathroom. Just one day with Eric being sick really showed me what it would be like without him and I seriously just about died. I have no idea what I will do when he goes back to work, but I'm glad we still have a couple of weeks to figure it out (and a Moby so I can have both my hands while he's sleeping!).
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Best Date Ever
After nearly two weeks of parenthood, Eric and I had our first moments alone without Zaiden. It. Was. Awesome. Seriously, quite possibly the best 20 minutes of my life. My parents came over to visit last night and when they got here, I was feeding Zaiden. We planned to order Cafe Asia, so Eric ordered while I finished feeding Zaiden and then my parents gave us the best gift ever - 20 minutes alone for us to run out and pick up dinner while they watched Zaiden. He was fast asleep when we left, and we were so so sooo excited to leave the house on our own. It was an incredibly liberating feeling to not have to worry about the baby - was he still asleep, was he about to wake up, was he hungry or gassy, etc. Not that we don't love our son or that we like being away from him, but having just 20 minutes where our entire attention was on each other was a luxury we had not had since Zaiden was born. The best part was that we didn't spend the entire 20 minutes talking about Zaiden! Now those of you that don't have kids will probably not understand how truly awesome 20 minutes of uninterrupted, worry-free alone time is, but in those 20 minutes we decided it was essential to the maintenance of our relationship that we continue to find just 20 minutes every other week to spend together. We felt immediately reconnected and in tune with each other - it was so nice being able to be each others' priority again, even for a short time. Add in the fact that I got a nice long hot shower, took my first long walk, annnd has sushi for dinner and you end up with quite possibly the most awesome day/date ever!
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