Five on Friday ~ Five Weeks Old

This was my husband's first full week back at work after Lucas's birth. He's been feeling a little blue about it, but I encouraged him to just think about walking around the house most of the day with Lucas strapped into the Baby Bjorn...this currently seems to be the primary way he likes to nap during the day. Here he is taking a brief nap in the rock 'n play. He is also napping occasionally swaddled in his crib or in his swing. I think perhaps he just enjoys variety LOL :-)

Read on for what else we've been up to this week...




1. Walking More and Weight Loss. I'm feeling better each week. I actually rushed through the grocery store and Target without any pain which was a great mood-lifting moment for me!

My current exercise consists only of walking. We like for Henry to get out in the evenings and on the weekends so I will push Henry's stroller while my husband takes Lucas in the Baby Bjorn carrier and also takes control of the dog. Frisco will get excited and try to take off, jerking on the leash, which isn't ideal for post-abdominal surgery. I have also been walking around the house, making laps downstairs, with Lucas in the Baby Bjorn when he is fussy and needing but resisting that nap. I should add some squats to our lap routine, perhaps next week.

I gained 27 pounds this pregnancy and lost 17 the first month. I didn't take a picture after delivery, but here is me this week. The top of my abdomen is still that post-baby sponginess and I have a pretty significant indentation above my c-section scar, I know from my last pregnancy that both of these issues smooth out in time. I'd like to lose another 5 pounds by the 3-month mark, but the next 5 not until at least the 6-month mark. I'm not dieting because of breast-feeding. There is a lot of advice out there about how many calories you need while breast-feeding, but I just eat whenever I am hungry. I'm not a fan of counting calories.


2. Sleeping More and Eating Better. Lucas has been going at least 3 hours between feedings at night which is great for me to get a little more sleep. Since my husband has returned to work, there is no reason for me to make coffee every morning (he gets his at the office), so I've returned to drinking a tea latte instead. Typically a black tea which does have some caffeine, but still less than coffee and refills aren't easily at hand like with a french press full of espresso blend deliciousness! I've also been trying to focus on my diet by resuming my habit of having a large spinach salad for lunch instead of a sandwich or pasta. My husband would cook for us (he makes the best Ramen - not dorm room Ramen, real Ramen) when he was home which was always such a great treat, but should really be more of a special occasion lunch than an everyday thing.

3. The Cast Iron Way to Cook. I'm trying to meal plan a little better. I received a free copy of the Le Creuset cookbook after purchasing a pot from an outlet store last winter and finally made a recipe! Sausages braised with leeks and sage, it turned out pretty tasty and my toddler called the leeks "cabbage" and ate them. He has been more of a picky eater lately so I didn't correct him. We ate the meal over rice.



4. Gilmore Girls Reboot and other things on Netflix. I considered what I could watch on Netflix without my husband getting mad at me...and watched the Gilmore Girls reboot on Netflix. I was a fan of the first season of the original show, but less as it progressed. About 20 minutes into the first episode of the 4-episode reboot, I thought it was downright awful. However, I persevered and overall found the series short and satisfying. I feel like spoilers are a moot point as the show has been out for some time, but I'll only say that I found the Emily Gilmore story line to overall be the best of the season. I loved what they did with her character and how her story line ended.

My husband and I are currently watching Iron Fist on Netflix. I use the term "watching" loosely as it takes us around 3-4 sittings to make it through a single episode, either because I am tired and headed to bed or because nap time was shorter than expected. I find everything from the acting to the plot to the fight sequences to be not good at all. We are only finishing it because we enjoyed the other Netflix Marvel Reboots (Daredevil, Jessica Jones...etc.).

5. Toddler Update. We received some baby/toddler gifts from my husband's thoughtful aunt and uncle who live up in Vermont including the book, Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt which my son is enjoying. Henry is still doing well, except for the picky eating which has been waxing and waning for some time. He is currently refusing all cut fruit!?! He used to love chopped bananas, mangos, strawberries... I'm not sure what the issue is. I mix mashed banana in his morning yogurt and add mango/peach puree to his oatmeal and he eats those happily...but give him a slice of mango or strawberry and he won't eat anything else until you've removed the offending item from his plate. Ah the joys of toddlerhood!

Have a great weekend!