40 Weeks In — 40 Weeks Out

Best 80 weeks of my life!

I feel quite different than I did 40 weeks ago . . . I'm definitely more comfortable, confident, and although I'm still sleep-deprived, it is largely by-choice. Although pregnancy was a magical time in my life, there is no comparison to spending every day face-to-face with my sweet daughter. Motherhood is so meaningful, and compared to pregnancy, it has been much more enjoyable in my experience.

First on the list is that I love having my body back. Although I'm still breastfeeding and constantly attached to sweet Charlotte, I'm well below my pre-pregnancy weight, and I appreciate being able to lift, move and work like I did before I got pregnant. Another great advantage of not being pregnant anymore is the fear of the unknown has subsided. I'm no longer waking up constantly throughout the night counting movements or obsessing over every small detail of labor, delivery and the health of my baby. 

Overall, the 40 weeks it took to grow Charlotte inside seemed to last three times longer than the time that has passed since Charlotte has been born, and I can only imagine that this will be the theme of my life from here on out. Charlotte was just a sparkle in her daddy's eye 80 weeks ago, and now she is here filling everyone's lives with laughter, slobbery kisses, pure joy and truckloads of unconditional love.

A Holiday for Thanks

Isn't it pretty obvious what I'm thankful for?!

You're probably expecting the typical "What I'm thankful for . . . " list from this post, but I'll save that for my family's pre-dinner tradition. Instead, I want to share an article that is really special to me. It was the first cover story I wrote for IE Weekly last year.

Giving Thanks is a piece I was inspired to write, because I wanted to remind or educate people on the types of values that are held in many local Native American tribes. Many Native Americans have relationships with nature, food and material possessions that we can learn a lot from. One example of this that I explain in the article is how, "Food isn’t just for nourishing one’s body—it is also an important element for spiritual celebration, social fabric and maintaining a connection with nature."

I hope we can take a moment and re-evaluate our priorities when it comes to the holidays. While I will definitely follow my family's typical Christmas traditions to ensure Charlotte has a great first holiday season, I want to continue focusing more on the experience and less on the things.

Remember to always count your blessings, be altruistic, and take a moment to really soak in what a great gift life is today and every day.

Happy Thanksgiving! From Charlotte & Me!

Baby Milestones — Nine Months Old

The exhaustion of having a nine-month-old is taxing in a completely different way than that from being a full-time mom to newborn. Pre-toddlers like Charlotte are so busy they end up fighting off naps right and left, and I find myself remembering the days when naps could last three hours. While every stage in a mini-human's development has its own unique set of challenges, I love watching my daughter grow. Happy nine months angel baby! These are some of the milestones Charlotte is hitting at nine-months-old:

Multi-tasking. Charlotte doesn't only stand unaided for up to one minute, she at the same time claps, dances and celebrates the overall happiness of life. Oh, and she took her first step yesterday! No big deal!

Speech. Charlotte has been saying words like "dada" and "hi" for more than half her life, however now also says with intent, "Baba" and "Papa." Whenever she is prompted to say "mama," instead she answers with a scary growl-like sound. I think it means she's trying!

Food & Diet. This little lady is still starving despite being in the top 90th percentile for height and weght. Aside from as many healthy servings of breast milk as Charlotte wants each day, she also enjoys three meals and plenty of snacks.

Playtime. Char has reached a milestone within the last couple weeks, and it might be one of the best milestones yet. She is able to safely entertain and play by herself for a decent amount of time. By decent amount of time, I'm referring to enough time to shower in the morning. She loves toys, and when she is happy in the morning, it is easy to distract her for up to 20 minutes in her play pen aka baby jail.

I love how grown-up Charlotte is becoming. She is on the verge of walking, and I have to constantly remind myself to slow down and appreciate every sweet moment with my little girl.

What milestone has your baby hit recently? Please share below!