Energy

I often feel like I have a lack of energy. I'm sure some of this comes from the fact that I'm still awakened a few times a night by my ten month old daughter. She usually goes back to sleep fairly quickly now but my sleep is interrupted. Also she likes to get up early whether I have to get to work or not. I just don't get to sleep in anymore. I'm busy at work all day as well and then I don't really get to rest. I have found that exercise, going to sleep a little earlier and caffeine (coffee or green tea) has helped me.

Exercise

Exercising with a baby can sometimes be difficult. Not that I did it all the time before I had my daughter. I would go through phases where I would get very motivated by a new program but in a few weeks I would get bored and then stop. I have found the easiest way to get exercise in is to walk. I could just bring the baby along in her stroller and we'd have a nice time. Of course the weather interferes sometimes. For this reason it is good to have a backup plan. I have workout videos, exercise equipment but alas I just don't use them like I should. Once a week I have been taking a Fu-Boxing class.
It is beneficial to work out. It gives me energy and relieves my stress. I also feel better about myself as well.

My Family

This is a picture of myself with my husband and daughter at a party after she was baptised in church.

Baptism

This is my daughter Veronica. She was baptised on September 21, 2008.

Robeez

What a dilemna finding shoes for my daughter. I had tried several types of shoes. The problem was my daughter has wide feet so some things don't fit. She also tries to stand on her toes which makes stuff fall off her feet. In addition the baby also pulls off her socks, sneakers and boots. I finally have found Robeez and they are great. She can not get them off. They slide on her foot like a slipper but provide greater protection. I highly recommend them!

Baby Crying in the Night

My baby usually gets up at night. Even at ten months old. The last several weeks have been pretty eay though. The baby would wake up and get a quick drink and fall asleep in a few minutes. Last night, however, she woke up and cried for abour an hour and a half. I tried feeding, rocking, putting her in our bed, pushing her in her stroller, rubbing ner back, letting her cry it out, Tylenol for teething. Then finally I tried Mylicon Drops and she went to sleep in a few minutes. Sometimes that Mylicon seems to work fast while other times it has no affect on crying. I guess last night gas was the culprit. I hope she sleeps good tonight!

Colic

My daughter was a colicky baby. What is this condition? It is characterized by long periods of excessive crying. Some say it is caused by gas and an immature digestive system. Others say that it is caused by acid reflux. Still there are Doctors that feel that the baby is adjusting to his or her surroundings. Some things that might help a colicky baby are rocking, carrying him/her in a sling, swinging, Mylicon/Gas drops, acid reflux medicines (if baby is diagnosed with AR) and the vacuum. If you are breastfeeding changing your diet and eliminating foods such as dairy, chocolate, coffee/caffeine, broccoli, etc. may help. If you are using formula you may have to change brands a few times. It does get better with time but it was difficult as a new parent. For us a combination of the things I mentioned worked but it took time.

Losing the BabyFat

I have been on a diet forever. Sometimes I had success while other times I only lost a little at the start of the diet. I had sworn I couldn't lose weight anymore at 35. Then I became pregnant. I was happy about having a baby but worried I might never lose the weight. I gained 35 pounds. That's not really the end of the world but my Obstetrician would have liked that number to be less.
I actually lost the majority of weight though the first 2 and a 1/2 weeks. It took a few more weeks to lose the last nine pounds of baby fat. I had very little trouble. I ate about 1,800-2,100 calories so I was not starving myself. I exercised a little bit but I really could not do anything strenuous the first six weeks. It was also winter so I couldn't do much walking. I tried breast feeding but because of complications I had to pump and supplement with formula. I am on Thyroid medication but I have already been on it for years. So how did I lose so much so fast? It may have been the combination.
Now, the funny thing is I'm back to my old weight and feel like I can't lose a pound again. Of course it's all in my head but it's hard to get past that mental block. Some have said I looked like I lost but I don't really think it was that much.

Work and Expenses

I just gave my job notice that I was leaving. I am losing too much money on daycare and gas to continue working full time. It is not worth working full time if you don't make a good salary or don't have a family babysitter. It gets hard to manage expenses. It's better to stay home, work from home, or work around my husband's schedule.

That's one reason I have begun blogging. I am hoping I could earn some extra income while I figure out what job direction I should go. I also am thoroughly enjoying the freedom of just writing whatever I'd like to write about.

Things I Didn't Know As A New Mom

There were several things I did not expect as a new mom. When I was pregnant I had visions of holding my baby and everything being perfect. I did not think it would be difficult. Now reality has hit.

Colic! I had never heard of this condition and was not aware babies could cry throughout the day and get especially fussy into the evening until I had my daughter. When she would cry it made me feel bad that I couldn't find an immediate remedy. She began taking Zantac around 4 months. This helped a bit but we still had fussy periods in the evening for several months.

Having to go to sleep early! I quickly learned I could no longer go to bed around 1:00 A.M. even if I did not have to work. What a change to find myself going to sleep around 9:00. It definitely helped with early mornings and being woken up a few times a night.

Could not get out the first three months! The baby was small and the family was worried about her getting sick. It was also winter when she was born so I could not even take her out for a walk. Since she cried a lot I also had to avoid public places for awhile until she was over this period.

Teething! Sure I knew teething was tough on babies. However, I did not expect her to have teeth coming in at at six months. The only thing that seemed to help was Tylenol and I felt bad about giving it to her sometimes because I was worried about long term effects.

So those were some of the surprises I received over the last ten months. It's rewarding to be a mother and my daughter is happy and playful a lot. I just thought it would be easy!