The Same but Different

It turns out I have blocked out a lot of memories from Gianna’s newborn-ness. Probably because it was hard for a long time.  And you know, four (holy shit) years ago – I can’t remember what I had for breakfast let alone the details from four years ago.

It also turns out I blogged a lot of those moments.  I was looking back at a few posts from when G was around 2 months old and wow – these girls not only look almost identical but they are living almost parallel lives it seems.  Or I am living a parallel life.  Whatever, either way – there are so many similarities between them.

Similar sleep patterns/requirements/habits.  Similar reflux/GI upset/sensitivity issues.  Similar facial features and expressions. 

There are also a lot of similarities, apparently, between how I am feeling and how adjusting to life has been.  There is no lie – going from 1 to 2 kids has been REALLY FREAKING HARD so anyone who tells you (like many people told me) that it is going to be a walk in the park, is severely misleading you.  We have had a solid 8 week adjustment period – it was pretty easy the first two weeks, sucked the next two and has slowly gotten better since.  But I’m not back to work full-time  yet either, so more adjusting to come. 

I have been feeling more frazzled than normal and apparently I felt this way with Gianna also.  I have also felt like I am not giving everyone the amount of attention they need/deserve, especially Mike.  And the laundry.  (I need a laundry fairy)  Obviously life is a little more hectic with two kids but also – this time of year is crazy for us since Mike coaches lacrosse.  And a lot of big things are going on in our lives too – Easter this past weekend, Gianna’s birthday next week and my baby sister is getting married next weekend (holy shit. again) so we have had a lot going on to prepare for that.

For the most part, I think we are doing pretty well juggling all the schedules and managing all the moving parts in our lives.  Sometimes with SO much going on, it’s hard to just BE.  Yesterday after I got home from work we all ate dinner and then just hung out together in the living room.  It was nice to just BE with my little family for an hour and soak them in.

The other same but different thing I noticed while looking back is how I feel about myself.  This time I lost all of the “baby weight” (yay!) already but nothing ever goes back to the place it came from.  I am having a hard time with my image yet I am also having a hard time getting back into any kind of workout routine.  I need like 2.25 more hours a day to make it all happen.  I know it will happen eventually, but for right now I just wish I had more than a handful of clothes that I felt good in.  I am getting my eyebrows waxed, nails and toes done and a spray tan for the wedding this week – so those things will help how I feel a little bit – everyone likes to feel pretty!  I really do want to run a 1/2 marathon so I am looking for ways to fit training in to my life too. 

It’s crazy how things are so much the same, yet so different.  Looking back helps to keep it all in perspective – baby’s get less needy, time becomes a little more free, schedules do evolve, and everyone survives (just a little more worse for the wear some days).  And you know, it all happens faster than we ever thought – so I am trying to remember a few more of those moments of quiet, and of chaos, because this is our life right now.  The same as it was two months ago, but different.

Wordless Wednesday

She is starting to love her lovie.

Wordless Wednesday

Oh these two.....

Healthy Choices #FrozenFacts #Spon

This whole no dairy/no soy diet, or the jailbird diet as our pediatrician referred to it, is tricky but not totally impossible.  And, thankfully, it is forcing me to eat healthy which is really a pretty great side effect. 

The only thing is, that it cuts out the majority of “convenience” foods (blue box mac & cheese, for one!) but it doesn’t TOTALLY limit my options. ConAgra Foods, makers of Healthy Choice and Marie Callender’s foods, provide GREAT options, as I have come to find out.  I didn’t realize that these brands, specifically, use fresh vegetables and meat in their preparations – I was always under the impression that all frozen foods were highly processed.  Since most of what I eat right now is “clean” it’s great to know that there are still “convenience” options available!

 

(yay top chef!)

In fact, my lunch was ready today in 4 minutes.  How’s that for convenience?

I have also never been a huge fan of prepared/packaged frozen meals because I just assumed they were going to taste terrible.  Not true!  The Healthy Choice meal I had for lunch today was seriously SO GOOD.  I could really taste the freshness and I can’t tell you how happy I was about this.

Also, it was really easy to prepare – the directions were simple – and the packaging was sturdy that I wasn’t worried that my food was going to fall on the floor the minute I took the thing out of the microwave!

I mentioned that eating healthier is something that has happened by default with my “forced” diet change – but something that is really nice about the Healthy Choice meal is that it is one serving.  No worries about portion size or wasting food – and I was truly full when I was finished.  We all know portion control is a huge key to weight loss and healthy eating, so it’s nice that not only are the ingredients fresh, the food is tasty but the portion sizes are perfect.  Healthy Choice and Marie Callender’s have more than 80 meal options under 400 calories!

A little background on the video below from ConAngra:

Healthy Choice and Marie Callender’s created a video that follows two women on the adventures of their daily lives, imagining how new technologies will impact their routines, especially in the grocery store. From apps that store your grocery list to recipe research on Pinterest, the landscape of shopping is quickly changing. With various resources available to consumers, they are now, more than ever, interested in learning where their food is coming from.

And just in time for National Frozen Food Month (March), these brands are helping shoppers to predict the future of shopping for frozen food!

 

I am absolutely going to add Healthy Choice meals in to my work lunch and quick-dinner rotation!

ConAgra Foods frozen meals give families access to real ingredients like crunchy, freshly cut vegetables, homemade pasta and ripe fruit year-round. Just like most people blanch veggies before freezing them – ConAgra Foods does too – to help preserve color, texture and keep them fresh!

Give it a try sometime! Marie Callender’s hearty pot pies are filled with tender meat, freshly cut vegetables and Marie’s authentic golden, flaky crust. And Healthy Choice recipes use chef-inspired ingredients like, apples instead of sugar for tart sweetness and a splash of red wine for a punch of flavor instead of added salt.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of ConAgra Foods.

7 week stretch

My little peanut is 7 weeks old. Which seems completely impossible if you ask me. Here's a little recap of the past few weeks, mostly for memory keeping purposes.

- silent reflux is just as terrible as the projectile puke variety. She is miserable a lot. Crying, screeching, back arching (or curled up teeny-tiny), hoarse voice, angry face and visible (& audible, actually) discomfort.
- also terrible is MSPI. She can't tolerate any raw dairy or soy in my diet & the kind you find in most foods is a no-go also. I am completely mourning the loss if Reese peanut butter eggs. My waist line will probably thank me later.
- what is totally awesome though is her personality. When she is comfortable she is so chill. She coos & smiles and is in love with the birds on her swing. Morning is for sure the best time of day for her.
- she has started to track us a little bit with her eyes. Except, she has a bit of a lazy eye going on. Her left eye for sure, but I see some laziness in the right as well. The one trait no mom wants to pass on! Her pediatrician is aware and we will discuss things more at her 2 month appt in a few weeks.
- Aleesia LOVES her sister. It is amazing actually that at such a young age she interacts and engages with Gianna. And if G starts talking or singing to her, she calms down (maybe only for a minute or two).
- she is not much of a napper right now - especially if napping requires being out down. She will gladly fall asleep while we are holding her, but put her down and she will most likely wake up pretty quickly. While it is great to have a little snuggler, it is also slightly inconvenient when you need to do things, like go to the bathroom or eat!
- but!! Since she really doesn't sleep during the day, she started sleeping for 6-9 hours at night. So, that is pretty awesome. She was sleeping in the rock & play beside our bed. But now she sleeps in it, in her room. We tried the crib (slightly elevated) last night with moderate success. As long as she sleeps in her own room, though, I don't care too much. I know the rock & play is more comfortable for her right now.
- also contributing to her stellar night sleep is the fact that she loves to be swaddled.
- she is a pretty good breast feeder. I realize I have nothing to compare to but she eats well, latches decently most of the time, etc. she is a SLOW eater though - 15-30 minutes at a time! Also, she is so hard to burp!
- she only will take the "soothie" kind of pacifier.
- we do a lot of rocking, bouncing, shooshing with her to keep her happy
- the similarities between G and A are uncanny - similar personalities & infant mannerisms, almost identical reflux/MSPI issues, pretty close to identical looks! Aleesia's eyes & hair are lighter and she is a little smaller than G was at the same age, but otherwise - spitting images!
- we love her so so much and even though she has only been here 7 weeks, I don't really remember life before her and her sweet snuggles.