don’t laugh at me . . .
I know. What was i thinking? A yearlong multifaceted ‘project‘ with a not-yet-2-year-old and baby #2 due in February? You were all very sweet for not laughing me off of the internet. And yet — it’s April, and I am feeling so much better (sleep! it’s GLORIOUS!), and I’m feeling ready to try and resume my efforts.
In January, I attempted to be more mindful and protective of my time. I only sort-of succeeded.
In February, I had a baby.
In March, I recovered.
And now it’s April. Spring! Probably because of the aforementioned sleep, I feel comparatively invigorated and ready for a new area of focus. And despite the total cliche in starting fresh with such a common goal, I’m dedicating April to health and body.
I have a few reasons for this:
1. Time. As in: I have it!! I go back to work on May 2nd, so this will be my last stretch at home — well, perhaps until retirement! I’d like to work on strengthening health habits now to form a good foundation for when things get inevitably (much) more hectic in a few weeks.
2. Energy. I have a bit more of this to spare too, but I think a little tweaking is in order to help me feel my best.
3. The desire to feel like ME again, and not just the “mom” me. I want to strike a balance here because I am still very much focused on A and C, and that is not likely to change … really, ever.
aims:
1. Hydrate better. This is so trivial and yet I’m terrible about it. Not only does dehydration make me feel terrible, but it’s bad for my milk supply (and you all know how I feel about that). Goal is a full glass of water with every meal and snack, and before and after workouts. Simple. Necessary.
2. Snack / eat better. I think I ate more cookies this March than I did in 2013. I do have a high energy (calorie) requirement now, which is kind of fun. But with that comes a nutritional requirement which cookies are NOT going to help me meet. I do plan on continuing to enjoy a treat every night (ice cream especially … because all that nursing and pumping has to come with SOME reward!), but I’d like to make the rest of my food choices thoughtful ones. I owe this to Cameron and myself, and know it will help me feel better.
(To me, this means less sugar / fewer empty carbohydrates / more fat and protein / more whole unprocessed foods.)
3. Sleep. I want to aim to be in bed and asleep before 10 every night (unless out doing something fun). I’ve been pretty good about this because little C goes down around then, but I need to keep to a decent routine to avoid a rude awakening in May when naps are no longer an option.
4. Exercise. In a balanced way. I’m back to running again (yay!) but want to keep it moderate for now and my routine more balanced. I’m experimenting with POP Pilates workouts and will report back on how that’s going (they’re free and done at home, so I figured why not?).
5. Vitamins. Take daily! I was horrible about this during pregnancy and feel badly about it. Hoping this will at least make C’s diet vitamin-rich.
6. Floss. Yes OMDG: this is coming back. I was sooooo good last year until pregnancy, and then I just couldn’t make myself.
On April 30, I’ll report back on these 6 items.
PS: combo March / April blog proceeds donation up tomorrow. January’s earnings were really lame (apparently this is normal) so I’m going to do those 2 together to fluff it up 🙂
5 Comments
These all sound good to me and things that I need to work on myself.
So glad you’re getting sleep again! Keeping sleeping and hydrating, I think those are the most important ones for you. Curious to see how you will approach #3. For me, just going back to work helped the most. Though I somewhat enjoyed maternity leave, getting back into a routine where I am doing the job I trained so long for really made me feel more like myself.
Yay to sleeping! And keep it up with the flossing. 😉
Dang flossing… I’ll admit I’m pretty terrible at it. Note to self: work on this.
Love your goals! I look forward to feeling like me again, too. This last month of pregnancy has me feeling ready to hold the baby in my arms instead of my belly. Getting around is just getting more difficult.
I started being diligent about taking my vitamins and few months ago and it’s amazing the difference I’ve felt in energy and overall well-being. I’m a convert 🙂
Camille will be three months soon and I am STILL struggling with eating well. I eat healthy things, yes, but I also eat a lot of crap!! Sugar, sugar and more sugar. It is a roller coaster I can’t seem to get off. Dang breastfeeding cravings. Since Camille is sleeping so well now I am hoping that some better sleep will help with the intense cravings. We will see!
I started back working part time today. It will be interesting to see how work + all of Clara’s therapies + a new baby + maintaining a semi well run house will all fit together. Ahhh!
Cameron is super cute!