Making time for my girl

So the baby is finally here and.....It's a boy!!!!  Its been about a month since my last post as I have been quite busy with the  kids.  Anyway, I have learned a few tricks along these last few weeks which I will discuss in another post.  One of them has been learning how to squeeze in some much needed one on one time with my 21-month old daughter.  She is definitely in toddlerhood and although she loves her brother and is learning how to be patient, she needs her Mommy time.  So whenever I can, I try to give her my undivided attention.

Some days its impossible, and she makes do.  Today it was playing out in the backyard and a few days ago, we managed to make cookies.  The fun thing about toddlers is they enjoy doing pretty much anything.  So I do manage to get some chores done, although they take forever with my "Little Helper!"  And she loves, loves, loves going for walks.  Today, we played with her toys and then attempted to re-pot some plants.  She was scared of the earth, so I ended up repotting by myself. The gloves were a hit though!

It has definitely been more difficult to get acclimated to life with a new baby this time, but slowly, make that very slowly, we are getting there.

Do you have any tips to share?

Look who's on Youtube + Teething Tips

So, I had the bright idea to make a youtube video.  I just uploaded the first video, Teething Tips.

It was weird talking to a camera, but fun at the same time.  And, if you pay close attention, you'll notice I was nursing at the same time!  Always multitasking! Check out my youtube channel BeingCashu for fun and helpful videos.

Baby Weight Loss

During my first pregnancy I gained 50 lbs.  I was nervous this go round that losing weight would prove to be very difficult since I am 10 years older and haven't worked out in quite a while!  I tried to watch what I was eating during the pregnancy and walk as much as possible.  I still ended up gaining 45 lbs. by delivery day.  I didn't really think about it after delivery because you aren't supposed to diet while breastfeeding.  I decided I would just go shopping for some larger sizes and roll with it until I finished nursing.  To my surprise the weight just started rolling off.  Technically, you are supposed to eat 500 more calories then normal per day while breastfeeding.  I am not good about counting calories, so I just eat and drink when I am hungry.  I try to eat whole foods and drink water so that my caloric intake is worthwhile.  That's not to say that I never indulge, because I have definitely inherited my grandfather's sweet tooth and I truly believe in everything in moderation.

So far, I am proud to say I have lost 50 lbs.  Yay!!!  Over 3 years prior to getting pregnant I had slowly gained 15 lbs., so I have been able to put a  5 lb. dent in that also.  I am super excited. 

A regular day's meal plan for me includes:

Breakfast- oatmeal with raisins or 2 eggs ( and yes, I eat the yolks,) toast (sprouted whole grain bread,) and fruit
Lunch- turkey wrap or soup, or pasta with marinara sauce and fruit
Dinner-chicken or fish-usually grilled, sauteed/roasted veggies or salad and baked yams/roasted potatoes or jasmine rice
Snacks-0 % Fage Greek yogurt, cheese and Ak-mak crackers or cottage cheese and fruit, and sweet potatoes

Breastfeeding burns 500 calories per day according to WebMD, so when I finish nursing, I am going to have to have a workout routine in place to maintain the loss.  I have decided to do a mud run this summer ( which we'll discuss later), and signing up for a race has made me start working out in the past, so we'll see what happens.  For now, I'm just going to enjoy my current triumph!

Got Milk?!

Just like last time, I plan on breastfeeding for a year.  However, I noticed that my milk supply appeared to be decreasing.  I still have 6 months to go and was desperate for a fix.  So I got to surfing the web and came upon this recipe for lactation cookies.  If you are like me, you are probably wondering what in the world lactation cookies are?  Basically, they are oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with flaxseed and brewers yeast which help to boost milk production.  The author lists a bunch of variations to the original recipe, but I just kept it simple and they were great.  I definitely have noticed an increase and will continue to make these.

ENJOY!

Hi-ho, Hi-ho, back to work I go....

So tomorrow marks the end of my 5-month hiatus from work and right about now, I am wishing I lived in one of those countries that have 1 year maternity leaves.  And, not to be a complainer but, I am dreading it.  I am not ready to leave the baby for such a long time.  My work days are 12 1/2 hours long, plus commuting time of an hour, round-trip.  The baby is usually fast asleep by the time I will be leaving and getting home, which means I might not get to see her at all!  That's really what I am upset about.  I keep reminding myself that I should be thankful that I have a good job and health benefits and a luxury that most working moms don't have...I only have to work 2 days a week!
I have been exclusively breastfeeding, so because I was too tired in the beginning, I began pumping about a month ago.  I think I have a good amount of milk to begin with.  Pumping is such a pain, but a necessary evil!

My husband will be caring for her while I work, so we did a dry run today for him getting our 9 year old ready and off to school (which he has been doing for years) but this time with a newborn.  He did well until he realized he forgot my son's lunch in the stroller after dropping him off!
She has a pretty easy schedule at this point...wake, change diaper, eat, play, sleep, repeat!  The interesting part will be seeing how he pulls off helping with homework and getting dinner prepared--that's always a crazy juggling act for me!
There's not much other prep, because like I said, its only 2 days!