First Family Christmas Photo
Brenden sporting a new outfit (12 month size!)
Hanging out with Uncle Alex and Aunt Katie (I can't believe they're both in college now!)
Brenden looking like a real Hoosier in his hunting cap
It's been a while since I posted a blog because it's been a very busy month! We spent a week and a half in Indiana visiting family. It was great to see everyone and Brenden had a blast. It was exhausting at times, like when Brenden got his first cold and was up half the night, but Brenden adapted very well to the big change in routine. He even did great on the flights there and back. We had flight delays both ways, but he was a trooper.
Brenden is 7 months old now and so much fun. I feel like we've made it through the hardest part and now we get to just have fun. He loves to wrestle and act silly, so it feels less like work now. Brenden's favorite thing at the moment is when I pretend I'm throwing up. Gross, I know, but he thinks it's hysterical. The more theatrical the fake heaving and sound effects, the louder he laughs and squeals.
Brenden is also on a trend towards sleeping better. This week there were a few nights he only woke up once!
Besides being great to see our family, getting away from the daily grind was really good for me. I was so caught up in trying to keep up that I didn't realize I was pushing myself too hard. I was trying to do too much and set my standards too high. Getting away helped me to think about where I want to invest my time and energy and what I can let go. I definitely need more "me" time. Of course I still have a full-time job and it's not like Brenden is going to learn to change his own diapers anytime soon. So I am carving out little bits of time for myself, like taking 5 minutes to have coffee and read a news article when I get to work. Brenden usually goes to bed at 7, so I'm trying to do stuff around the house from 7-8, then read or watch tv from 8-9. My rule is that unless it absolutely has to be done that night, I have to drop everything at 8. Otherwise I would end up in the same spot I was, working non-stop every second of the day.
My other New Years resolution is to eat healthier. Brenden's pediatrician talked to us about the importance of eating organic, minimally processed foods, so I want to start now so it will be a habit once Brenden is eating what we're eating. It's pretty gross when you start reading ingredient lists and realize how little real food we're eating. I've had a little set-back though. After work I stopped at the grocery store and bought a bunch of fresh fruit to make a fruit salad. I found this recipe on foodnetwork.com and decided to splurge on lots of organic fruit, most of it out-of-season. So after Brenden went to bed I peeled and chopped away for 20 minutes. Then he woke back up (probably because he fell asleep too fast the first time and didn't nurse well), so I had to nurse and rock him again. Back to the peeling and chooping for another few minutes, and then I mixed the vanilla yogurt sauce. I mixed it exactly as the recipe was written, even though mayo and salt seemed like odd choices. I naively figured those Food Network guys knew what they were doing, so even though it tasted really weird, I dumped the sauce all over the fruit. I figured the fruit and sauce combination would somehow magically work out. WRONG. I can still taste it and I might just throw up for real this time. I was almost in tears when Adam tasted it and had to run to the trash can to spit it out. Time and money are really short right now, and that fruit salad was a huge waste of both.
Speaking of money, I have my performance review next Thursday. Our company is feeling the effects of the bad economy more this year, and I've heard raises and bonuses are minimal. But hey, I'm still employed, and we're lucky the company is even considering raises and bonuses.
Brenden is 7 months old now and so much fun. I feel like we've made it through the hardest part and now we get to just have fun. He loves to wrestle and act silly, so it feels less like work now. Brenden's favorite thing at the moment is when I pretend I'm throwing up. Gross, I know, but he thinks it's hysterical. The more theatrical the fake heaving and sound effects, the louder he laughs and squeals.
Brenden is also on a trend towards sleeping better. This week there were a few nights he only woke up once!
Besides being great to see our family, getting away from the daily grind was really good for me. I was so caught up in trying to keep up that I didn't realize I was pushing myself too hard. I was trying to do too much and set my standards too high. Getting away helped me to think about where I want to invest my time and energy and what I can let go. I definitely need more "me" time. Of course I still have a full-time job and it's not like Brenden is going to learn to change his own diapers anytime soon. So I am carving out little bits of time for myself, like taking 5 minutes to have coffee and read a news article when I get to work. Brenden usually goes to bed at 7, so I'm trying to do stuff around the house from 7-8, then read or watch tv from 8-9. My rule is that unless it absolutely has to be done that night, I have to drop everything at 8. Otherwise I would end up in the same spot I was, working non-stop every second of the day.
My other New Years resolution is to eat healthier. Brenden's pediatrician talked to us about the importance of eating organic, minimally processed foods, so I want to start now so it will be a habit once Brenden is eating what we're eating. It's pretty gross when you start reading ingredient lists and realize how little real food we're eating. I've had a little set-back though. After work I stopped at the grocery store and bought a bunch of fresh fruit to make a fruit salad. I found this recipe on foodnetwork.com and decided to splurge on lots of organic fruit, most of it out-of-season. So after Brenden went to bed I peeled and chopped away for 20 minutes. Then he woke back up (probably because he fell asleep too fast the first time and didn't nurse well), so I had to nurse and rock him again. Back to the peeling and chooping for another few minutes, and then I mixed the vanilla yogurt sauce. I mixed it exactly as the recipe was written, even though mayo and salt seemed like odd choices. I naively figured those Food Network guys knew what they were doing, so even though it tasted really weird, I dumped the sauce all over the fruit. I figured the fruit and sauce combination would somehow magically work out. WRONG. I can still taste it and I might just throw up for real this time. I was almost in tears when Adam tasted it and had to run to the trash can to spit it out. Time and money are really short right now, and that fruit salad was a huge waste of both.
Speaking of money, I have my performance review next Thursday. Our company is feeling the effects of the bad economy more this year, and I've heard raises and bonuses are minimal. But hey, I'm still employed, and we're lucky the company is even considering raises and bonuses.
3 comments:
Brenden is getting so big!!! He is adorable. So glad that you are finding time for yourself in the new year. I have a hard time letting things around the house go.....I'm working on that!!!!
Use yogurt on fruit, not mayo. That just sounds gross! But good for you for trying. Eating whole foods is the way to go. Nice job!
You need to read the book The Omnivores Dilemma by Michael Pollan. It's SO INTERESTING! It will change how you view food.
Post a Comment