Never in a million years could I have ever truly understood what it would be like to be a “Mom.” I always knew I wanted kids, it was just something I knew from a very early age, but I never really knew what motherhood looked like until the day that Hudson was born and I held him in my arms in those first few moments of life outside utero. That day was quite the adventure in and of itself, and if you missed that post, you can read all about Hudson’s birth story here. As I sit down to write the much requested, “a day in the life”/schedule post, I can’t even remember what it was like to not be a “Mom.” Life is so funny like that, isn’t it? Hudson has hit the one-month mile marker, and while time does go quickly, I feel fortunate to have soaked up every moment we have shared together as Mother and Son. You know its funny, before I had Hudson, I thought moms truly spoke another language- Nose Fridas, Pack N’ Plays, Sophie the giraffe, cluster feeding… what? Who? I need what?! Hudson is certainly not lacking in the personality category, he makes being his Mama so, so fun. He is already rockin’ and rollin’ on our Baby Einstein Play Mat. He absolutely adores bath time and he loves when we read to him… (Moms personal favorite is, Giraffes Can’t Dance). His smile is contagious and we have gotten a laugh or two from him as well! So fun! Before I get into a day in our life, I just want to be clear that while we are getting into a groove and a schedule that works well for us, we certainly have days that don’t go according to plan (hello motherhood) and I also understand that schedules are not for everyone, but personally, we thrive off of some sort of consistency in our day to day lives. So, if you’re a mama who doesn’t love schedules, there is no pressure here, I am just sharing what is working well for us so far. A Day in the Life of Hudson and Mama 7:00 am: Hudson wakes up for the day. Sometimes I have to wake him up, but often he wakes up on his own right around this time. I feed him at this time. I have been waking myself up around 6:20 am so that I can have a few moments to get myself together (somewhat) before our day begins. 8:30- 10: Hudson typically falls asleep for his first nap of the day! 10:00: If he doesn’t wake up on his own, I wake him up and feed. Usually after this feeding he is ready to play, so if its nice we will go for a walk. 11:30 – 1:00pm: Second nap of day. This is usually the time when I will try to get some work done, or I will take a nap with Hudson if I am feeling like I need it! 1:00pm: Time to eat again! I will wake him up, feed him and then we usually play. Seeing a pattern here? ;) 3:00: Feed him again. He may or may not have fallen asleep between the last feeding and this one, it’s been different depending on the day and how well he has been sleeping. 3:30- 5:00: Last nap of the day 5:00-8:00: Hudson usually wakes up around five o’clock pretty hungry. Days that we are cluster feeding, it usually starts around this time. So that means that Hudson and mom get really comfortable on the couch and feed for the next five hours or so. But, if it’s a “normal” evening, I will feed Hudson, have bath time and read him a story or two. 8:00: We face time our big brother, Hawkins, I feed Hudson and off to bed her goes for the night. 12 am: Hudson usually wakes for his first night feeding. I do this one in our room and keep the lights very dim. He wakes, we change him and I will feed him, putting him right back down to bed when we are done. 4am: Hudson wakes to be fed. Again, wake, change, feed, and he will go back down til 7am when we start our day all over again! J Things We Have Found Essential 1: Sleep sheep and/or white noise maker: This is just essential. We use both often and sometimes at the same time. 2: Sleepsack – Ever since Hudson was born he really didn't enjoy being swaddled, because he wanted his arms available so he can self soothe if he wants with his fingers. Because of this, we have found that he really likes to be wrapped in his sleepsack like this one, the Halo sleepsack has been awesome! Sleeveless one is our favorite. 3:Ergo baby carrier: This mama is usually trying to multi-task, and this carrier has allowed me to do so. I can get work done on my computer, vacuum and walk the pups without worrying about Hudson with this hands free carrier! 4: Fisher Price Rock N' Glide Soother: This thing is amazing! Hudson loves to take his naps during the day in this soother. It has several speeds, several different sounds and the bed vibrates if you want. It also has a few fun toys hanging that Hudson loves to look at and focus on.
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On any average night in the Dow household, Timmy and I like to stay in and cook! We always have… we really enjoy cooking dinner together and sharing time during dinner, completely unplugged, with one of our favorite music stations playing and a candle lit. It’s such a nice way to wind down from our busy days. We have our go-to recipes, the staples that are always on the rotation, week after week. We eat a lot of chicken, fish, rice and vegetables, but its always nice to mix it up with a healthy recipe that allows us to get creative with our go-to ingredients. I have rounded up a list of a few recipes we are looking forward to trying in the near future. I am often asked what I eat and what recipes I like, so I figured I would share our “must-try” list!
What recipes are on your must-try list? What are your "go-to" weekday meals? I would love to hear! All recipe sources via Pinterest. Spring is here and that means… our family road trips! Timmy and I decided before Hudson even arrived that we were going to continue to travel and live our active lifestyle and just bring Hudson for the ride! After all, your children have to live with you… not the other way around. Last weekend we packed up the truck and headed north to Burke, Mtn. for our annual 42 mile, grueling, gravel bike race. Of course this year I took the role as a cheerleader with Hudson, but we made a family weekend out of it. I wasn’t sure how traveling with a newborn was going to go, especially with our breastfeeding schedule, but I was pleasantly surprised of how do-able it was with a little preparation. If you too are deciding to travel with your little one, I am so happy for you! Traveling as a family is such a wonderful bonding experience and babies, even when they are the littlest, love to see and be in new places. Plus, how fun will it be to tell your little one about all of the adventures you shared and show them pictures. Now, all that being said… being on the road with a baby while breastfeeding can present a few challenges, but with a little preparation, you will be all set. Here are some tips that I gathered after taking our first road trip to Burke, VT with our little one.
Have you and your family traveled with the newest member of your family? Would love to hear about your adventures! xo With spring time in the air, what better time to do some serious, “out with the old, in with the new”, cleaning. Today, I am sharing with you how our family does “Spring Cleaning” and what tips/tricks I have found super helpful to make the task manageable and even… enjoyable! Step 1: Start With Your Closet. Follow these really simple questions as you clean out your closet to help get rid of the old and make space for something new this spring!
Once I have created a “good-bye” pile that is ready to go, I bag up everything and prepare it for donation. Often times I will take them to Salvation Army or good will. If you live in an area that has Savers, they have opened several drop off locations! Step 2: Spring Clean Your Pantry. As the warmer days approach and we try to shake off the winter blues… there is always one room in our house that needs some serious TLC, the kitchen. Spring is such a great time to clean out your kitchen, beginning with your fridge and pantry. Once you have a clean and orderly fridge and pantry it’s easier to lead a healthy and even more economic life. I always feel like once I have cleaned out the pantry and fridge I can get rid of any processed, nutrient-empty foods that have snuck into our home and replace them with nutrient dense, whole foods. It also really helps to eliminate double buying. When I can see what rice, soups, etc. we have in our pantry, I won’t buy them again the next time I am shopping.
Step 3: Spring Clean Your Mind.
As far as the people go, you can’t just pull out of every negative situation in your life. We all have loved ones in need of our support, bills that need to be paid and a healthy lifestyle requires effort. But when you can’t change the world or people around you, you can still change your attitude and the way in which you approach the situations.
Do you have "Spring Cleaning" techniques that you love? How do you like to reset after a long winter and get ready for the longer, brighter days ahead? Spring is here! As the weather starts to warm up, the sun shines brighter and the days are longer… we can’t help but get excited that Summer is on its way. We have plenty of warm sunny days ahead! With warmer days on our mind many of us are looking for ways to lose a few pounds, lead healthier lives and/or feel better about ourselves. Now is the time to spring clean bad behaviors and develop new healthy habits to help you feel your best this spring and summer season. I have compiled five ways you can achieve your goals and included three of my favorite protein packed smoothie recipes for you to try.
1. Bottoms up! I always tell all of my clients, “You can not exercise to burn off a poor diet.” It just doesn’t work that way. If you are putting in the effort and time commitment to workout consistently, DO NOT ruin it in the kitchen. And more importantly, drink more water!!! It is that easy… put down the ice tea and coffee, and drink more H2O. Water is vital to all of the bodies systems and to every single cell in our body. If we don’t drink enough water, our body cannot purify our system of toxins. If our body cannot detox from the toxins, we ultimately slow down the operating systems in our body, like our metabolism. Drink more water and I guarantee you will notice healthier looking skin, higher energy levels and shed some weight. 2. Eat Breakfast There is much debate about whether of not eating breakfast is really that important. I will continue to argue that, yes, breakfast is very important and should not be skipped. Here is why… when you eat breakfast, you activate the thermogenesis process thus you stimulate your metabolism. After 6 + hours of no food while you are sleeping at night, your body goes into rest and digest mode and your metabolism will slow down so that other systems can work at recovery. Eating a meal in the morning turns on your bodies’ metabolism. You want to consume a meal that is high in protein with moderate fat and some complex carbohydrate for sustained energy and ideal fat burn. An example of this might be one of my power protein smoothies below or a bowl of organic oatmeal with ½ a banana, some berries, crushed walnuts and shredded coconut. 3. Get Moving! If you want to live well and live longer, you need to exercise! This doesn’t mean you need to run out to your local gym, buy a membership and spend an hour there everyday to achieve wellbeing. While the gym scene may appeal to some… you can get exercise done right in your living room or even outside. Going for a walk around your office building on your lunch break, cranking up your favorite music and dancing in your living room for 15 minutes, go for a hike, ride your bike, hit the gym, or even jump rope. Just get moving. Here is a plyometric workout you could complete in your home in less than 24 minutes. All you need is a space to workout, a clock and your workout shoes! Beginners: 2 rounds, 30 seconds work, 1-minute rest between exercises. Advanced: 3 rounds, 30 seconds work, and 30-second rest between exercises.
(Don’t recognize an exercise? Send me a message and I can send you a demo!) 4. Fix Nutritious Snacks Often times snack foods are considered a bag of pretzels in our pantry or a granola bar we found in our workbag. I challenge you to fix yourself more nutritious snacks. It is a great way to get more vegetables and fruits into your diet and doesn’t have to be complicated. Some of my favorite snacks are carrot sticks and almond butter, avocado toast, yogurt and raspberries with a little shredded coconut and dried fruit (apricots are my fav!) with a handful of almonds. 5. Think Small. Often the biggest deterrent to improving health is feeling overwhelmed by all the available advice and research. The magazine tabloids and the ads that overwhelm our Internet browser are constantly throwing out new health claims on how to lose 10 pounds in one week or what “super foods” will make you thin. Rather then getting caught up on the overwhelming amount of information out there, try to focus first on one small, seemingly inconsequential, unhealthy habit and turn it into a healthy, positive habit. If you’re in the habit of eating as soon as you get home at night, instead, keep walking shoes in the garage or entryway and take a quick spin around the block before going inside. If you have a can of soda at lunchtime every day, have a glass of water two days a week instead. Starting with small, painless changes helps establish the mentality that healthy change is not necessarily painful change. It’s easy to build from here by adding more healthy substitutions. Three of my Favorite Power Protein Smoothie Recipes! Chocolate Peanut Butter
Blueberry Banana Power
Strawberry Banana
What gets you motivated this time of year? Do you have a "not so healthy" habit that your looking to change? Share below, I would love to help! xoxo |
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