Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Mommy Post Baby - Year 1

And the last one of these too, promise.  Of course, I've been posting like a mad woman this week, so maybe my amusing you makes up for the incessant Rob and Mom talk!  I wouldn't even care about this one, but i had a few requests for a "body post baby" one year last recap.  The narcissist in me will OF COURSE indulge you, ha.  This is another one where I feel like the updates end at year 1 - pretty much it stopped being about me when kiddo was born, and I'm fine with that.  But after being Momma for a year, I've discovered that my pre baby body and my post baby body...and mind....are totally different.  Here we go!

BODY

Pre Baby - All about me.  Let's train it, stuff it, starve it, beat it into submission.  I've lived within a 10 pound window for the last 10 years and had good years and bad years, but always tapped in super carefully to my Italian fat loving jeans genes.  Ahem.  When I found out I was pregnant with Rob, I fit into my normal clothes but was about 10 pounds above my happy weight.  I'll also finally admit it - I had some pretty severe body dysmorphia.  Thank you dance background.

Post Baby-  Everyone said that my body would never be the same.  They were right.  IN fact, I have never ever loved my body so much as I do now.  First and foremost, it grew a human being.  Bad ass.  It wasn't about me, it was all of a sudden about this kiddo I was growing, and then feeding, so my food choices weren't about restricting or binging, they were about getting Rob the nourishment he needed.  That'll change your outlook!  I also don't have all the time in the world to obsess or prepare my food, which for some people sucks, but for me, it's been excellent.  I have some great go to meals with lean protein, veggies and grains that can be made in 20 minutes or so.  I perfected homemade pizza and crockpot meals.  And I damn well enjoy my Kraft Mac n Cheese and M&Ms when I want them, and don't obsess.  Breastfeeding helped, as well as training (I was so lucky to be able to run 3 weeks pp), but now my body is different- I went down a size in pants, I am below my actual happy weight, and when I look in the mirror, I see a happy, healthy parent and role model for my kiddo.  Please stop throwing rotten tomatoes.


LIFE

Pre- Baby:  I felt pretty well adjusted.  Good job, good relationship, solid hobbies.  I was never bored, but did enjoy my own quiet time and was a bit of a hog with my training time - I used to sleep in till 9, pfaff around, then do a nice 3 hour ride or so, hang out, make dinner, call friends, go line dancing (I know, wild woman).  Greg and I each enjoyed our own time and did alot of things as a couple.  I also worked a few jobs and took my time scouting deals at the stores and garage sales.

Post-Baby:  6am is a late morning.  What time??  I rarely sleep for more than 5 hours, and never all at once - i haven't slept for more than 3 consecutive hours since Rob was born.  My to do list is a joke, and I find it an accomplishment if the laundry is done and dinner is made.  It baffles me what I did with my free time before....
I still run and bike and swim.  That was non-negotiable.  I've signed up for a few dumb races (hmmmm...double marathon with a 10 month old) and need to learn to scale back a bit....like...marathons instead of half irons.  I have time to train, but not TRAIN for anything with Iron in the title. But I do know that I need to hang on to what made me Rae, and not just Mommy.
I love my husband even more than I ever thought possible.  He helped me create the most beautiful child, takes on his share of parenting, and gives me my "me" time.  And he's still sexy as hell :-)
Speaking of Love.....I had no idea what that was before I had Rob.  I thought I did, and I was wrong.  This little kiddo is my sun and stars, and the thought that he could ever be hurt sends me into a Mam Bear rage and makes me feel helpless.  My heart has never been so full of...everything.  And it's the BEST. EVER.

So there ya go, life in a nutshell, one year post baby. I would do it again in a heartbeat.  (NO, that is not a hint).   Moving on to more of what this blog used to be...meals, running/tris, and life in the thrift!!

1 comment:

  1. You take me back to that first year of Adam's life. Sleep for you is coming, I promise. He went to bed at 7/7:30 and got up at 7 but didn't sleep straight through until 13 months. After that it was still several months before I stopped waking at 1 and 4AM.

    I'm impressed that you can train so much and about the pants size! I'm the opposite, was at my prime training weight when I found out I was pregnant and have never seen that number since. I'm 10 pounds up but even if I lost that weight my shape is so different that my old pants wouldn't fit anyway!

    Good luck with the rest of the summer sprints!

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