Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr….

A Day In The Life of a Baby – 8 Important Lessons We Can Learn From Our Babies

Photo credit:  Kaitlyn Haynes

Babies are interesting little creatures.  In essence, they are human beings in their most natural form.  Especially in their first year, babies are living off their survival instincts.  It’s all about nourishment, security, love and warmth.  That’s it.  They’re just trying to get by and are as close to nature as we’ll ever be.  They are humans in their purest form before the big bad world makes any sort of impression on them. 

As I’ve watched my son grow and develop over the past 7 months, it’s easy to just always focus on what I need to impress upon him.  What does he need to learn?  What’s his next milestone?  What can I teach him today?  Maybe it’s time we flip the lid and look to our babies for what we can learn from them.  I took some time to reflect on this yesterday and found it pretty refreshing.  Let’s get back to the basics for a second here.

Eating is a good thing.  
In this world where we are conditioned to be afraid to eat a sandwich, we need to remember that eating was, at one time, our biggest pleasure.  I can tell you my son doesn’t feel an ounce of guilt when I am nursing him for the umpteenth time that day.  He is so happy when I’m feeding him.  So safe and secure.  He’s getting the nourishment he needs and is enjoying every second of it.  When I feed him his purees now, he moans and makes all sorts of sounds.  He loves it.  At what point did we start having a negative connection with food?  No, I’m not saying we should be eating anything and everything in our path, but delicious and healthy food should never be connected with guilt.  Food is our fuel, our sense of security and ultimately a huge source of pleasure.  Even those days you don’t feel like eating totally healthy, give in to that craving is OK.  Maybe not something to do everyday, but the world will go on if you (god-forbid) decide to have that mouthwatering burger, that larger than life sandwich or even (GASP) that extra desert. 

We have to keep pushing ourselves.
There was a point where none of us were able to walk, talk, sit up. etc.  We were little warm blobs of flesh, glued to our parents.  We were afraid of everything too.  Somehow, we all made it to the point where I know you’re at least capable of sitting there reading this post…and I’m sure that’s just the beginning of where your capabilities lie.  We were born brave and determined.  When I put a toy in front of my son, the look of determination on his face is epic.  MUST. GET. TOY.  Come hell or high water, he is going to get that toy.  In just seven months, he just keeps getting stronger and stronger.  It reminds me that we all got to be standing, talking, reading and interacting beings because we pushed ourselves to this point.  It was a natural instinct.  When does that stop?  Can you imagine if we had that same level of determination our whole life?  I think that some people do.  Try something new today, push yourself at the gym, do something you never thought you could do.  You’re way more capable than you think.

We need to remain curious.
Curious doesn’t even begin to describe it.  My son wants to touch and feel EVERYTHING.  He even wants to taste everything.  He doesn’t just want to see and hear everything in the world around him, he wants to experience it.  Everything I read about child development tells me I should let him touch everything and as long as it’s no dangerous, let him taste it too.  This is there way of discovering the world in front of them.  He gets bored of the same toys and wants to move on to new things.  He constantly wants to explore.  It’s almost as if when we get older, we are the complete opposite of this.  We stick to the same things all the time and opt to watch the world from a 2-D view a.k.a veg out and watch TV.  Maybe it’s a good day to go out and experience something new in the world.  Touch it, feel it, taste it.  In my case, I find I always eat the same foods, afraid to try anything new.  Maybe today I should go off on a limb and try something totally different.

It’s OK to get dirty.
Babies love messes.  They love interacting with the real world.  They learn from playing in the dirt and making messes.  My son rubbed prunes all over his face and into his eyes yesterday.  My first instinct was frustration and worry.  Then I looked at him and he cracked up.  He loved it.  We should get outside and get dirty, not afraid of the consequences.

Being happy requires clear, honest and constant communication.
Babies don’t worry about being polite.  Yes, I know that’s probably the understatement of the century.  They want what they want, when they want it and they’ll make you know it –loud and clear.  They don’t worry about what people around them think.  Just we do, as parents.  When do we stop properly communicating?  I know I’m guilty of beating around the bush and suppressing what I really feel.  Who isn’t? There once was a time when we all knew how to communicate in it’s most basic form to express emotion, show love and explain what we wanted.  

If you don’t like something, move on.
Babies get sick of their toys and demand new ones.  If they are with someone that makes them uncomfortable, they cry.  They don’t like to keep themselves in situations that aren’t challenging for them or that make them uncomfortable in their own skin.   I know so many people that stay in the same jobs that they despise, suffer in toxic relationships and carry on with the same bad habits that make them uncomfortable.  Babies just wouldn’t put up with any of that, so why should we?

We can learn by playing.
We should never stop playing.  Enough said.

It’s good to be silly.
This one explains itself.

I hope this doesn’t come across preachy.  I was just reflecting on this today and wanted to share because I find it so interesting and incredibly inspiring.  I enjoyed reflecting on this.  Maybe today I won’t try and teach my son anything and just try and be more like him.  I’m going to eat, play, communicate, be silly and try something new.   It’s important to remember that this is how I started in this world and so did you.

Easy and cheap solution for padded flooring during that (never ending) clumsy stage

Got these connectable padded mats yesterday at Wal-Mart. $12 for all 4! Perfect for this stage where my little guy is getting clumsier and doesn’t quite know how to sit up. Protects him from the hardwood and tile. I can put them anywhere to keep an eye on him. Love easy, cheap and practical solutions like this.

Hello. My name is Andrea and I’m a Bath-a-holic.

Seriously though, I’m obsessed.    At the risk of sounding like a total crazy person, I am going to try and explain to you my obsession with my bath time.

I’ve always been this way, my mom is the same, so maybe I got it from her.  I didn’t think it was that abnormal, until I got to university and realized that noone beyond the age of three has baths every night before bed.  I couldn’t help it though, I was addicted.  I remember, everyone would be all dolled up and ready to go because they took a quick shower (like a normal person) before going out…..and I would be up in the bath hearing them “pre-drink”.  People would come over and ask where I was and when they heard I was “having my bath” I’m sure they were probably like, “What? is she two?”.  It wasn’t like it was a nice bathtub or bathroom, it was the finest of the student ghettos a.k.a it was gross.  But I just couldn’t shake it, I needed my bath.  I suddenly realized that people didn’t really take baths daily anymore, unless it was a special occasion or something.  I don’t understand it.  To this day, I tell people I take a bath daily and they find that surprising.

I want to bring back the bath in a big way.  Showers are overrated, bath time is where it’s at.  I think the world would be a better place if everyone had a bath every night.  You think I’m joking, but bath time is no joke.  I told you, I’m obsessed.

The obsession carried on wherever I went.  When I moved in with my boyfriend (now my husband), he quickly realized that I needed my bath time at the end of the day and gave me that time.  When I got pregnant, it became absolutely crucial.  Not only did I need it to clear my head, I now needed it to ease all my aches and pains.  And it worked.  Before I went on mat leave, my job was pretty demanding.  I can remember coming home, being super stressed and needing a bath to clear my head.  Then, I would go, with a clear head, and finish up my work…then need ANOTHER bath to clear my head to be able to sleep.  I would think to myself, enjoy this time because once you have a  baby, you won’t be able to take your bath anymore.

Well that was a lie.  The addiction only got worse.  In the first couple months after giving birth, the bath was my saviour.  I would put witch hazel and epson salts and soak for as long as the babe would let me.  He would settle in for 2 hour naps and sometimes I would sit in the bath for most of that.  I would keep adding hot water, not a care in the world. Well, OK fine, except for the massive anxiety of becoming a parent and the fact that I still felt like I’d been hit by a mac truck, but in the bath I was calm.  It was the epitome of peaceful, with my newborn laying beside me in his bassinet.  I would sometimes bring him in the bath with me.  I already know that I am going to look back on those moments as some of the happiest of my life.  My son is 7 months old and I am now doing two-a-days.  In the morning, I put him down beside me on his playmat and watch him play while I bathe and wash my hair.  Thank god he is still young enough that this doesn’t traumatize him.  I guess I won’t be able to do this forever, but for now, I am relishing in it.  At nighttime, the first thing I do after I put him down to bed is turn on the bath.  I sit there and soak.  I stare at my knees and realize I friggin’ love my knees (I used to hate my “chicken legs”), I love my fingers, I love the blinds, I love the light fixture… In the bath, I just love everything.  I come out in a zen like state.  I make it super hot and just soak.  This is how I recharge.  

I. LOVE. THE. BATH.  I love writing about the bath, I love thinking about the bath, I love bath products, I love bathing my son, I love bathtubs, I even love cleaning the bathtub…the whole nine.  I even sit there and dream up ideas for “comfier” bathtubs.  I think to myself, I should test out bath products for a living OR invent something to make bath time better.  Maybe I will, maybe I will.  But for now, I am just going to sit there and enjoy them, no strings attached.  

I know this is probably sounding ridiculous.  I’ve never met anyone that quite shares my passion for bath time.  This bath obsession is no joke.  We got a $620 water bill in the summer.  I WISH I was joking. I think it was worth every scent.  This is my therapy.  I feel amazing after coming out of the bath. You can’t put a price on (squeaky clean) happiness.  Not sure my hubs agrees, but he just knows that when it comes to me and my bath, don’t mess.  It’s not like I have an amazing bathroom or anything.  My bathroom is stuck in the 90’s right now.  I don’t discriminate, any bathtub will do.  As long as it’s clean and can contain enough hot water to blanket me up in all it’s bathy goodness, I’m a happy girl.  I know, I know, I spent almost a full EI cheque on “baths”, so sue me…I love the bath and couldn’t stop even if I tried.  I had my birthday party in the bath this year.  No, nothing crazy like that, just me soaking in the bath for as long as I wanted.  It was the best.

So that’s it.  My ode to bath time.  Let’s bring back bath time. 

Try it.  Be careful though, it’s addictive.  Before you know it, you’ll be professing your love to bath time like I crazy woman and getting $600 water bills.  Seriously though, I would marry bath time if I could.  

Time for a bath. ❤

RIP Nelson Mandela

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

A highland baby cow in Scotland, just because.

REVIEW AND SPECIAL LIMITED TIME OFFER: “Get Naked in the Kitchen” Cookbook for FREE

The Project Healthy Mama Fitness challenges have come to an end.  I am going to stop posting them daily, probably until the New Year, when we will do a new set of fitness challenges.  Thanks to everyone who participated and I encourage you to keep it up.  That being said, I hope that Project Healthy Mama inspired you to bring fitness back into your life in a more practical way.  If you did most of the challenges, I salute you.  If you did some of the challenges, I salute you.  If you did one challenge, I salute you.  Heck, if you even thought about doing one of the challenges and then never got around to it, I still salute you.  I know how hard it is as a mom to fit nutrition and fitness into your lifestyle.  I hope you’ve seen that if it’s easy and practical, it’s totally doable!  Project Healthy Mama isn’t a monthly challenge, it should be your lifestyle.  I try to make healthy choices and stay active on a daily basis.  I hope you do too. 🙂

All that said, I was lucky enough to get to review an awesome new cookbook written by certified Nutritionist, Briana Santoro.  As soon as I started reading it, I knew it was right up my alley and was a great fit for Project Healthy Mama.  Her recipes are full of wholesome and delicious ingredients and are easy.  In the last few months, I’ve been using a lot more healthy alternatives, such as coconut oil, quinoa flower, cauliflower pizza crusts, etc.  I find that once you start introducing healthy alternatives to your recipes, it’s hard to go back.  Partially because you realize how delicious (if not more delicious) the meals are, but also because you feel so much better after eating a nutritious meal….especially if you’re a nursing mama or cooking for your kids.  I truly believe that food is our fuel and love Briana’s concept of the “power of food”.  You don’t think of food like this normally, but with the right recipes, you should notice a difference in how you feel.

Healthy and delicious recipes are hard to organize altogether when you have a link here, a printout, a text from a friend, etc.  “Get Naked in the Kitchen” is a collection of exactly the kind of recipes I am looking for, all in one sleek cookbook.  I love everything about this cookbook, from it’s sassy name to the whole concept of “undressing your food”.  I am all about eating clean and including wholesome ingredients, but sometimes you get sick of the same old recipes and are too tired to dream up new concoctions.   This book let’s you still include healthy meals into your busy lifestyle, making them easy and fast…and fun.  There are even healthy baking recipes!  It is full of great and nutritious recipes that offer up easy substitutes to pack more nutrition into every meal.  I know how picky kids are, so a lot of the recipes allow you to sneak in some amazing and healthy ingredients, without them even knowing.

“Get Naked in the Kitchen” offers up a nice personal touch.  Briana tells a story with each recipe and includes a photo.  I also love the little tidbits of nutritional information, telling you why the ingredients are so good for you.  These are the kinds of recipes that totally fool people into thinking they must be bad for you, they’re so good.  I am going to post some of my favourites, as I try them.

I contacted Briana and she has kindly offered up a free digital copy of the book to all of you, prior to it’s release. 

Click here to download yours now and let me know what you think. 🙂  Have fun getting naked in the kitchen ;).

Say What Now? Your Glossary to the Acronym Festival of Mommy Forums

I am an EBF SAHM sometimes FF with a DS and DH……..WTF???

When you first become pregnant you scour the internet for information.  Especially in the first few months, when you can’t really talk to anyone about it and your 30 second appointments with your doctor don’t quite cut it.  There are a variety of mom blogs and forums that I am sure most moms are aware of.  In today’s online world, where we question and worry about EVERYTHING as moms, moms come together on forums to help each other out.  It’s really cool, actually.  Whether you’re a brand new mom, 2 days in, OR a mother of 5, moms are flocking to the internet to find info on anything and everything to do with their wee ones.  It’s a strange dependency on moms you’ve never met to help coach you through the overwhelming task of parenting.  More on this on my post on “Mom’s Helping Moms” here.   From extremely serious issues, to the mundane.  The interweb is a fountain of info (sometimes too much info) for moms.   I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve wasted an hour before going to bed reading a neverending thread about umbrella strollers or labels for your kids’ belongings.  Moms commiserate, share new product info, complain and debate anything and everything.  And for some odd reason, like many moms, I find it oddly compelling to read.

Ok, back to the acronym festival.  I quickly realized that moms have a language all their own.  It’s like a secret code.  I first thought that maybe it’s our way of adding excitement into our lives, that are dominated by getting puked on, crashing toys into each other, talking about pooping, pumping and how much our baby sleeps.  Or maybe it’s because mom’s don’t have time to type out full words for things, which I totally can relate to.  Either way, the acronyms are out of control and I thought I’d put together a glossary so you can finally figure out what other moms are talking about on these threads.

AC – Assisted conception
AI – Artificial insemination
AIH – Artificial insemination with husband’s sperm
AIO – All-in-one; this means you don’t need a separate cover over the diaper, as in a disposable diaper
AP – Attachment parenting; a child rearing philosophy
ART – Assisted reproductive technology
BBT – Basal body temperature
BC – Birth control
BD – Baby dancing (sex for conception)
BF – Breastfeeding
BFN – Big fat negative (as in a pregnancy test)
BW – Blood week (period)
CC – Controlled crying; a method of sleep training for infants
CD – Cloth diaper
CIO – Cry it out; a method of sleep training for infants
CM – Cervical mucus
CVSs – Chorionic villus sampling; a form of prenatal diagnosis to determine chromosomal or genetic disorders
DA – Dairy allergy
DD – Dear daughter
DF – Dear fiance
DH – Dear husband
DI – Donor insemination
DPO – Days past ovulation
DS – Dear son
DSD – Dear step daughter
DSS – Dear step son
DTD – Do the deed (sex)
DXP – Dear ex partner, for people who are still on good terms with their exes
EBF – Exclusively breastfeeding
EBM – Expressed breast milk
EDD – Estimated date of delivery (due date)
EN – Extended nursing
EP – Ectopic pregnancy
ER – Egg retrival
ET – Embryo transfer
FF – Formula feeding
FS – Food stamps
FTM – First time mom
GD – Gestational diabetes
GF – Gluten-free
HPT – Home pregnancy test
IUI – Intrauterine insemination
IVF – In vitro fertilization
LAM – Lactational amennorhea method; referring to natural infertility while breastfeeding
LO – Little one
LP – Luteal phase
MC – Miscarriage
MIL – Mother-in-law
MS – Morning sickness
NAK – Nursing at keyboard
NFP – Natural family planning; or the rhythm method
NIP – Nursing in public
NTNP – Not trying/not preventing
O – Ovulation
OH – Other half
OPK – Ovulation predictor test kit
OWT – Old wives tale
PG – Pregnant
POAS – Pee on a stick
POF – Premature ovarian failure
SAHM – Stay at home mom
SB – Still birth
SW – Starting weight
TTC – Trying to conceive
US – Ultrasound
VBAC – Vaginal birth after cesarean
WAHM – Work at home mom
WOHM – Work out of home mom
WM – Working mom

This is how I would explain beauty to my daughter, if I had one.

Project Healthy Mama Fitness Challenge!