Food - Who's With Me?

I've been thinking a lot about food lately. Especially coming off of the holiday season and eating entirely way too many sweets, as I'm sure is the norm for many. I was prompted by these thoughts because of how we feed Henry. Throughout the day I think about what he has eaten and what he will need to eat to have a balanced diet. Veggie, fruit, dairy, grain, etc. So I was feeding him veggies at dinner and then popping a frozen pizza in the oven for Brian and I. It finally hit me, I should be just as worried about what we are eating. Especially since he was catching on and just wanting to eat pizza with us.

I always thought by the time I hit 30 I would have my eating habits under control in a sort of "have myself all put together" kind of way. Well 30 is approaching in a couple of years and I still eat things that are awful for me. We ate pizza 3 times a week and ice cream almost every night.

My sister told me that she was going to start something new with her eating so I decided that I would too. I picked up a book that has been on my dresser for months: Super Foods Rx. I highly recommend it. It is about life long eating habits and what foods prevent certain diseases. The more I scanned through it the more I realized that I want to eat well not just for the number on the scale, but so that I can be around for a very long time and live an active life with my kids, and hopefully their kids.

Yogurt, oatmeal and apples = bath before naptime. Makes for a nice oatmeal face scrub though.

So 7 days ago I began a commitment to eating better. I've been tracking what I eat and incorporating tips from the book as well as another book called The Abs Diet for Women. In the beginning I thought I wouldn't blog about it because I didn't want to set myself up for failure and then have to tell everyone it didn't work the way I had hoped. But today I realized there might be other women wanting to get their eating habits in check and want some encouragement and accountability.

So even though it is sort of cliche to start a "diet" of sorts in January, I'm asking you to join me if you're ready to take control of your eating as well. Or maybe you have already taken control and you want to help encourage others (including me) and have some words of advice or yummy recipes* to share.

Henry getting in on it and helping make salads. (Even though we can't get him to eat lettuce.)

I'm not looking for any tips from fad or rapid weight loss diet like "only eat grapefruit for a week". I'm talking life long, back to basics, fruits, veggies, family friendly eating. If this interests you please let me know either in the comments with your email address, or email me at tammy.cody [at] gmail.com. I have some food posts planned and would love input and ideas from anyone of what I could include, or if you do a food post I can direct folks to it.

I'm keeping track of my eating (and exercise once my six week postpartum restrictions are done) on myfitnesspal.com. If you want to join me there let me know and I'll add you.

I'm excited! Though I realize that in the end I may get no response and that's ok too. I'll just keep on truck'n.

I.M.


*Just a note, we are a vegetarian family so I probably won't be posting any links or recipes with meat in them.

Easiest...Hardest

I can't decide if having two under two is the easiest-hard thing, or the hardest-easy thing we've decided to do. I keep reminding myself to be in the "here and now" and bask in the stage of life that the boys and our family are in. It may not be as glorious as other stages, and includes sentences like "You should have seen the great diaper Ollie just had!" and "Did Henry eat veggies at lunch today?" (A lot revolves around fiber intake these days!)

Everyone told me it would be easier the second time. Thankfully it's true. I don't stare at Oliver at night watching his chest rise and fall to make sure he's still breathing. (Although he snorts and growls so loud in his sleep most of the time I don't have to.) But it's a new kind of challenge that makes me get up at 7 am no matter how much sleep I've had that night. Or to sit on the floor and play with trucks even when I'd rather kick my feet up and watch a movie.

Spaghetti Night

Last night Henry was playing with his construction leggo set. He put the little man on one of the pieces and was flying him around the room and having him ride across the table. I suddenly realized he had developed an imagination! The feelings are indescribable when your child shows a new development. To be able to encourage you child in something they just discovered.

So that is where we are focusing right now. Flying our leggo men through the air and eating our veggies.

I.M

Forward March

The H man is napping and even though I'm super tired I purposefully stayed up so that I could be productive. Instead I find myself snuggling my gassy baby (note to self, don't eat black beans) and mourning the fact that my sister flew home yesterday.

Usually by about mid February I start to get wanderlust, but I find myself feeling it very early this year. Probably because even getting to the store sounds like a full days work. It's like 10 degrees outside, and it would mean bundling up and hauling around a toddler and newborn who can only go out after being nursed, changed, possibly outfit change, the oh wait...another diaper change, then maybe I should nurse again to have more time out, now darn it what did I do with my keys? I just want to gather my three guys, and go somewhere warm letting Henry be barefoot and play in the sand, and my lilly white legs can see the light of day.

I'll have to settle for the fact that it's the weekend, and I get to be cozy warm inside with my guys.

I.M.

How is Henry?

I did a How is Henry post in the summer, and thought I'd do another since we get asked this question everyday now with our new wee one in the house.

Henry continues to be a daily source of joy for us. I am so thankful to have at least one good hearty laugh a day because of his spunky personality. We are also facing head on the "terrible two's" and can see his frustration with life when he can't seem to have his way. But we often have to hold back our smiles in his disobedience, because he is just so dang cute. How can you not laugh at a toddler saying "nu-uh" instead of "no"? 

He seems to be doing really well with the transition of having a newborn in the house. He doesn't really want to be near any of the "action" of having a newborn, but will blow Oliver a kiss good night and says "Ah-Ee" (Ollie). We are really excited to watch their relationship grow. 

His current loves are trucks, trains, stacking blocks, Legos (Duplos), and running up and rough housing with Brian. Our super picky eater no longer will eat broccoli but loves salsa.

I.M.

And Oliver Makes Four

Thanks so much to everyone who commented with congrats on the newest member of our little family. Oliver is doing very well, and we are hanging in there. Just a little low on sleep and energy, but high on bliss and loving the dynamic of our new four member team.

Highlights include:

Much shorter labor, but with an added 10 times the intensity. I think I moaned for the epidural for over an hour before I got one. It was the first thing I asked for after handing the nurse my "au naturale" birth plan upon admission. I just told her forget it and tell the anesthesiologist to get his booty up there...pronto.

My midwife was wonderful. She was there for much more than just catching the baby. She held my hand through the epi, assuring me it was ok that I was getting one. Let us take a little catnap, then came in and told me I was at a 10 and ready to push.

Three contractions and he was out! He got to come right up to me skin to skin and stayed there under my gown for at least an hour. We loved that time. Again, our amazing midwife told us we'll never get that time back so we needed to just have him with us.

We were out the next day and home to Henry. No jaundice, or sleeping in the hallway, or arriving home with our new one at 11 at night like with Henry's delivery.

He's such a sweet little guy, and I have to remind myself he doesn't scheme to keep me up all night..but he just likes to hang out. Also that he isn't trying to rip my chest off, just trying to get some food.

I'm getting used to saying "the kids" now that it's plural. Brian went back to work today. I still have my sister and her husband visiting but I can already tell it is going to be quite the challenge when it is just myself with the littles during the day. But I'll take it...I'm lucky to be able to!

I.M.

Photos by my sister Tina.