Sleep issues and diet rambling

Well Bowynn is 6 months old now. She is a generally happy baby (particularly if you're taking her out some where). She tried her first baby mum-mum crackers a couple days ago and loves them. She ate six with no trouble on her first day. Yesterday she had 2 bowls of cereal and mashed banana and one of store bought banana - it's the most solid food she's eaten without complaining. Speaking of complaining! Her new thing is to make these high pitched little whining noises when she wants to talk to you (or herself). Totally adorable. She's also wiggling and rolling around pretty good, trying to get up on her hands and knees. 

Unfortunately she has also stopped sleeping well (much to my despair!). She has starting grousing and whining at bed or nap time and is resisting going down in her crib. She wants to be nursed to sleep. I feel a bit like a first time parent dealing with this because it is so different from how Kaeda was. I didn't really have sleep problems from her until I weaned her at 18 months. 

So what do I do?!?!?!

There are several things to consider (bear with my thinking out loud). She just turned 6 months which is a pretty big growth spurt time for babies. She's more aware than she's being left in a crib. I have accidentally  been co-sleeping some times with her when I come in to night-nurse. Annnnnd the one I'm most worried about; me not getting enough calories can cause a drop in my milk production - she could be hungry!! 

I had calculated to include calories for breastfeeding in my diet but maybe it's not enough? I'm not really sure how to tell if I'm producing enough milk... although she did eat a LOT of food last night and didn't sleep any better really.  I guess it's just something I'll have to keep an eye on.

More about dieting:

Things have been going pretty good here in those terms. Who knew black coffee wasn't that bad and skim lattes not the end of the world? I haven't cut out so much of my favorites as I have substituted certain ingredients for lower-fat options and and cut back my portions.

Still eating lots of spinach and veggies.

I was limiting myself to about 2000 calories a day but something I read on Peaceful Parenting said I should be having 2500-2700 as a nursing mother. I'm not too sure about this as I feel fine and full and, well... like I'm eating the right amount.

I think the funniest thing about it is that I feel a little like a traitor to myself - I've always been SOOO anti-calorie-counting that it's kinda hilarious that I'm doing it now. I'm certainly hearing about it enough from some people (you know who you are!). And just to be clear that doesn't bother me but it does surprise me how many people say "why don't you just run around the block?". Besides the whole mess of trying to get kids in a stroller for a run, weather, time and such - I ran for just over a month every other day and saw no changes to myself beyond energy and fitness (which are great but I want waist results too!!).

SO, continuing on the fitness rant. B, the kids and I hiked up Mt. Doug yesterday. It was surprisingly easy and of course, very beautiful. I hope we can continue to do that regularly as I don't think I could ever get tired if the forest.

dun dun dun.... Dieting...

I have always hated dieting. I hate the whole concept around it. I hate that women feel the need to be skinny to be attractive - because that's what it's usually about. I hate the calorie counting obsession, the deprivation of all things delicious and the way it just seems unnatural...

...and yet, here I am... day three of my attempt to actually "count" my calories.

I don't think of myself as a complainer but anyone who so much as turns in my direction will hear just how much I miss eating what ever I want. Black coffee, bowls of spinach and plates of chopped veggies.... ok, ok, it's not really that bad - coffee is still coffee, I have a delicious raspberry vinaigrette for my spinach and I actually kinda like veggies... and it's not like I'm super strict or anything. Anyone that knows me well knows I'm being "strict" when I order a latte with sugar-free syrup and the dreaded skim milk.

The reality of it is, I want to lose weight. I mean, come on, I've still got baby weight from both my babies! I see moms out there with their 6-month-old babies and they're skinny as can be - totally jealous! I just don't seem to have the time or commitment to exercise on my own consistently and I'm too frugal to pay for classes so the only thing I really can do is pay more attention (like a lot more) to what I eat. Let's just hope I can stick with - being the total foodie that I am it will be tough. But I'm sick of not fitting my clothes and hating the way I look so I'll just have to grin and bear it..... oh, and I promise to try not to whine too much.  :)

Surprise, Cavalia!

So for mother's day this year I went to visit my mom (pretty much a monthly thing) and my little brother surprised us with tickets to the circus/horse show Cavalia!! He baby sat the two girls so mom and I could go and even got us the Horse Lover passes that allowed us to go meet the horses after the show! Everyone has been saying how magical, epic and amazing this show is - and they're totally right! If you have a chance to see it - GO! It's a bit like cirque-du-soleil meets horses and it's just beautiful... The horses are less like trained animals and more like dancers themselves.

Look how close we were! 

Some of the horses we met after the show. There were a bunch we weren't even allowed to talk to because they were voice trained! (and I promise the one on the bottom is just sleeping!)

        

The girls had a great visit with their grandparents and uncle - just like they always do. Soon enough I'll be sending Kaeda over by herself she loves visiting so much! Some times I think it's scary how alike I am to my mother... I certainly hear her words coming out of my mouth! I'm looking forward to the trips we have planned for the girls this summer - Seattle Zoo and Kelowna!

Bowynn being all snuggled up - thanks to Kaeda!

my cutie pie! tears still fresh on her adorable face!

My bad habit

I have this bad habit.... I judge other parents (not like super harshly or all the time). I like to lurk on "mom boards" reading parenting issues and advice often just to reassure to myself that my choices aren't that bad.

Ok, ok, it's not really that awful a thing. I mean, parenting is a very opinionated so really what mom doesn't occasionally think "wow, those kids are out of control" or "that child is too old for a bottle/pacifier" or something else like that? It's pretty much unavoidable, the key is not to be one of those moms who acts like they think all those things (I've met a few). In my defense I also recognize my bad habit and keep my mouth shut most of time (unless it's a safety issue) and remind myself that they're not my kids, it's not my life and it's none of my business.

This isn't that big of an issue where I live because where I am people are educated and open-minded, we have free medical and there are lots of programs and information for families to help with parenting. But reading mom forums that are global can be a real eye opener. There are places where certain things or facts that I take for granted aren't common place.

But the thing that really gets me about it is that these people have the internet - they're on the forum after all! perhaps it's just me or my generation but - Google it! There are always lots of opinions, reviews, professional answers out there to compare and think about. Ok, I'll admit I'm a little bit of an information whore, I get on a subject and I can spend hours digging through Google reading pros and cons and different suggestions, statistics and opinions. I know some people aren't as into that as I am - in fact some of the moms on the forum don't even read the posts above theirs let alone check online.

Anyway, this habit might be "bad" but the forums really are a good thing - there is lots of support out there if there isn't in your community and there are stories and advice that I've found very useful.

On a totally unrelated note: Bowynn had bananas for the first time last night! She ate an entire half a mashed banana. She loved it so much she cried when I took the spoon away to refill it! On a not so positive note: She had banana poo this morning, lol!

Kaeda has a new found fascination with gardening. I am trying to encourage her to weed our garden (as I absolutely HATE weeding and kinda suck at gardening in general). She is doing ok, but likes to pick more than just weeds... (naturally).

Book Reviews

Ok, I'm actually going to do a quick book review in here as I don't want to forget anything. I'm still reading the last in Libba Bray's series but in between (or instead of ) I've read these two:

Ivy by Julie Hearn
***
This book was surprisingly interesting. Her use of accent was very interesting in the time period. The characters weren't so much lovable as they were curious. The plot wasn't totally engrossing but enough to make you want to know more. What I really loved was the creative tie to history with actual reference to known painters. Other than that, the book was good but I wouldn't recommend it really.

Dragon Actually by G. A. Aiken
****
This one was recommended to me by a friend. I've spent so much time reading young adult novels it was definitely a change to read this. The guys called it my "dragon porn" book. No, there was no actual bestiality or anything but it was kinda an adventure/romance... with a dragon that could turn human who falls in love with a human. And yes, there was a lot of sex.
Still, it was very entertaining and I found myself laughing a lot. I will definitely be getting the rest in this series.

Top 10 Quiz

I had a couple ideas about what to write today... I'd love to do a review of my strollers (cause I'm a bit of a stroller whore) and I have some interesting thoughts on parenting the second time around... buuuut I'm just not up to it today.

Instead I'm going to take a page from the blog Controlled Chaos and do a little quiz!

1. What topics do you most like to read about on blogs?
I'm all about the parenting blogs right now. I love reading reviews, recipes, birth experiences and opinions on different parenting styles. Plus, it's always nice to know there are moms out there who's lives are just like mine and full of the same struggles and humor.

2. What are your favorite blogs?
Well that's easy, they're all right there on my blog list. I will add that I LOVE the recipes from Kevin & Amanda's blog (which isn't a parenting blog at all). Also, Peaceful Parenting has a lot of interesting articles related to attachment parenting.

3. How did you decide your family size?
I was always kind of a tomboy. I never dreamed of the perfect wedding or the picket fence. However, I always felt I knew I would one day have two kids (although I imagined a girl and boy). When we became unexpectedly pregnant with Kaeda we talked about it again. Both B and I didn't feel right about having an only child, and as I grew up with just one sibling I felt two was perfect. We decided that three years was as big a gap as we wanted and so as that time drew near we started trying for a second.
I feel that I have been waiting to meet Bowynn for so much longer because we planned a second baby long before she was conceived.

4. How did you grow up?
When I think of my childhood I feel lucky. My parents were older but stable, loving and respectful. They took us on trips, were very involved in our day-to-day and schools. We lived in the same house the whole time and had a wide range of pets. My younger brother and I always got along and are still good friends. We have a colourful and loving extended family and are all very close.
Of course there are things I want to do differently with my kids and perhaps things I might have changed - but overall when I think of my childhood I picture sunny days, the smell of fresh cut grass and the whole family outside together.
A very different upbringing from B's.

5. How did you meet your spouse?
It was my 19th birthday and my friends and I all went out to celebrate. My boyfriend at the time had gone to school with B. When we showed up at the bar it was closed. B and his friends happened to be outside contemplating what to do about this when I invited them to join us at a different bar. B and I became friends quickly. He was different from anyone I'd ever met and we just got each other in a way I'd never known before.
Because we don't recall when we actually started dating we celebrate my birthday as our anniversary.

6. How were you proposed to?
After Kaeda I told him I didn't want to get married just because we were having a baby - I had seen too many marriages not work on those grounds. The summer of 2009 saw our family (and extended) in some really rough places. It made us both realize how short life can be and how happy we were with each other. I was planning on proposing to him when apparently he had the same idea!
I thought we were going for a late birthday celebration (he had been out of town). We went to a fancy restaurant in Victoria and then B took me up to the top of Mt. Doug. He was worried that the fog would ruin the view but as it turned out we were looking down at a misty city of shimmering lights and the sky was clear and full of stars - he couldn't have planned it better. He pointed out different places and told me stories about his youth and then he gave me my birthday present. I opened it to find an iPhone box, inside the box was another box - and the ring!

7. What do you believe?
Well that's not a loaded question, but I'll give you an idea:
I believe in family. That believing in yourself can make anything possible. I believe in adopting pets from shelters. I believe balance - of food, tv, computers, activity, etc. I believe that people change, and in seeing both sides of an argument. I believe in 'intact' baby boys and breastfeeding. I believe that a baby's cry should always be answered. I believe that marijuana should be legalized. I believe that engaging children is the key to education. That empathy should be taught to discourage bullying. I believe in pro-choice and that child-abusers should be shot. I believe in the saying "it takes a village to raise a child".

8. What are your favorite things?
Drink: Coffee!
Band: The Beatles
Show: True Blood
Chore: re-organizing/de-cluttering
Season: Summer
Book: That's too hard! Let's just say anything Tamora Pierce.

9. What do you normally wear?
Lately... yoga pants. Yoga pants and a light top of some kind - I get warm too easily.

10. How did pregnancy affect you?
Well I suppose! I worked right until 9 months with Kaeda. I felt pretty good, a few aches and pains near the end - about 10 minutes of morning sickness all together. Bowynn I felt a little worse off at the start but less of the aches and pains near the end. Although I'm sure I whined plenty I really had nothing to complain about when you hear some of the stories of bed rest and puking every morning.