We are in the midst of moving so I’m going to keep this month’s update on the shorter side and focus mainly on the pictures (let’s be real, they are the best part of these posts anyhow)

The past five months have flown by and I fall more in love with this kid with each passing day. He is full of personality and one of the happiest babies I’ve ever met. Note how we’ve graduated from lounger photos to sitting up like a big boy too.

Stats: I don’t have official stats for him because his next check up isn’t until 6 months. However, I took him to the doctor because of a cold (his first!) and asked them to weigh him just for my own curiosity. Weight: 15 lb 9 oz - just shy of a pound increase since his 4 month appointment which was really 3 weeks ago!

Eats: Z’s appetite has steadily increased and he’s eating a lot more these days. Explains how he gained an entire pound in three weeks. He’s still a squirmy distracted eater which makes feedings sometimes challenging. I’m still exclusively pumping but he’s far surpassed my daily output so we are supplementing with formula during night time feedings. Hoping to still make it to 6 months pumping but my supply is definitely tanking and this move isn’t helping. We’ve also started adding 1 serving of rice cereal to his last feeding of the night. Flame if you will but our doctor recommended it based on his level of activity and calorie intake. I didn’t plan on starting him on solid foods until 6 months and I was hoping to start with a baby led weaning style but if I’ve learned anything in the past 5 months it’s that things don’t always work out the way I expected them to. See my breastfeeding story as a prime example. One serving of rice cereal isn’t enough to warrant concerns about overfeeding or obesity, it’s 60 calories which is roughly the same caloric makeup of a 3 oz bottle.

Sleep: We’re still waiting to start sleep training because of how much Z eats during the night time hours but we are sticking to our night time schedule and beginning to work on breaking his night time wake ups one by one. Lately we’ve been dealing with only 1 or 2 night time wake ups as opposed to 3. Hoping to cut them down gradually until they’re gone entirely.

Sickness: So as I stated above, Zachary came home with his first case of daycare crud and his timing was great (read: worst ever). On a Thursday, the daycare lady told me he was fussy and not taking his last bottle. By the time we got home he was tired, cranky and sneezing. By Friday he was coughing and clearly sick. Saturday I woke up feeling sick and then Anthony got it on Sunday. The problem is we had both just given our two weeks with our employers and had no leave left to take. So yeah, I spent the better portion of my last two weeks at work trying to tie up loose ends with all of my cases, tending to a sick baby and trying to breath and not cough up a lung myself all on top of trying to plan and coordinate a move. I’m running on fumes at this point and cannot wait for next week when we will be settled into our new digs. Then maybe I can focus on finding myself a job. But I’m also very proud and happy that we went almost 5 whole months without getting sick.

Development: This month summed up: feet, squeals, and stomach sleeping. Zachary found his feet probably about three weeks ago and he’s pretty obsessed, if they aren’t in his hands they’re in his mouth. The squealing, oh the squealing. He shrieks at and about everything, and he thinks it’s hilarious to boot. He finds a lot of things hilarious these days actually.  And lastly, the stomach sleeping. Stomach sleeping has added fuel to our already large sleep issue fire. Zachary seems to be inclined to sleeping on his side however lately he’s been a fan of rolling onto his stomach and getting himself stuck up against the railing of his crib. And then he wakes up and cries because he can’t get back onto his side or back. He doesn’t seem to be a fan of sleeping on his stomach but ultimately rolls onto his stomach every time he’s placed on his back. The doctor thinks he is weeks, if not days, (!??!) away from crawling. All of this crib gymnastics doesn’t help our sleep schedule at all.

Overall it’s been a crazy whirlwind of a month for us as a family but we are super excited to be moving back home to be closer to our family. More on the move in another post and stay tuned for the 6 month follow up!

1. I don’t blog consistently and I frequently try to remedy this but I always fail. Sometimes I go an entire month without posting even though I have a queue of posts lined up and ready to go. How many times have I apologized for neglecting my blog? More than I’d like to admit to.

2. My life isn’t nearly as interesting as I think it is. It’s one big  routine of  work , bottle washing, snot wiping, baby entertaining, bad TV watching and sleep deprivation.

3. I’m a clone. There is an overabundance of young attorney moms who love to hit the pavement. I’m fully aware of the fact that I’m not a unique blogger. Also I haven’t hit the pavement in quite some time.

3. I’m awkward when I try to be funny and funny when I’m not trying to be. Don’t worry I’m the same IRL.  (Using acronyms like IRL on both the internet and in real life certainly doesn’t help)

4. I’m an over sharer and worse…I have no filter. I’ll blog about anything and everything, so consider this your warning.

5. I over edit anything I write (including twitter posts and Facebook status updates). What can I say, after receiving an English degree and a JD I just can’t stand the idea of posting something on the internet that isn’t grammatically correct or at least half-way witty (and the irony is, my posts still aren’t grammatically correct or all that witty) Stop looking for typos, I’m sure they are all over the place. Thanks.

6. I take a ridiculous amount of photos and share them all on every social media outlet I can get my hands on. I’m also apparently incapable of taking pictures of anything but my kid, my dogs and the food I eat. I also don’t know how to edit, think my monthly baby photo shoots…so many photos.

7. I’m a hobby addict (and Pinterest procrastinator) and my blog reflects how all over the place I truly am.  I read, I write, I photograph, I run, I bake, I cook, I eat, I drink (yes I consider this a hobby and not a problem, judge if you will), I knit (yup.). You name a hobby and I’ll jump on it like my dogs on a carrot; eating a good chunk of it before becoming disinterested and walking away. I don’t have much focus on one specific interest.

8. I don’t know how to navigate  the  inner workings of my own blog. I  seriously have to reset my web host password every time I log in (should show you how often I do so) and  I live in fear that I’m going to crash my own blog for good one day. I also don’t understand or like HTML…and I’m married to a software engineer.

9. I stalk other bloggers. And I constantly compare my blog to others and end up feeling super inadequate. This usually involves late nights and a heavy handed pour of wine.

10. I don’t care. All joking aside, I know I have my flaws as a blogger but I love every aspect of it. I love the ability to write freely, I love the variety of blogs I can read, and most importantly I love the community. No matter how many blogging no-nos I commit, I’m always welcome with open arms. Also, it’s pretty therapeutic.

We’ve hit the 4 month mark, goodbye fourth trimester!

Stats:

Weight: 14 lb 11 oz – 50th percentile

Height: 25 inches – 55th percentile

Head: 42.8 cm  – 75th percentile

It appears our once huge baby isn’t quite as huge as he used to be with the exception of his head…it’s still large but thankfully he’s grown into it a little more.

Eating: At Z’s 4 month check up the NP said he was the picture perfect and healthy as can be. We discussed his continuous battle with feeding and decided it was time to move up to level 2 nipples (something I probably should have done a month ago, whoops). So far the faster flow seems to help keep him focused on eating and not the million of other things going on around him. He is finally eating the proper about of food and I’m no longer worried about how much he is eating. We have also decided to start introducing formula back into his system since my frozen stash is rapidly dwindling. I fear that Zachary has inherited his dad’s pickiness because not only does he hate my frozen milk (have to mix it with fresh for him to even consider drinking it), he seems to also hate formula, even the tiniest amount in his bottle and the stink face emerges. So our goal is to mix half frozen/half fresh bottles for daycare and a varying mix of fresh milk and formula for night time feedings.

Sleeping: So yeah, all of my bragging back in the newborn days definitely caught up to me. What I thought was an early 4 month sleep regression last month has stuck around and is showing no signs of dissipating. In fact, it’s even worse…4 to 6 hour stretches would be awesome, instead we’re now dealing with 2 to 3 hour stretches. But first, let’s take a moment to celebrate Z’s amazing and painless transition to his crib. One night we woke up to an epic tantrum and while Anthony was heating up a bottle for Z, I witnessed him arch his back so violently that he flipped himself onto his stomach…in his Fisher Price Rock n’ Play, while swaddled. After I freaked the hell out flipped him back into a safe position I made the executive decision that we were going to retire both his swaddle and the rock n’ play. The next night we put him in his crib, in a sleep sack and that was that…not a single tear was shed. He was in love with the extra space to stretch out and we soon discovered that our little man is a side sleeper. Every night without fail he rolls to his side and passes out. At first this freaked me out because I had visions of him rolling completely onto his stomach and suffocating but he rolls from side to side without any problem and never ends up on his stomach thankfully. However, he is now waking up way more often and I suspect the extra freedom to move around is one of the reasons (the other being he still doesn’t eat enough during his awake hours so he wakes up hungry multiple times a night)

Typical night time for us:

In crib by 7-7:30

Wakes up around 9 to eat

Dream feed between 11 and 11:30

Wakes up between 1:30 and 2 – eats some

Wakes up between 3:30 and 4 – eats some

Wakes up between 6 and 7 for good

Needless to say, we’re exhausted. The NP and our knowledgeable daycare teachers don’t know what’s going on. I hoped formula at night might have the added bonus of knocking him out for longer but it doesn’t seem to make a difference. He eats 10-14 oz between 7 pm and 7 am. We’ve increased his daycare bottles to 5 oz so he eats 20 oz during the day and one bottle before bedtime. Because he is eating so much during the night I don’t feel comfortable sleep training him because I feel like he obviously needs the food (I think he is just having a really long or back to back growth spurts because he has also increased his intake by 6 to 8 oz a day). Anyways, this eating/sleeping rant ended up longer than I expected…here’s to hoping he snaps out of this soon for our sake (and sanity). Thank god he’s cute.

Character: Z is quite the character alright. He is such a happy baby and he’s starting to smile all the time. He’s also started to giggle more often which is a-dorable. His favorite thing in the world is watching the dogs wrestle and jump off the couches; this sets him off every time and the giggling and squealing is priceless. I’ve also been told by daycare that he is quite sensitive and gets pretty upset when other kids are upset, sweet boy.

Moves: this kid is insane. At his 4 month appointment the NP put him on his stomach to see how his tummy time skills were progressing and within seconds he rolled onto his back and gave her his big elusive gummy smile. Thankfully she was standing in front of him because she wasn’t expecting him to roll so easily and quickly. He rolls front to back and back to front and he’s getting really good at sitting up (assisted). The nurse took one look at the crumpled sanitary paper lining the exam table and said “this is normally what it looks like after a 6 month old appointment, you are sure going to have your hands full soon” Z has also started to show signs of crawling (lord help me)…when on his stomach he sways front and back like he wants to get up and go somewhere. He’s also still 100% in love with his jumperoo and freely turns around to play with all the toys now. He loves to stand on our laps and bounce up and down too…he’s definitely an active baby. Side note: NP thinks his weight gain has slowed significantly due to how overactive he is…I’d believe it.

Adventures:

This month we took Z on his first long road trip to visit family for Passover. It’s about a 7 hour drive from Tallahassee to Boca and we stopped in Gainesville so he could meet his cousin Shayna. He did so well in the car and only got fussy towards the end of each leg. It was also our first hotel stay and he handled that like a champ too. He was so tolerant of the constant driving and visits and even all the pass the baby around. Unfortunately by Monday night I think he had had enough of the traveling and he started showing signs of early teething. He was miserable at the family Seder and was inconsolable. We ended up having to give him some Tylenol so he’d sleep through the pain, poor kid. We did however manage to get some Passover photos taken with various family members including the special photo my grandmother requested of the four generations. We have a similar picture of me, my mom, my grandma and her mother so this meant a lot to her. I also find this picture funny because Z  looks giant in my tiny 5’1 grandma’s arms. It doesn’t appear as though he inherited the short gene from this side of the family.

Z also finally got to meet his aunt Danielle who drove down for Passover from Asheville. He definitely took a liking to her. Note: this was the only smile we saw the entire night, she should feel honored.

We also had an obligatory photo shoot for Easter, which we spent quietly at home as a family of 3.

Stay tuned for month 5!

Baby:

Zachary is fantastic. No official measurements this month but he is definitely going through a big growth spurt. He is officially into his 3-6 month clothing and showing signs of outgrowing his current diaper size.

Eats: We were still battling intermittent feedings and cranky evenings until about a week ago when he finally started eating substantial bottles. His best eating day was on his first day at daycare, go figure. He is now eating 25-30 oz a day.

Sleep: I think I may have jinxed myself last month with all my bragging about how Z is a great sleeper. Even though his food intake has increased substantially and his nighttime routine hasn’t changed, his normal 6-8 hour stretch at night has turned into more of a 4-6 hour stretch. We have been trying to get him to sleep around 7 and stay asleep until his last feed which is around 11. He isn’t quite the solid sleeper he used to be and every noise seems to stir (and sometimes even startle) him. He fights being in the swing when he doesn’t want to go down but eventually the swing wins. We are also on the verge of transitioning him from his Rock ‘N Play newborn sleeper to his crib. I’m waiting to see how he handles the crib at daycare first since he’s never slept on a flat surface thanks to his severe newborn congestion and a Florida winter that can’t make up its mind.

Character: Z has continued his super smiles and constant chatter and we love it. We sit and talk with him all day long. In the past few days he also started laughing; especially for his daddy and for Chloe when she gives him puppy kisses (this seriously melts my heart). His vocabulary has advanced past  “ah-goos” and now includes “maahs” and “baahs”. He also lets you know when he is aware that you have stopped paying attention to him with a hearty squeal and a disapproving scowl. The faces this kid makes are pretty great.

Moves: Z’s head control is solid now; no more bobbling at all. He loves to be propped up in a sitting position in our lap or in his Bumbo seat. We recently tested out the Jumperoo as well because of his excellent head control and his incessant urge to kick. We use books underneath since he’s still too short to reach the floor. He loves it!

Adventures: Zachary had a ton of visitors this month and went on quite a few fun outings. First, his grandma Lenore, uncle Chris and cousin Sophie drove up  to visit him.

Then grandpa Zach and aunt Heather came to visit.

Daycare: March 1st meant the official end to my maternity leave. I tried to soak up as much time as I could with my little man and we went to daycare a couple days early to sit and take it all in. Honestly, it was overwhelming for him and heartbreaking for me. But I’m so glad we went for a trial run because I was able to handle that first day better than I expected to and apparently he had no problems settling into the routine of things. His teachers seem to love him and constantly tell me how adorable and sweet he is so it seems like it’s a great fit for him. It’s only been two days but I’m already getting back into the swing of things at work and even though I miss him, I’m adjusting.  I look forward to picking him up  in the afternoons and spending some quality snuggle time with him. I usually strap him into the Moby so we can walk around the house getting chores done while we discuss our day with each other.

I get asked a lot how I get Z to sit for his monthly photo shoots so well. Let me tell you, it isn’t always bright eyes and smiles. When Zachary is done with a photo shoot he certainly lets me know. This kid has the most ridiculous pout I have ever seen:

People also like to take guesses as to who Z looks like. While I think at times he might resemble me, he is without a doubt Anthony’s kid. Z looks a lot like Anthony did when he was a baby, and not much like I did at all. His face definitely transforms depending on if he is smiling, pouting, thinking,  or sleeping so much it amazes me. Sometimes I feel like he looks like a completely different baby depending on his mood and facial gestures.

Body:

Fitness: I’ve got to be honest…I’ve done nothing since the last check in on this front. I’m still battling issues with engorgement which makes it incredibly painful to even think about any type of exercise. Also, now that I’m back to work my time is incredibly limited and I’d rather spend the little time I do have with my kid. I’m hoping after a few weeks of settling into our new routine I will find the time but I have a feeling that a proper exercise routine will be taking a back burner until I’m done pumping. Just keeping it real.

Food: Because I’m finding it so difficult to exercise I am really trying to focus on eating a healthier diet. I’ve got a post coming on the different food goals I’ve set for myself recently. I’ve recently started tracking my food into MyFitnessPal just to see how many calories I typically take in on any given day and I’m hoping to improve my eating habits little by little until I’ve established a strong healthy eating routine.

Weight: I’m finally to the point where I’d like to try to slowly lose some weight while continuing to pump. This means not restricting calories per se but working on eating healthier and perhaps trying to tackle this whole exercise regiment conundrum. I’m definitely interested in losing the weight I intended on losing before I found out I was pregnant and I would love to blog about it for accountability but I’m just not sure the timing of it is appropriate while I’m still breastfeeding. I’m waiting to see if I can maintain my supply as I return to work and try to improve my eating habits.

This next month will be just as crazy and fun as the last. We’ll be focusing on settling into our new routine. We will be tackling crib sleeping, sleep training (just a little bit), a long road trip to visit family for Passover and a 4 month check up with some more not so fun vaccines.

Stay tuned!

I’m not really into Valentine’s Day (my former days of working at Hallmark still haunt me) but I do enjoy spending the day with the two men I love. Z and I enjoyed a nice shopping date with some friends followed by a nice evening at home and an extra special bath as we prepare for some out of town visitors this weekend. We hope everyone is spending today with the people they love too!

So between busting my laptop’s keyboard (note to self: don’t leave the Nalgene bottle unscrewed near the laptop, it won’t ever turn out well), getting all my files transferred to my new laptop and internet issues this past week, I haven’t been able to get this post up. Zachary turned 2 months old on February 1st and this is our two month post partum check in!

Baby:

Zachary’s stats:

• Weight – 12 pounds, 6 ounces: 50th percentile (according to our nurse practitioner his weight is in the 75th percentile but after checking both the WHO and CDC growth charts I think she was mistaken)
• Length – 23 inches: 50th percentile (again, the NP who took his measurements wasn’t the greatest, I was holding Z’s head in place and she definitely did not stretch him out entirely when measuring him. He has grown out of 0-3 month footed pajamas and onesies because of how long his torso is so I seriously doubt this is his true length)
• Head circumference – 16.14 inches: 90th percentile (his head is growing at a ridiculous rate, when he was born his head was 14.13 inches and in the 60th percentile)

Z got a clean bill of health at his 2 month appointment. The only we talked about at length were his bad eating habits. Z is overactive and won’t stay put when eating and only seems to want to eat an ounce or so at a time plus he sleeps too much when we’re out and about and literally forgets to eat.  So we are working on putting him on an actual feeding schedule now that he’s older in hopes we can improve his input numbers.

Z’s schedule:

One of the reasons I think we are having issues with the amount Z eats is because he is such a champion sleeper. I know a lot of parents will kill me for saying this out loud but Z is consistently sleeping through the night, and has been since he was 6 weeks old. Our last feeding is usually between 11 and 11:30 and he sleeps until about 5:30 or 6 am. He then wakes up eats 2 to 3 ounces and passes back out for a couple of hours. Then he is up all.day.long. He takes 20-45 minute naps here and there and cluster feeds all day long, never taking in more than an ounce or two at a time.

As thankful as I am that my baby sleeps so well through the night, this means I get absolutely nothing done during the days. Between pumping every 2 to 3 hours and feeding ever hour or so we don’t get off the couch much these days. Also, I’ve not been able to sleep through the night with him thanks to engorgement. I’ve only recently stopped setting an alarm to wake up and pump and I’m hoping my body will adjust to longer stretches of sleep without impacting my supply too much.

Z’s demeanor and milestones:

Zachary is such a happy and relaxed baby. He smiles all the time now, not just when we smile at him. He’s also begun to coo a lot and makes a very large range of noises and sounds. We have lengthy conversations throughout the day and I recently caught him chatting with one of his toys. He is also very active; he has been kicking and fist pumping up a storm since the day he was born. I have a feeling once he’s mobile he won’t ever stop.

Z is also incredibly strong; he has been holding his own head up pretty steadily since 4 weeks old. He still bobbles a bit and whacks us from time to time but he prefers to be propped up in our laps or hanging over a shoulder so he can just look around at everything. We even tested out the Bumbo seat and he handled it like a champ.

Z isn’t a fan of tummy time and literally just lays there sucking his fist until he falls asleep or gets frustrated enough to cry. I think his huge head is to blame.

Other things:

Because Z is so active and so curious he’s not much into cuddling with us. I’m a little sad that my baby boy doesn’t want to be held and snuggled like most babies his age but I’m also so incredibly happy with how independent and determined he is to be a big boy. He is happiest to be sitting in his newborn lounger or bouncy seat so he can kick and flail freely while having a conversation with you. He does still take a nap on me occasionally and when he does I cherish our cuddle time.

I’ve had to work with him in the Moby wrap because I’m a proponent of baby wearing and he only tolerates it in short spurts. He only lasted in the newborn hug hold for four weeks and we had to graduate to the kangaroo hold so his legs could be free. His head control is good enough that we are now doing the normal hug hold without a problem. He’s also not a huge fan of being cooped up in his car seat for lengthy periods of time, thankfully he usually passes out in the car seat once it’s on the move.

Body:

I gained 37 pounds during my pregnancy and I lost 35 pounds by 2.5 weeks post partum. Since then, my weight fluctuates but averages around 2 pounds above my pre pregnancy weight (100% of this credit goes to breastfeeding since I’m eating like a teenage boy and haven’t done anything physically active in two months). As great as this may sound, my body is nowhere near where it was pre-baby and I’m struggling to fit into my pre-pregnancy jeans. My hips expanded a lot during my pregnancy and they finally seem to be returning to their normal width. I hope I’m 100% comfortable in my pre pregnancy pants by the time I return to work, though thankfully it’ll be nice enough to wear dresses by then. Also, for the sake of keeping it real, I was trying to lose weight before I found out I was pregnant, so returning to my pre-pregnancy weight wasn’t some huge deal to me. Since I’m currently working on regulating my milk supply as I prepare to go back to work next month, I’m not focusing at all on losing weight right now, just eating healthy and being active. I do plan on focusing on weight loss again in a few months when my supply is regulated or when we have to start supplementing with formula, whichever comes first.

9 days post partum:

2 months post partum:

I have a lot of work to do in regards to my core strength. Not only did I carry a 9 lb baby to term, but I also had a c-section. My core strength is completely shot and I’m currently doing daily core strengthening exercises. I still haven’t started running thank to a heel spur I developed during pregnancy (pretty sure this is due to poor shoe wearing habits during pregnancy). My goal is to start running this month, hopefully in the next week or so. I’ve started doing some intro yoga at home but hope to make it to the studio in the next week or so.

I’ve been so-so on the whole healthy eating thing. My appetite is insane thanks to breastfeeding and the sugar cravings that I developed during pregnancy are still very strong. I’m trying to eat less processed food (frozen meals are a go to when I’m home with Z and need to eat lunch). I’m also trying to cut  the majority of dairy out of my diet because I suspect Z has a slight issue with it AND I eat an unhealthy amount of cheese, ice cream and milk.

So with that we enter into the third month and the final month of maternity leave! Z officially starts daycare on March 1st. We have our first out of town trip planned for my best friend’s baby shower in Jacksonville (edit: attended and he was amazing, also stole the show….sorry Mindy!) and tons of visitors in February. Here’s to hoping Zachary continues to give us good sleep and remains the happy baby we love so much!

The gym: I canceled my gym membership in my second trimester when I realized I hadn’t gone in several months. I also knew that I wouldn’t be able to continue using the gym I was at because it didn’t have child care and it’s not anywhere near work or home. I had plans to join the pricier gym near my house because it has child care options and it’s really nice. But,  I struggled to make it to the gym pre-baby, I realistically know I’ll go  even less now that Zachary is here. My plan is to save the $50 a month I’d spend on a gym membership for other fitness related things like yoga classes and race registration fees.

Running: I’m going to fall in love with running again. Before law school I really got into running and I lost 30 pounds in 3 months, it was therapeutic and I loved it. I tried to continue running in law school and even trained for a marathon with a friend of mine. But, I never gave it the time or dedication I needed to and I ended up injuring myself and essentially giving up on it. I think the key here will be to start slowly and build from there. I plan on starting with the Couch to 5K program in a week or two. I’ve been eager to start but unfortunately I got a nasty heel spur when I was pregnant (I guess I shouldn’t have been wearing wedges and heels at 9 months pregnant, whoops) so I’ve been patiently waiting for it to heal. I used to be a treadmill runner but since I don’t plan on rejoining a gym anytime soon, I’ll be doing all of my running outside. I’m excited about this; I prefer running outside and I like the idea of building my pace naturally. Once I get into a routine I hope to get a gps watch so I can track my running stats more efficiently; I’m currently eyeing the Garmin Forerunner 10 (Hey Anthony, this would be a perfect Mother’s Day present… hint hint, cough cough). My goal is to run 2 to 3 times a week and in the long term work my way up to running the Tallahassee Half Marathon next February. In the mean time I’m going to work my way back to 5K shape and start signing up for some local 5Ks.

Yoga: I’ve taken a couple of yoga classes in the past but I’ve never practiced on a consistent basis. I always feel so strong and balanced after a yoga class and wonder why I don’t go more often. Then I remember how pricey it is. Now that I won’t be sinking money into a wasted gym membership, I won’t feel as guilty attending a weekly yoga class. I think yoga will help me strengthen my core and help relieve some of constant neck and back pain I’ve suffered from for the past 17 years thanks to a bad car accident and some undiagnosed scoliosis. I’m going to start with some intro classes and work my way up to hot yoga eventually. I’ve always wanted to take a hot yoga class so I’m pretty excited about this. I hope to attend a yoga class at least once a week for now and maybe increase this to two times a week as I settle into my schedule as a full time working mom.

Core: Having a baby destroys your core. Having a c-section destroys your core even more so. I didn’t notice a deterioration in my core strength during pregnancy but, I didn’t have much to begin with. However, after my c-section any semblance of core strength went out the window. Much to my horror, I realized the other day that I can’t even suck my stomach in. I’ve started doing some post-partum core strengthening exercises including joining Nathan’s PlankaDay challenge. I hope to continue daily core strengthening exercises.

Walks: During my pregnancy, Anthony and I walked the dogs a lot. I really hope to maintain this with Zachary in tow. He seems to like stroller walks so far. The dogs also love walks and they’ve been feeling pretty neglected these days.

Other: I’ve always struggled with upper body strength. I failed the presidential fitness test in 5th grade because I couldn’t do a single pull up or chin up. Since I’m not rejoining a gym anytime soon I plan on utilizing the myriad of exercise DVDs I’ve purchased over the years (after I dust them off that is) to work on improving both my upper and lower body strength. I’m hoping to get at least one session in a week and to keep it varied.

So there you have it, my 2013 fitness goals. I’ll be checking in regularly to recap how I’m doing with these goals among the other health related goals I’ve set for myself this year. Wish me luck!

As you know I recently revived my blog. I spent two years blogging before going on over a year long hiatus. When I started my blog back in law school it had very little direction and was quite the ugly duckling. Then I won a blog makeover giveaway hosted by the awesome Katy Widrick . I worked with Katy and Rita of Blog Genie to revamp my blog and it was beautiful. Unfortunately life got busy and I still felt like I lacked direction so my blog became a source of stress instead of the outlet I wanted to create for myself and my readers. So I quit temporarily to regroup and focus on getting my life where I wanted/needed it to be. I didn’t think it was fair to my readers or myself to continue with something that felt forced and added to my daily stress.

By no means did I ever intend on giving up on blogging; I just wanted to wait until the right time in my life to return to it. Now that I’m back I really want to work on improving my blog so that it’s a more enjoyable experience for both myself and my readers. This is where Katy comes into play once again with her 28-Day Blog Challenge.

The idea:

We all make blogging resolutions, to-do lists and wish lists. But how many of us actually commit to putting some of those goals into action? For 28 days, we’re going to spend time reworking, refreshing and rethinking our blogs, social media spaces, community and more.

The changes can be big — go self hosted! create a new header! make some new Twitter lists! — or small — comment on a new blog! update your about page! check your blog for bad links! — and the beauty of the challenge is that you decide what to do.

Every time you make a change, head to the official #28DBC Challenge hub and let everyone know what you did, with a comment, a photo or a video. That’s also the place to go to ask questions, find new blogs and celebrate the great work that we’re all doing.

Katy has listed 28 suggestions on her blog as a template for the challenge. However, the beauty of this challenge is that each blogger gets decide what they want to do over the 28 day period. The 28 prompts offer inspiration  and I’m appreciative for them because I’m definitely a template oriented person (thanks to years of creating outlines for IB and law school exams and a nasty Type-A personality trait).

My goals for this challenge:

• clean up and organize my blog including links, pictures and categories
• finish completing my new blog template
• improve my social media reach
• increase my readership
• make new blog friends

To sweeten the deal, there are a ton of awesome prizes available to a selection of bloggers who complete the challenge.  So, if you have a blog I challenge you to join me for the next 28 days while we work to improve our blogs!

The first thing I did when I was wheeled into the recovery room was stare at my husband in awe as he held our baby boy; it was beautiful. The second thing I did was ask for a nurse to come help us with latching since I was new to this whole breastfeeding thing. The nurse was able to get Zachary to latch for a brief moment but he kept falling asleep and wouldn’t stay latched. She said we’d have to work on it again in a little while when we were both more rested. This is the downside of having a c-section; it takes about 45 minutes for them to sew you up and get you into recovery to actually bond with your baby and by then the exhaustion of the whole birth thing catches up to the baby and you. After 30+ hours of active labor and a c-section I was exhausted and so was my baby.

When we finally did try to feed I struggled to get Z to hold a latch. I called for the lactation consultant a few times but by the time she would make it to our room Z would be asleep again. The few times she did work with us he would latch for a minute or so and then pop off. She didn’t seem concerned and brought me a pump so I could at least get some colostrum expressed to feed him. Within a few hours of our first failed attempt at feeding,the nurses checked Z’s blood sugar levels and they were too low. I was promptly brought formula and told I had to feed him to get his levels back up. So with that, I experienced my first feelings of failure as a mother. I knew my milk wasn’t supposed to be in yet and all the research says colostrum is sufficient for the first few days but, I still felt like it was my fault that his blood sugar levels were low and I was being forced to feed him formula.

When I got home from the hospital I was battling two problems with feeding; the fact that we were still supplementing with formula and the fact that I couldn’t get Z to latch. I was coming to terms with the fact that I couldn’t get my baby to latch properly but I was determined to ramp up my supply so I could pump exclusively. It took me two full weeks of round the clock pumping for me to pump enough milk to feed Z without supplementing with formula. There were many times when I was convinced I’d never catch up to his appetite, but it finally happened. I tried a few more times to get him to latch and even tried a nipple shield but the best I could get was about 5 minutes of crying and frantic suckling with not much feeding going on. I recently tried again and had the same result; though he seems to have less trouble latching he also has less interest thanks to 7 weeks of bottle feeding.

I think the worst part about it is the lack of support and resources out there in regards to exclusive pumping. My doctor and my pediatrician think I’m crazy and have offered no support and plenty of discouraging remarks regarding how insufficient pumping is for my supply. It took hours of scouring the internet to find some good resources and honestly the more I read the more depressed I became. I wasn’t pumping near what they said I should be 10 days post partum and I was convinced my milk would dry up and that would be the end of it.

We are 8 weeks post partum and I’m still pumping 8-10 times a day for a grand  total of 3.5 to 4 hours a day. I’m not going to lie, it’s rough on both a physical and emotion level. I’m black and blue, I’ve suffered from one bout of mastitis, and I struggle with engorgement any time I go longer than 4 hours without pumping  (this seems to be improving in the last couple of days, fingers crossed).  I have to pump every 2 to 3 hours and wake up once in the middle of the night in order to keep my supply up. It’s long and tedious and I’ve spent many nights sobbing and considering just giving up. The guilt and the feeling of failure are also still so strong. I’ve drank more mother’s milk tea than I care to think about. I take 9 fenugreek pills a day and constantly smell like maple syrup. I eat oatmeal for breakfast as often as I can muster. I drink a beer a night while pumping (this one I can’t complain about too much). I obsess on a daily basis over the number of ounces I pump vs. the number of ounces Z has eaten. I’ll do anything to boost my supply and keep it going strong. I’ve pretty much conceded to the fact that my three month maternity leave is really a pump-cation.

In the end, breastfeeding was not the awesome bonding experience I thought it would be. It left one of us, if not both (usually both) of us in tears. I continue to try every once in awhile but to be completely honest with you, I dread it. The pure frustration and panic in Z’s eyes and the screaming as he tries so desperately to get milk from me is heartbreaking. And just when I think I’m completely ok with my decision not to continue trying to breastfeed  and resort to exclusive pumping until my supply dries up, I break down and try again.

Thankfully, I’ve been able to freeze a little bit of milk every day and I’ve built up quite the freezer stock. However, as Z approaches 2 months old, his appetite seems to be catching up to my supply and I’m worried once again about not producing enough. I also worry about the logistics of exclusively pumping when I return to work. Ultimately, I’m coming to terms with the fact that he may not be exclusively fed breast milk for as long as I anticipated and I’m just thankful I’ve been able to go as long as I have. Also, I’m thankful I’ve been able to freeze some milk to supplement with formula once my supply does dip or dry up.

I know people think I’m nuts and I agree to a point. It is a lot of work and it takes away a lot of time I could be spending enjoying my baby. I still feel like I’m imprisoned by the pump but I’m hoping that my supply will regulate soon and I can ease off the frequency/length of my pumping sessions. It’s been a tough journey but I’m not quite ready to give up entirely on breastfeeding. When I see him happily growing and thriving I remember that its totally worth it and I remind myself that this is all that really matters.

To say I am a book nerd is a complete understatement. I’ve been a voracious reader since I was a mere little girl in preschool where I locked myself in the bathroom until I learned how to read Dr. Seuss (seriously, I can’t make this stuff up…I was quite the gem). In elementary school I used to devour Stephen King and Dean Koontz novels like candy while all the normal other kids played kickball at recess. I worked at Barnes and Noble for five years to offset my book purchasing budget in high school and college. I was on a first name basis with the librarian at my local branch.  Last I checked I had read over 300 books and marked over 200 books as “to read” on my Goodreads account. I love, love, love to read. Recently I’ve noticed that I tend to forget about books I have read  pretty shortly after reading them. Not sure if I’m reading books too fast or if old age is kicking in but it saddens me when I can’t pinpoint specific details about a book I know I thoroughly enjoyed. So, one of my resolutions this year was to start writing book reviews so that I can create a reference of all the books I enjoy (or don’t). I figured why not review the books I read for the blog so I can also pass along recommendations to my family and friends. So without further adieu I present my first official book review!

I am stoked to start my book reviews with a review of the debut novel, Terra, written by fellow blogger Gretchen Powell. I have been a follower and fan of Gretchen’s other blog, Honey I Shrunk the Gretchen for quite some time.

Terra is a young adult dystopian/sci-fi novel. For the sake of brevity and because Amazon writers are way more qualified to summarize novels than I am I’ll go ahead and provide you with the plot summary from Amazon:

“A broken and desolate Earth. A young girl struggling to survive. A lost boy with a powerful secret.
A discovery that will change everything.
In the distant wake of a plague that has decimated the Earth’s population, humanity is split in two: The rich and powerful live in skycities that float overhead, while those who remain on the ground have gathered in settlements strewn across a dying planet. Eighteen-year-old Terra Rhodon is a terrestrial–a denizen of the barren groundworld–who makes her living as a scav. Long abandoned by her father, her caregivers gone, Terra supports herself and her younger brother, Mica, by scouring the earth for discarded scraps and metals to recycle for profit. One day, while on a routine scavenging run, she discovers something that shocks her home settlement of Genesis X-16. When the value of her discovery is revealed, Terra’s world is turned upside down.

Terra suddenly finds herself asking questions no one will answer. Her search for the truth leads her to Adam–a beguiling skydweller unlike any she has ever met. But Adam has secrets and a quest of his own, and with him by her side, the world Terra thought she knew begins to unravel. Soon her discoveries unearth a terrifying conspiracy that has the potential to shatter everything–a revelation that will test the bonds of loyalty, family, and love.”

When I first started reading Terra I felt a certain sense of déjà vu as visions of Katniss floated through my head. In fact my initial thoughts were that Terra seemed to be the lovechild of the Hunger Games and the Divergent series. However, as the story progressed Terra really blossomed into it’s own and I was hooked. Terra is incredibly well written and thought out. Seriously, the creativity in this novel is astounding. The level of detail in describing the environment surrounding the characters creates a complete picture for the reader.

The characters are well developed and loveable. I hate it when authors focus on making the hero/heroine tough and cool but so one dimensional they don’t seem real. Terra was real and perfectly flawed; I definitely had a girl crush.  So often authors also focus too much on the heroine/hero relationship and fail to create connections between these main characters and the supporting ones. But I loved how Gretchen built an adorable relationship between Adam and Micah; it added tons of dimension to the trio.

The plot twists were also great; I certainly didn’t see some of them coming. Just when I thought the story was going in one direction something would happen that would derail my predictions.

Bottom line, this is a great read.  I would never have guessed that this is a debut novel, it’s that well written and dimensional. I loved this book; more so than the Divergent series to be perfectly honest with you. I found myself flying through this book and it got me through many late night baby feeding sessions. Terra is part of a series and Gretchen has already started writing book two. I’m pumped to find out what will happen next to Terra.

Check out Gretchen’s blog to read the first couple of chapters of Terra. Terra is available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle format. I really hope you all give this book a shot; it’s awesome.  Bravo Gretchen, bravo…and hurry up with book 2, I can’t wait to find out what happens next.