What does a typical week or two of nesting look like in the life of an almost 8 month pregnant lady? Constant vacuuming and dusting of everything in sight, killing spiders, asking hubby to dust the high door frames & ceiling fan. Constant organizing of the kitchen, pantry, and all bedroom closets. Cleaning up the yard and raking up old leaves we missed last fall. Visiting the brush dump and recycling old junk. Making several Savers & Salvation Army drop-offs as I purge the house of unneeded furniture, clothes, and toys. Unpack baby clothes and hang or place in dresser drawers. Set up a baby changing station. Stock the first aid kit and buy extra band-aids and peroxide for the summer. Make the kids doctor check-up appointments when needed. Get husband, son, and dog groomed (all within the same pay period). Clean and organize infant and kids' toys separately. Clean and vacuum the van, launder the kids car seat liners, and put them all back into van with the infant seat in the middle, ready just in case I "go early" even though the midwives and nurses all remind me I have not gone early in previous pregnancies. Clean the baby swing and exercauser so they are ready in time. Set up comfy nursing stations and chairs, one upstairs and one downstairs in the living room. Set up the crib, wash, and air bedding and mattress. Clean up a few bat turds in the attic space. Clean the dryer vent. Dry the basement from puddles of water from springtime snow melts and rains. Repair window screens for the summer.
And at the end of one day, my two-year old boy finally decides to go potty in the toilet by himself. From downstairs we hear the toilet flush. Next, a naked Hudson appears at the top of the stairs and walks down holding the banister as always. At the bottom of the stairs he proceeds to climb up onto the banister rail and perch on top of the bottom pedestal naked, it's a combination of hilarity as well as serious danger. He is about 4 feet above the hard tiles of the entryway and could die if he fell on his head. I end up putting a heavy, potted plant on the pedestal to keep him off, so just in case he tries it again I will at least have a warning crash to know ahead of time what he is doing. Next I need to think some more about how I am going to take care of a newborn while making sure my toddler and little girl survive and thrive. I wish I knew some clear, serious advice on how mothers of many children accomplish this.
茶
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Monday, March 25, 2013
What will they do without toys
Here is a short list of what my children will do when they are bored with toys...excessive amounts of toys.
1. Dump all toys in baskets or bins onto the floor and trip poor pregnant Mommy while I hop into the empty baskets and sail in my boats.
2. Dump as many clean towels I can find in the bathroom into the bathtub and turn on the water.
3. Make a jumprope out of toilet paper, or stuff as much toilet paper under my chin as possible until I have a billowy blouse, and then look up when I hear my name sternly called to see all the nice, clean toilet paper drop onto a wet bathroom floor.
4. Empty a jumbo size bag of shredded cheese all over the dining room floor, for Jasper, and then walk through it. That pretty candle holder needed some cheese dumped inside it too.
5. Try on as many underpants, pants, skirts, shirts, and dresses as I can find in my dresser, and then be unable to take it all off and put back into my dresser when I am done.
6. Remove all the couch cushions from both couches, at least 10 large cushions, and play bakery. The cushions are giant loaves of bread we are baking. Next we take turns jumping from the couch into the cushions. We are such a busy bakery this must happen at least 6 times every day.
7. Wash books in the sink with soap, toothpaste, and water.
8. Get rags wet and wipe mirrors
As you can see, children do not need a huge amount of toys in order to play, interact with each other, and have fun. They have imaginations, and in many instances they are just trying to be helpful and responsible.
1. Dump all toys in baskets or bins onto the floor and trip poor pregnant Mommy while I hop into the empty baskets and sail in my boats.
2. Dump as many clean towels I can find in the bathroom into the bathtub and turn on the water.
3. Make a jumprope out of toilet paper, or stuff as much toilet paper under my chin as possible until I have a billowy blouse, and then look up when I hear my name sternly called to see all the nice, clean toilet paper drop onto a wet bathroom floor.
4. Empty a jumbo size bag of shredded cheese all over the dining room floor, for Jasper, and then walk through it. That pretty candle holder needed some cheese dumped inside it too.
5. Try on as many underpants, pants, skirts, shirts, and dresses as I can find in my dresser, and then be unable to take it all off and put back into my dresser when I am done.
6. Remove all the couch cushions from both couches, at least 10 large cushions, and play bakery. The cushions are giant loaves of bread we are baking. Next we take turns jumping from the couch into the cushions. We are such a busy bakery this must happen at least 6 times every day.
7. Wash books in the sink with soap, toothpaste, and water.
8. Get rags wet and wipe mirrors
As you can see, children do not need a huge amount of toys in order to play, interact with each other, and have fun. They have imaginations, and in many instances they are just trying to be helpful and responsible.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Pregnancy and Motherhood
In our last pregnancy centering group session, we were gathered in a circle as everyone talked about the pregnancy hormones that lead us to cry over different things we may not have cried over or been so emotional about before being pregnant. Different ladies talked about things that had made them cry recently such as certain commercials on TV or baby animals, etc. I could relate to none of these things, and we went home. A few days later I found myself at the Children's Museum with my 2 kiddos as we met up with some other friends of ours that afternoon. There was a particular little girl about age 2 who had a very snotty nose and some type of food, crayon or marker on her face. And that was the moment when I just wanted to cry as my pregnancy mothering hormones kicked in. I wanted to just scoop her up, give her hugs and kisses, snotty nose and grime and all! Normally, my first instinct as a mother is to get a rag and wipe that little child's face, but I really didn't think of that once this time. I just enjoyed being around such a precious little angel and now I can't wait to have another little baby girl of my own again, messes and all. All I have to do is think of that sweet little face and I want to cry all over again. I am so happy that I am getting another little girl.
The second time my pregnancy hormones kicked in this week happened as I was getting the baby's room ready and unpacking the boxes of girl clothes that used to be Annalise's when she was a baby. I simply turned to look at the small plastic play kitchen in the corner of the room and I got the image in my mind of a nine-month old beginning to pull up, toddle around and explore. I could see cute little chubby legs, a diaper, and arms slowly and carefully reaching out to touch everything within grasp of those chubby little hands. And then I saw a big plop as the baby lost her balance, landing on her cushy, diaper bottom. Next is a wrinkled face and a big "waaaah" with arms outstretched, waiting for someone to hug and comfort. It was at that moment I felt like crying myself as I thought of how relieving it is to comfort a crying baby. Later I thought of how God as Father gives his children the freedom to explore their surroundings, and when they lose balance the first few times and plop on their butts He is there to pick them up and comfort them. He reassures his children, but then gently encourages to get back up and keep exploring, building their confidence so that they are less afraid next time. How silly of us to get mad at God and think He is somehow responsible when we fall on our butts. Rather than doing it all for us, He simply gives the freedom to fall and plop that so we learn how to walk and succeed at it.
The second time my pregnancy hormones kicked in this week happened as I was getting the baby's room ready and unpacking the boxes of girl clothes that used to be Annalise's when she was a baby. I simply turned to look at the small plastic play kitchen in the corner of the room and I got the image in my mind of a nine-month old beginning to pull up, toddle around and explore. I could see cute little chubby legs, a diaper, and arms slowly and carefully reaching out to touch everything within grasp of those chubby little hands. And then I saw a big plop as the baby lost her balance, landing on her cushy, diaper bottom. Next is a wrinkled face and a big "waaaah" with arms outstretched, waiting for someone to hug and comfort. It was at that moment I felt like crying myself as I thought of how relieving it is to comfort a crying baby. Later I thought of how God as Father gives his children the freedom to explore their surroundings, and when they lose balance the first few times and plop on their butts He is there to pick them up and comfort them. He reassures his children, but then gently encourages to get back up and keep exploring, building their confidence so that they are less afraid next time. How silly of us to get mad at God and think He is somehow responsible when we fall on our butts. Rather than doing it all for us, He simply gives the freedom to fall and plop that so we learn how to walk and succeed at it.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Wedding Anniversary
Jeremy and I celebrated our wedding anniversary this January - we've been married for 5 years! This is quite a cold time of year to have a wedding in Minnesota, but the day we were married was so sunny, bright and beautiful, after fresh snowfalls in the days before, and I was so happy and excited to marry the love of my life and start a new adventure with him, that I don't even remember feeling the cold in my thin, lace wedding dress and 2 1/2 inch heeled sandals. I remember feeling warmth, excitement, confidence, love, and peace.
We celebrated our anniversary this year by going to the Redwood Room again, where we had our unexpected first date 5 1/2 years ago. The restaurant re-opened this year after having been closed, and they have live musicians playing and singing again. There is always something special about looking across the table from each other with warm candlelight lighting up our eyes.
Of course, I also had "morning sickness" nausea to deal with while on our date, but having a yummy spinach salad, french bread and a warm bowl of soup helped with that. This isn't our first anniversary celebration with pregnancy nausea.
I am married to a good, godly man. We had a very fast dating relationship and engagement before we were married, but we knew each other as friends for at least a year before our first date...We met at a kids camp outside of town while cleaning up and picking up sticks with a "singles group" called the Harvesters. It really wasn't anything at all like a singles group most singles have experienced and was not at all about finding someone. Much more than just "hanging out" together, it was about serving others, growing in our faith together over serious topics, real friendships, and having adventures. This was such a refreshing time. Through all of that Jeremy and I somehow ended up liking each other alot and got married. Friends are so valuable to have and aside from our spouse and children they are our most treasured earthly possession. So if you are single, don't discount any opposite sex friend in your life as not possibly being "the one" you can fall in love and spend the rest of your life with.
We're still figuring out the bigger mission for our life together as a married couple with kids in the picture. We are learning that having children does not need to limit our call or mission from God, and if we do feel limited it is because of our lack of faith and vision and not because He is doing that to us. I just finished the marriage book Love & War by the Eldridges and I think it's one of the best marriage books we've ever read - the most honest, real book about the ups and downs in marriage, even in couples who love God and love each other... Not just a bunch of sayings and principles we all hear or like to hear.
We celebrated our anniversary this year by going to the Redwood Room again, where we had our unexpected first date 5 1/2 years ago. The restaurant re-opened this year after having been closed, and they have live musicians playing and singing again. There is always something special about looking across the table from each other with warm candlelight lighting up our eyes.
Of course, I also had "morning sickness" nausea to deal with while on our date, but having a yummy spinach salad, french bread and a warm bowl of soup helped with that. This isn't our first anniversary celebration with pregnancy nausea.
I am married to a good, godly man. We had a very fast dating relationship and engagement before we were married, but we knew each other as friends for at least a year before our first date...We met at a kids camp outside of town while cleaning up and picking up sticks with a "singles group" called the Harvesters. It really wasn't anything at all like a singles group most singles have experienced and was not at all about finding someone. Much more than just "hanging out" together, it was about serving others, growing in our faith together over serious topics, real friendships, and having adventures. This was such a refreshing time. Through all of that Jeremy and I somehow ended up liking each other alot and got married. Friends are so valuable to have and aside from our spouse and children they are our most treasured earthly possession. So if you are single, don't discount any opposite sex friend in your life as not possibly being "the one" you can fall in love and spend the rest of your life with.
We're still figuring out the bigger mission for our life together as a married couple with kids in the picture. We are learning that having children does not need to limit our call or mission from God, and if we do feel limited it is because of our lack of faith and vision and not because He is doing that to us. I just finished the marriage book Love & War by the Eldridges and I think it's one of the best marriage books we've ever read - the most honest, real book about the ups and downs in marriage, even in couples who love God and love each other... Not just a bunch of sayings and principles we all hear or like to hear.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Exciting News Announcement
In November our family had a very rough week. Jeremy was in Minneapolis to be part of a conference on Big Data Development with Cloudera and it was our first time being apart for such a long time. We drove up and stayed the first night with him and left to go home the next day. That week we all had the flu with multi symptoms and fevers. Jeremy had a bad cough, but had a great experience nevertheless at his conference. He ended up getting new certifications in information technology that he has yet to even use in his job. That week, Hudson had a couple spikes in fevers and would not cooperate taking any fever-reducing medicines. As a result, he had two febrile seizures. We were in the emergency room (myself and the kids) in the middle of the night. It is the scariest experience to have to go into the ER in the middle of the night as fast as you can. It took about 2 hours of watching and waiting until he recovered fully to his normal, happy and perky self. We went home at 4:00 am and the next day went into our family practice for an after care check-up, and that was when he had his 2nd seizure. This was one of a number of times where I have been very impressed from the genuine human care and compassion I have seen demonstrated from medical nurses and doctors (at our family clinic). We have had many decisions to make over vaccines and other natural care issues, and our family medicine practitioners have all been very respectful of our decisions, as well as resourceful so that we make intelligent decisions according to facts and research, sending us home with professional research articles on paper, etc.. Hudson woke up, recovered and was breathing normally after 15 minutes of his seizure so we did not need to go back to the emergency room. I was sent home, however, with injections to give him if he had any seizure lasting longer than 5 minutes, which we prayed we would never have to use and have not had to. That day Grandma was there to help and pray. Since this has happened I have been super vigilant to check on any fevers he possibly has and figure out some way to make sure he takes Tylenol when he has one. We gave Annalise a doctor's kit for Christmas and she taught Hudson to take medicine by pretending, and since then he allowed me to give him his dose of Tylenol in a cup, which he will drink himself. I have not found any other way to bring a fever down effectively enough other than medicine. I will have to read more about how to treat fevers in children naturally, but for Hudson it is imperative to bring it down and prevent the sudden spiking of a temperature. [Hudson and all of us had the flu again over the New Year]. Times like this make me realize that being a parent is no small matter. Decisions that I make as a parent can have good or bad, even life or death, consequences for my child. I hold so much responsibility over what happens to them for good or bad. Seeing my toddler have a seizure and then watching the minutes tick by waiting for his recovery has been one of the scariest experiences in motherhood. I was thankful to know that we were not alone the second time it happened in our doctor's office. I have also been thankful for the power of prayer and of God's presence being with us, knowing that I'm never alone and never without His loving direction in my life when I am yielded to Him.
So on the happy note, I [Lisa] will announce I am pregnant with a due date of July 27th. I found out during the rough week in November and was able to share the happy news with Jeremy over skype when we were all recovering towards the end of that week. This has been a rough pregnancy compared with my other two, and it's mainly from the morning sickness and flu. This week marks the 12th week and I can finally say I am feeling better. It has been a stretch of 3 solid days where I have not gagged or had to take a nap during the daytime. I feared that something awful was going to happen to my baby since I was getting so sick and catching every germ that came our way, but on our 12-week visit we were surprised to have an ultrasound and everything looked beautiful. We could see the baby, the heartbeat, and that he or she is right on track in size according to our due date, close to 4 centimeters in length. We could see the baby lift a hand towards his/her mouth to comfort himself or herself :) Jeremy and I will be attending an evening group prenatal care class once a month for care, instead of traditional office visits. Prenatal care will be in a group format as well as meeting individually at various times throughout the evening session with the midwife leading the group. It is something new called "centering pregnancy" and designed for low-risk pregnancies.
What is also exciting is that my sister is pregnant as well, and our due dates are within the same week! We did not plan for this, but how amazing and fun it will be - our babies could potentially be born within the same week of each other. I am so excited for this and always dreamed that we would be pregnant some day at the same time, but never imagined this close together!
Jeremy has been making more "night runs" than ever before for my cravings of french fries, pickles, lemonade, kimchi, ice cream, chicken noodle soup, jello, and many other random food items that have come up. I don't remember having such marked cravings for different foods with my other pregnancies. This is really different. I have already gained 10 pounds by only 12 weeks...I probably will not be running the Med-City marathon in May at 7 months pregnant! I'm hoping Jeremy can take my place in the race if they allow for that. My sis and I will just have to go back to crossfit after the babies are born to get our rears back into shape. I probably won't be a "crossfit mom" as I had hoped, doing kettlebell swings and pull-ups with a belly, at least until after my baby's born. For now I've decided to simply focus on being healthy and moving around every day. Now that my first 3 months of morning sickness is up, I don't have as many excuses for unhealthy food choices. Instead of ice cream, I should be eating plain yogurt with berries, for example. I am going to focus more of my time on getting more involved in church and loving my family and children. We had an amazing time travelling down with family to attend the "One Thing" conference in Kansas City ihop over the New Year. Even though we were all sick at various times and missed half the conference, it was amazing when I was there. I loved every moment of worship and yielding of hearts to God.
So on the happy note, I [Lisa] will announce I am pregnant with a due date of July 27th. I found out during the rough week in November and was able to share the happy news with Jeremy over skype when we were all recovering towards the end of that week. This has been a rough pregnancy compared with my other two, and it's mainly from the morning sickness and flu. This week marks the 12th week and I can finally say I am feeling better. It has been a stretch of 3 solid days where I have not gagged or had to take a nap during the daytime. I feared that something awful was going to happen to my baby since I was getting so sick and catching every germ that came our way, but on our 12-week visit we were surprised to have an ultrasound and everything looked beautiful. We could see the baby, the heartbeat, and that he or she is right on track in size according to our due date, close to 4 centimeters in length. We could see the baby lift a hand towards his/her mouth to comfort himself or herself :) Jeremy and I will be attending an evening group prenatal care class once a month for care, instead of traditional office visits. Prenatal care will be in a group format as well as meeting individually at various times throughout the evening session with the midwife leading the group. It is something new called "centering pregnancy" and designed for low-risk pregnancies.
What is also exciting is that my sister is pregnant as well, and our due dates are within the same week! We did not plan for this, but how amazing and fun it will be - our babies could potentially be born within the same week of each other. I am so excited for this and always dreamed that we would be pregnant some day at the same time, but never imagined this close together!
Jeremy has been making more "night runs" than ever before for my cravings of french fries, pickles, lemonade, kimchi, ice cream, chicken noodle soup, jello, and many other random food items that have come up. I don't remember having such marked cravings for different foods with my other pregnancies. This is really different. I have already gained 10 pounds by only 12 weeks...I probably will not be running the Med-City marathon in May at 7 months pregnant! I'm hoping Jeremy can take my place in the race if they allow for that. My sis and I will just have to go back to crossfit after the babies are born to get our rears back into shape. I probably won't be a "crossfit mom" as I had hoped, doing kettlebell swings and pull-ups with a belly, at least until after my baby's born. For now I've decided to simply focus on being healthy and moving around every day. Now that my first 3 months of morning sickness is up, I don't have as many excuses for unhealthy food choices. Instead of ice cream, I should be eating plain yogurt with berries, for example. I am going to focus more of my time on getting more involved in church and loving my family and children. We had an amazing time travelling down with family to attend the "One Thing" conference in Kansas City ihop over the New Year. Even though we were all sick at various times and missed half the conference, it was amazing when I was there. I loved every moment of worship and yielding of hearts to God.
Monday, November 12, 2012
November Fun
This past weekend we celebrated the ending of our whole life challenge of 8 weeks and celebrated Annalise's 4-year birthday on sunday with a tea party in her honor. We had a closing WOD at the gym and our kids were awarded medals too for going through this health challenge with us. They did have to put up with a lot less sugar, but we made up for it by having lots of fresh fruit and sweet potatoes from Mississippi. Here are just some of the few things I learned to make and change in our lives about how to live more healthy...I learned how to make my own chicken and beef stock from the carcass, I learned how to roast chickens and many other types of meat in the oven, how to season meat and cook it at the right temperature, how to make mashed sweet potatoes (which are better then white potatoes and way more healthy), how to make my own coffee creamer with coconut milk, how to read every food label and avoid ingredients such as guar gum and other wierd "gums." I learned a whole lot more ways to cook or prepare a variety of vegetables, and how to do without the starchy, genetically-modified corn and soybean produce. And lastly, I think I learned how to survive without added sugar or honey or syrups in my food and drinks. I tried the stevia extract a couple times since they allowed it on our diet and I didn't like it. It tasted like a chemical and made me nauseous, so I just went without sweeteners and learned to enjoy food and drink they way it was.
After our awards, we went grocery shopping for Annalise's birthday party the next day. While we were shopping I was with Annalise picking out stuff and Jeremy was with Hudson looking at meat. He turned around just in time to see Hudson bringing a slice of Pepperoni to his mouth ready to eat it! After our boy had poked a hole with his finger into the plastic cover of a frozen pizza, we decided we had to take that pizza home to bake for lunch. It was real good after being on such a strict diet without traditional flour crusted pizza. Jeremy and I are, however, deciding to continue with this kind of grain-free paleo diet after the weekend of celebrating. Jeremy was much better at staying on the program than I was, and he also lost many inches and got more muscle. I am so proud of him and how hard he has been working at being healthy. Having a healthy body overlaps with all the other areas of our lives - we are not divided up with separate compartments for body, soul, spirit, mind, emotions, and will. I really believe they overlap and all effect each other in many ways, good or bad. Jeremy got some very real gains from this health challenge. I suppose my greatest gains were getting a little stronger - discovering I can back squat 135 lbs, for example! I also gained many great recipes for making real food items from scratch, which is something I've been working at for years now that I have a family to cook for...
Annalise is growing up to be such a unique, very creative and very sweet young lady. These are some of the things she has accomplished this past year: being daytime potty-trained, drawing family portraits, tracing and practicing letters, practicing the letters of hers and Hudson's names, and finally, attending some preschool classes. I can finally feel good about placing her in a class once a week and letting someone else teach her, confident that I am still the greatest influence in her life. The preschool class she is in currently is led by a Waldorf-style teacher who encourages lots of imaginary playtime as well as realistic, practical life skills learning.
What impresses me the most about my little girl is how interested she is in learning more about God, communicating with him and reading the word. She has a very sensitive, tender heart and likes lots of hugs and physical affection and attention from me. At bedtime the kids love their rituals of baths, teeth brushing, and getting the LED camp lantern for story and song time on the rug in their bedroom. They gather their pillows all excited for this time. Annalise always picks out stories from her favorite Bible story book that has the best pictures of the people with the best facial expressions. That's my girl.
After our awards, we went grocery shopping for Annalise's birthday party the next day. While we were shopping I was with Annalise picking out stuff and Jeremy was with Hudson looking at meat. He turned around just in time to see Hudson bringing a slice of Pepperoni to his mouth ready to eat it! After our boy had poked a hole with his finger into the plastic cover of a frozen pizza, we decided we had to take that pizza home to bake for lunch. It was real good after being on such a strict diet without traditional flour crusted pizza. Jeremy and I are, however, deciding to continue with this kind of grain-free paleo diet after the weekend of celebrating. Jeremy was much better at staying on the program than I was, and he also lost many inches and got more muscle. I am so proud of him and how hard he has been working at being healthy. Having a healthy body overlaps with all the other areas of our lives - we are not divided up with separate compartments for body, soul, spirit, mind, emotions, and will. I really believe they overlap and all effect each other in many ways, good or bad. Jeremy got some very real gains from this health challenge. I suppose my greatest gains were getting a little stronger - discovering I can back squat 135 lbs, for example! I also gained many great recipes for making real food items from scratch, which is something I've been working at for years now that I have a family to cook for...
Annalise is growing up to be such a unique, very creative and very sweet young lady. These are some of the things she has accomplished this past year: being daytime potty-trained, drawing family portraits, tracing and practicing letters, practicing the letters of hers and Hudson's names, and finally, attending some preschool classes. I can finally feel good about placing her in a class once a week and letting someone else teach her, confident that I am still the greatest influence in her life. The preschool class she is in currently is led by a Waldorf-style teacher who encourages lots of imaginary playtime as well as realistic, practical life skills learning.
What impresses me the most about my little girl is how interested she is in learning more about God, communicating with him and reading the word. She has a very sensitive, tender heart and likes lots of hugs and physical affection and attention from me. At bedtime the kids love their rituals of baths, teeth brushing, and getting the LED camp lantern for story and song time on the rug in their bedroom. They gather their pillows all excited for this time. Annalise always picks out stories from her favorite Bible story book that has the best pictures of the people with the best facial expressions. That's my girl.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
If I could do that, I can do anything
It's been about one week since Jeremy and I have started this health challenge and we're both doing pretty well and feeling alright. Both of us have felt like we have some kind of flu and it is from the sugar withdrawal most likely. I have also felt weak but I am able to keep up with all my running and enjoy it. I'm noticing that I am cooking even more from scratch now. Even something as simple as a soup recipe I have to adjust or make my own stock for. There are no available bullion or store-bought soup stocks that do not have unnecessary chemical ingredients or sugars or corn syrups in them. None! I have checked a couple times and read every single label. So if I want to make chicken soup or borscht soup, I have to make it with my own. Chili is easier to make and it always turns out good :)
I was thinking last night about how we just plain coddle our bodies too much and don't push ourselves hard enough to do things that we could be doing - in exercising or anything athletic, or other activities in life. That's just how it is in the west mainly. In other cultures you don't see that as much. I also notice that a lot of mommas with small babies are on the rise in joining crossfit gyms. I know that for a lot of these mothers when they realize what their bodies are capable of - being in labor for 48 or more hours and delivering a beautiful baby, for example (my experience)... you realize that if you can do that you could do just about anything. I would have to say that having a baby is way more of a challenge than racing a marathon. Even after having a baby the physical work of carrying and breastfeeding for 1 or more years is quite demanding. And now as 2 and 3 year olds mine have so much energy that I am on "active recovery" exercise nearly every minute of the day. Having kiddos is one of the things that motivates me to push myself further each day. I am so thankful to be a momma.
I was thinking last night about how we just plain coddle our bodies too much and don't push ourselves hard enough to do things that we could be doing - in exercising or anything athletic, or other activities in life. That's just how it is in the west mainly. In other cultures you don't see that as much. I also notice that a lot of mommas with small babies are on the rise in joining crossfit gyms. I know that for a lot of these mothers when they realize what their bodies are capable of - being in labor for 48 or more hours and delivering a beautiful baby, for example (my experience)... you realize that if you can do that you could do just about anything. I would have to say that having a baby is way more of a challenge than racing a marathon. Even after having a baby the physical work of carrying and breastfeeding for 1 or more years is quite demanding. And now as 2 and 3 year olds mine have so much energy that I am on "active recovery" exercise nearly every minute of the day. Having kiddos is one of the things that motivates me to push myself further each day. I am so thankful to be a momma.
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