Menu Planning Monday

Like I mentioned in last week's post, we didn't really do much cooking.  Not sure why, but it was kind of a hectic week.  So without further ado, here is a breakdown of what we actually ate:

Monday:  Leftovers
Tuesday:  Leftovers
Wednesday:  Maple/brown sugar salmon, 4 cheese couscous, and yellow squash
Thursday:  Spaghetti squash with meatballs (him veggie, me turkey with spinach)
Friday:  Leftovers
Saturday:  Cream of chicken and orzo soup (veggie chicken)
Sunday:  Leftovers

This week is already turning out better...perhaps because we have begun our nightly routine with the little man, so everything is a little more organized.  Here's a breakdown of the plan:

Monday:  Grilled salmon and mahi (we split both), grilled eggplant and portabello mushrooms, and green beans
Tuesday:  Shrimp pasta with homemade basil pesto & tomatoes, asparagus, and an arugula and spinach salad with gorgonzola, pecans, and apples
Wednesday:  Homemade wheat crust pizza (four cheese with a tomato sauce)
Thursday:  Tacos
Friday: Free
Saturday: Unsure (have a wedding that night but only attending the ceremony, so....)

Just wanted to explain what "free" means on Fridays, in case any of you are wondering.  See, Joe always works on Friday nights and has to be in around 630 or so.  Combined with the fact that he has to get a delivery in the early afternoon and rarely eats lunch until he gets home around 330 or 4, means that he is never hungry for a regular dinner before work.  So I often just make myself something.  So, that's what "free" means...I'm free to make whatever!!

Who knew having a baby would be this hard... Or this lonely...

Thoughts on Me

Since I was officially cleared today to work out, I naturally began thinking about getting back in there.  I think for both achieving my goals and for my overall sanity, I will begin going to the gym next week.  I think starting at three days a week is a good place...don't want to get too sore or tire myself out by overdoing it.

arielsfitnessjournal.com

 So, I asked Joe if I could have one hour three times a week starting on Monday.  Thinking I will go to the gym Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays...since those are the days that Joe generally doesn't have anywhere to be in the morning.  That's one hour that will be entirely mine.  It will be great to focus on getting a little bit of "me" back and just zone out.  After spending all day with Nash today, I realized that I need a break.

I would love to be one of those moms who says I can't be away from my child, but I'm just not.  It's not that I don't like being around him, it's just that I cannot hold him all day and all night like he wants.  But what am I supposed to do?  Let him cry when I don't come to pick him up?  I just can't seem to figure it out.  I'm tired.  And he fusses when he gets bored, which seems to be all the time.  It makes it really hard to get anything done or even just relax.  So I need some space.  Just a little.  Plus, I think it will do Joe some good to spend time with him, comforting him, without me.  I am always the answer and I am getting worn out. 

So, here is my general plan.  Gym three times a week doing a combo of cardio and weights.  Break down:

• 20 minutes cardio (most likely the treadmill since I have to focus on passing the PT test)
• 30 minutes weight training
• Monday:  Full body
• Thursday:  Lower body/abs
• Saturday:  Upper body/abs
• 10 minutes cool down and stretching

I also want to get back in the tanning bed since I am soooo pasty from DC and being pregnant.  Even though I know tanning is bad, I can't seem to let it go.  I just look so much better when I have a tan and no fake tan compares.  Plus it's cheaper to tan this way and I need to amp up for the summer (when I hope to resume my Sunday Beach Day routine like I used to do before DC).

Setting a Schedule for Baby Nash

I know there are a lot of people out there who think that you should follow a baby's schedule, especially when they are young.  I also know there are those out there who adamantly insist that you need to get baby on a schedule for your sake.  I think I am taking the middle ground.  Here's why:

My best friend from high school, Kristi, had a baby last February.  I believe we are similar people and so value her opinion on mothering as much or more than anyone else out there.  So when she suggested a book to me about sleeping, I ordered it from Amazon right away.  The book is called "The No-Cry Sleep Solution" by Elizabeth Pantley.  It's premise is that a lot of people say the only way to get your baby to sleep through the night is to prevent them from relying on you for comfort..which is done by having them "cry it out."  Having spent a few nights here with Joe at work and the baby crying for hours, I know I am not capable of this.  It all seems to cruel and counter-productive.  This book suggests that although this may work because the baby gets so exhausted and "gives up,"  that this is detrimental in the long run.  Is my sleep worth their sense of security??  No way.

Image from Amazon

So, I have been diligently reading the book and taking notes.  The best thing I have absorbed so far is the need for a schedule. A "gentle" schedule aimed at maximizing baby's awake and asleep times.  So, on that note, I have begun to adhere to a semi-flexible nighttime schedule.  Here is my plan:

• Encourage baby to take 3 1-2 hour naps during the day (this prevents him from being overtired)
• Bath/diaper change/pajamas at 7:30 pm
• Cuddling/Googling with Momma until ~ 8pm
• Nurse/rock until he falls asleep at ~ 8:30 pm (Repeat as needed if he wakes up)

We are on day two of the experiment and tonight went much better than last night.  Both night's have been a success, but it was much more smooth tonight.  Last night he woke up every hour to nurse too, so hoping that will not happen tonight.   I was a zombie today, so cross your fingers!  The book says it will take about two weeks for the routine to really be effective, so I just have to stick to it.  Will keep you posted on whether or not it works.  In the meantime, if you have/had a baby and found a routine that worked, leave me a comment and let me know.  Maybe your tip will be my lifesaver!!

Menu Planning Monday

I'm a little behind in the blogging (life with a new baby), but I wanted to make sure I did all the entries for this week.   I also failed to write down exactly what we ate for dinner last week, but I know it strayed quite a bit from my plan as noted here.  But here is what I did write down:

Monday:  ?
Tuesday:  Joe's parents
Wednesday:  Mahi, sauteed spinach, ?
Thursday:  Veggie sloppy joes, corn on the cob
Friday:  Free
Saturday:  Cookout with family (chicken, steak, mahi) with rosemary potatoes, salad, and sauteed green beans
Sunday:  Italy Italy (he had linguine with red clam sauce and I had baked ravioli)

This week we aren't doing much better.  We've had some long, rough days with the baby, so we've had some thrown together dinners.  Here is a rundown:

Monday:  Leftovers
Tuesday:  Leftovers
Wednesday:  Maple-brown sugar salmon, four cheese & herb couscous, and yellow squash
Thursday:  Spaghetti squash and meatball (he had veggie, I had turkey and chicken)
Friday:  Free
Saturday:  Chicken and orzo soup and spinach salad
Sunday:  Leftovers

Next week I start working out again (got the green light from the doctor today!), so I am hoping to start eating better.  More on this in another post.

Foto Friday

This week was Nash's one month birthday, so we dressed him up in a big boy outfit and headed up to Grammie and Grampie's in Viera for dinner.  We tried to weigh him and came out with something 10.6 pounds!  Pretty insane...

Post Baby Body Adventure

As I slowly approach the six-week postpartum mark - that is, that magical date when one can return to working out - I stop to think about my strategies, goals, and worries. 

First and foremost, I am a little nervous about getting back in there.  I don't feel as though I am healing the way I should.  Not that I really know how I should be healing, but not quite the way I thought I would.  My doctor's appointment is set for the 20th, so hopefully I'll feel more confident by then or else I can ask her what she thinks.  I hope everything is ok and I can be reassured that starting up my workouts will be safe.  Funny I always thought I would be "sort of" working out by now and waiting for that appointment just so we could "get busy" again, but it's not that at all.   I just want to know I can move freely without fear.

So, what are my goals?  I think I have several, all of which I hope to accomplish simultaneously.  Here's the rundown:

• Get under 130 lbs (this is my happy weight and I tend to hover between 130 and 138, so I want to try and get under 130 for a change).
• Earn a 270 or better on my PT test scheduled for 6 months from my delivery date (so approximately June or so).
• Run a half marathon by the end of the year (or early next year if there isn't a good one in the area before then)
• Overall, tone up.  Better booty, better abs, stronger arms.  Do a pull up.  

Nothing that seems too demanding or out there, right?  I just really need to dedicate myself and make no excuses.  It's amazing how hard it is though when Joe doesn't work out.  I feel guilty taking time to go to the gym when he is able to maintain his body without any of that.  And now I will have to leave Nash...  But I must do this for myself.

Strategies are simple.  Work out.  And eat better.  I am already working on the eating thing, but there are still a lot of improvements to be made.