You're sitting up between 1 and 2 am nursing your newborn on the couch in your living room. You're exhausted, only partially awake and in general simply not fully functional because something about having a newborn mandates that you be tired, even when said newborn is giving you 8 hours of sleep every night. You don't really mind, though. It's just a season and these nighttime bonding sessions are 100% worth it.
So you're sitting there, baby and boppy pillow in lap, held in the perfect position for comfortable nursing for you and baby. You're surrounded by an odd assortment of things - a tube of lanolin cream, a mostly empty water bottle, quite a few snacks, the TV remote, extra burp cloths, etc. It takes skill to get up without completely disrupting your delicate system. And as you sit there, trying to defeat level 30 of Candy Crush Saga (having yet to master the art of reading while nursing), you notice something. A piece of dust is floating down between your iPhone and your eyes. A curiously brown piece of dust. With eight moving legs. Headed straight for a landing site on your baby.
Chaos ensues. You leap up, doing your "OMG get it off me, get it off me!" dance modeled directly after the blonde in Temple of Doom. Somehow, baby stays attached and unaware of the panic moment going on, but as you scramble around like a mad woman the open box of Mini Wheats tumbles to the floor, the open water bottle tips over and the tiny tube of lanolin somehow sinks into the recesses between couch cushions. In the end, you're pretty sure that the spider isn't on you, the baby, your seat or anything else you can see, so you sit back down and finish the session in a state of hyper-awareness, sure that every flickering movement is the nasty coming back for round two.
This happens two nights in a week. You decide it's time to change your nursing location and sacrifice your still-bruised tailbone on the wooden rocking chair in baby girl's room. No creepy crawlies have ever been spotted in there.
But what do you do when you run out of rooms in the apartment...?
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Friday, March 29, 2013
Week One
I don't believe it, but my calendar probably is more reliable than my sense of time these days, so I guess baby B really is officially one week old today. I already can't imagine life without her, but I also can't see how that much time has passed... Please stop growing up little girl! I would keep you at this age forever if I could.
I can now officially join the masses of mothers who say things like "All the sleepless nights are 100% worth it, don't worry" and "You can't understand how much you're going to love your kids until you have them." It's true. I didn't know I could so instantaneously and completely love something(one) the way I love my daughter. I also understand what parents tell you about getting duped into having multiple children by the first one - our baby B certainly has us hooked! She's not fussy, she cuddles all the time, and she's even let me have 7 hours of sleep the past two nights in a row. She nurses like a champ and has since she was one hour old. Already daddy is saying things like "Lets have 14!" (It took her about 24 hours to have him completely wrapped around her little fingers.)
All-in-all, this is one of the top two life experiences yet - the other is being married. I love being married. I'm just as hooked on being a mom. I even left the hospital saying "That wasn't so bad... I'd do it again to have another one" - and that was after a 33 hour labor! (That sounds worse than it really was, I promise.)
For any other new moms or soon-to-be new moms - here's some stuff that I've found invaluable during these past seven days:
Swaddle blankets by Aden + Anais - I love these! They are a lightweight but warm material that breathes really well, so I don't have to worry about little girl getting too hot or too cold in them. Plus the material has the perfect amount of stretch to it so that daddy (the master swaddler in this house) can get a really snug wrap.
Swaddleme swaddler - Daddy is the master swaddler here, but I'm not so great at getting a tight fit. Since I don't want to wake him up every time I nurse in the middle of the night to re-wrap baby B, I switch her to this. It is perfect for late nights because it only takes about 10 seconds to get her in it, which equals less time for her to get really upset with me for fiddling with her, which means she can fall back asleep a lot more quickly. My only concern is that the material is pretty lightweight, so I'm not sure it would be warm enough in the winter months.
Boppy pillow - Even though baby B nurses like a pro, I've found this pillow extremely useful. It keeps my arms from getting so tired when I nurse/hold her and also makes it easy to lay her down and adjust things when I switch sides with her while nursing. Also - to you soon-to-be moms out there - it's a comfy thing to sit on the first few days after labor if you're not using it for nursing. Just sayin'.
Keeping my fingers crossed that time slows down and week 2 takes longer to pass - I want to cherish every single second of this period of our little one's life. Even the 2 a.m. feedings.
I can now officially join the masses of mothers who say things like "All the sleepless nights are 100% worth it, don't worry" and "You can't understand how much you're going to love your kids until you have them." It's true. I didn't know I could so instantaneously and completely love something(one) the way I love my daughter. I also understand what parents tell you about getting duped into having multiple children by the first one - our baby B certainly has us hooked! She's not fussy, she cuddles all the time, and she's even let me have 7 hours of sleep the past two nights in a row. She nurses like a champ and has since she was one hour old. Already daddy is saying things like "Lets have 14!" (It took her about 24 hours to have him completely wrapped around her little fingers.)
All-in-all, this is one of the top two life experiences yet - the other is being married. I love being married. I'm just as hooked on being a mom. I even left the hospital saying "That wasn't so bad... I'd do it again to have another one" - and that was after a 33 hour labor! (That sounds worse than it really was, I promise.)
For any other new moms or soon-to-be new moms - here's some stuff that I've found invaluable during these past seven days:
Swaddle blankets by Aden + Anais - I love these! They are a lightweight but warm material that breathes really well, so I don't have to worry about little girl getting too hot or too cold in them. Plus the material has the perfect amount of stretch to it so that daddy (the master swaddler in this house) can get a really snug wrap.
Swaddleme swaddler - Daddy is the master swaddler here, but I'm not so great at getting a tight fit. Since I don't want to wake him up every time I nurse in the middle of the night to re-wrap baby B, I switch her to this. It is perfect for late nights because it only takes about 10 seconds to get her in it, which equals less time for her to get really upset with me for fiddling with her, which means she can fall back asleep a lot more quickly. My only concern is that the material is pretty lightweight, so I'm not sure it would be warm enough in the winter months.
Keeping my fingers crossed that time slows down and week 2 takes longer to pass - I want to cherish every single second of this period of our little one's life. Even the 2 a.m. feedings.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
When I Grow Up
Obviously she enjoyed food, but after reading more about her life it's clear that Julia's happiness went much deeper than just an obsession with butter and good pastry crust. She and her husband lived on a government salary in the 1940s and 50s in France, and that wasn't much. They didn't have fancy things, they didn't have copious amounts of extra income. They were comfortable, but they were not wealthy to say the least. Somehow, though, Julia's life is marked by a complete and total joie de vivre. Her life was characterized by simple things - cooking classes, teaching herself to cook, dinner parties with friends, exploring Paris. She loved having new cooking things, yes, but it was more what she created with her cooking accoutrements that she loved than the particular items herself. Basically, she wasn't materialistic. It was her achievements in the kitchen and the people she got to share them with that made her life bright.
Julia wasn't half-hearted in anything that she did. She put everything she had into enjoying every experience she could find and she went all-out with it all. She tested every recipe she wrote scientifically, she learned how to buy every grocery item like a true French chef. She was devoted to her husband and her close friends. She never stopped seeking to learn and grow and find new experiences - her famous Mastering the Art of French Cooking wasn't even published until she was 51! She worked on her TV show and published books well into her 80s. She never caved into the idea that she had to stop living because she was no longer "young".
I want to find my greatest joy in good times with friends and family, in growing spiritually and intellectually and relationally. Even if we're eating at an old table with burn marks and two broken chairs, I want that table to be surrounded by laughter and happiness as Chris and I and our children and hopefully guests eat and drink and be merry. And I do not want to get caught up in the mentality that the best thing about retirement is that you get to shut down and stop doing things and live at the beach. When I hit 50, I want to be taking classes because, hey, why not? I want to be writing books, even if I still haven't gotten published (whew. that's a depressing thought.) I want to be active in people's lives and developing as a human being. I want to have goals that I'm working towards. You're never too old for that.
I think my life will be a simple life. But I intend to make it a great life.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Gone Paleo
The paleo diet is having a frenzied popularity spurt it seems. Half the people we know seem to either be doing paleo, or have done it, or at least know about it and understand the principles. Chris, being the unofficial Crossfit machine that he is, couldn't pass up this intriguing new facet of whole-life fitness, so, we've gone paleo.
No carbs (almond flour/coconut flour are OK.) No sugar (except honey and maple syrup.) Tons of veggies and fresh fruit. Almond butter, not peanut butter. Almonds everywhere actually. Lots of meat - but in appropriate portion sizes. No dairy - almond milk is our substitute of choice. Sweet potatoes, but no white potatoes. Lots and lots of bacon and eggs. That's the gist of how Chris has been eating for the past 30+ days. And, after a week to ten days of serious sugar/carb withdrawal, he, the man who would eat a dozen cookies in a single sitting without batting an eye, has loved every minute of the "diet" and has lost 20lbs in 30 days to boot.
I haven't completely joined Chris in his pursuit of paleo, mostly because I'm growing a person and along with that, I've grown a sweet tooth of monumental proportions that I don't really care to get rid of yet. Plus, I've only got 14 days to go. Might as well enjoy a last hurrah of sugar. But afterwards, I'm going to go half paleo. I'll keep some dairy and some carbs in my diet, but limit it like crazy, and continue to cook only paleo for our main meals. As much as I'll miss chocolate chip cookies, I'm excited about this. For one, it will help me lose baby weight (which I'm very interested in) and for another, I know that it will fuel my body and make sure that both me and baby B are getting the nutrition we need. I'll feel better and have more energy than I would on a carb-filled, processed snacking diet. I'm also partially doing it in reaction to articles like this which just make me angry. I don't like being a victim of product marketing/manipulation, and I don't like the idea that I'm addicted to anything (except caffeine. Mmmm coffee....) There's lots of scientific evidence out there that sugar, fat and salt are addicting, especially in processed foods. So buh-bye processed foods!
Anyway. In our quest for good nutrition that still tastes good I've stumbled upon this recipe. Want to satisfy a bread craving without breaking paleo, and get lots of protein and other goodness out of it? Bake these.
No carbs (almond flour/coconut flour are OK.) No sugar (except honey and maple syrup.) Tons of veggies and fresh fruit. Almond butter, not peanut butter. Almonds everywhere actually. Lots of meat - but in appropriate portion sizes. No dairy - almond milk is our substitute of choice. Sweet potatoes, but no white potatoes. Lots and lots of bacon and eggs. That's the gist of how Chris has been eating for the past 30+ days. And, after a week to ten days of serious sugar/carb withdrawal, he, the man who would eat a dozen cookies in a single sitting without batting an eye, has loved every minute of the "diet" and has lost 20lbs in 30 days to boot.
I haven't completely joined Chris in his pursuit of paleo, mostly because I'm growing a person and along with that, I've grown a sweet tooth of monumental proportions that I don't really care to get rid of yet. Plus, I've only got 14 days to go. Might as well enjoy a last hurrah of sugar. But afterwards, I'm going to go half paleo. I'll keep some dairy and some carbs in my diet, but limit it like crazy, and continue to cook only paleo for our main meals. As much as I'll miss chocolate chip cookies, I'm excited about this. For one, it will help me lose baby weight (which I'm very interested in) and for another, I know that it will fuel my body and make sure that both me and baby B are getting the nutrition we need. I'll feel better and have more energy than I would on a carb-filled, processed snacking diet. I'm also partially doing it in reaction to articles like this which just make me angry. I don't like being a victim of product marketing/manipulation, and I don't like the idea that I'm addicted to anything (except caffeine. Mmmm coffee....) There's lots of scientific evidence out there that sugar, fat and salt are addicting, especially in processed foods. So buh-bye processed foods!
Anyway. In our quest for good nutrition that still tastes good I've stumbled upon this recipe. Want to satisfy a bread craving without breaking paleo, and get lots of protein and other goodness out of it? Bake these.
Almond Flour Biscuits
(photo and recipe discovered on Roost Blog via Pinterest. roostblog.com)
Ingredients: Method:
2 1/2 cups almond flour Combine almond flour, salt, baking soda.
1/2 teaspoon salt Whisk together the oil and honey. Microwave for 30
1/2 teaspoon baking soda seconds on high to thin the honey.
2 eggs Beat together the honey/oil mixture and eggs. Add to dry.
1/4 cup oil Drop 1/4 cup dollops of batter onto greased baking sheet.
1/4 cup honey Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.
I also usually drizzle the biscuits with honey before baking them (to give a little extra sweetness) and have found that 17 minutes is the perfect baking time. Yumm!
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Dear Baby B... Part 2
Your arrival means many things. It means snuggles and diapers and exhaustion and some of the most precious moments of our lives as we get to know your sweet little soul. But on top of all those outward, expected changes, there's a lot more going on.
I'm realizing that I get to grow up with you. Not in the aging sort of way - I refuse to start wearing mom jeans or invest of lots primary color polo shirts - but in the becoming someone new sort of way. Because a lot of how you grow up over the next few years is determined by how I grow up in the next few years. You're coming into this world fresh and new and have to learn everything! And it falls to me and your dad to teach you... everything.
The two best books I've read about how to bring you up have been Bringing Up Bébé by Pamela Druckerman and The Shaping of a Christian Family by Elisabeth Elliot. They've helped me see that as a parent I'm not raising you, I'm educating you, and not just in the sense of your ABC's and your colors. I'm teaching you what's normal, what a woman should behave like, what the world is like, what is acceptable and unacceptable - teaching you these things every moment of every day. If you hear me complain a lot, you'll learn that complaining is normal and, then, of course you will complain. If you hear me tell your dad how much I love him several times a day, then you will learn that affection is good and part of a healthy marriage. If you see me keep the house in order, then you will learn that things are meant to be kept in order. In a given day you will be learning hundreds of different things from me - good and bad - and I doubt I'll be aware of more than 10% of what you're picking up. That's a whooole lot of responsibility.
I will probably teach you that it's OK if your bed isn't made every single day. I will almost definitely teach you that it's OK to be grumpy when you're hungry. But by God's grace I hope that I can grow up in all the most important ways so that I can educate you in all the most important things. By His grace I hope to teach you that you have a loving, amazing Heavenly Father who fills this world with hope even when everything seems dark and dreary. I want to teach you that what matters most in this life - far more than money, popularity, or worldly success - is to learn to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. To do that, I've got to be learning those things myself, growing in my understanding of them and, most importantly of all, living my life as though those things are the truest things in the world. God help me.
So, my darling baby girl, I apologize for all the ways that I'm going to screw up in what I teach you. Just remember that I'm growing up too and its a rough and tumble sort of roller coaster we're on together. We'll both screw up, but it shouldn't be any other way.
I'm realizing that I get to grow up with you. Not in the aging sort of way - I refuse to start wearing mom jeans or invest of lots primary color polo shirts - but in the becoming someone new sort of way. Because a lot of how you grow up over the next few years is determined by how I grow up in the next few years. You're coming into this world fresh and new and have to learn everything! And it falls to me and your dad to teach you... everything.
The two best books I've read about how to bring you up have been Bringing Up Bébé by Pamela Druckerman and The Shaping of a Christian Family by Elisabeth Elliot. They've helped me see that as a parent I'm not raising you, I'm educating you, and not just in the sense of your ABC's and your colors. I'm teaching you what's normal, what a woman should behave like, what the world is like, what is acceptable and unacceptable - teaching you these things every moment of every day. If you hear me complain a lot, you'll learn that complaining is normal and, then, of course you will complain. If you hear me tell your dad how much I love him several times a day, then you will learn that affection is good and part of a healthy marriage. If you see me keep the house in order, then you will learn that things are meant to be kept in order. In a given day you will be learning hundreds of different things from me - good and bad - and I doubt I'll be aware of more than 10% of what you're picking up. That's a whooole lot of responsibility.
I will probably teach you that it's OK if your bed isn't made every single day. I will almost definitely teach you that it's OK to be grumpy when you're hungry. But by God's grace I hope that I can grow up in all the most important ways so that I can educate you in all the most important things. By His grace I hope to teach you that you have a loving, amazing Heavenly Father who fills this world with hope even when everything seems dark and dreary. I want to teach you that what matters most in this life - far more than money, popularity, or worldly success - is to learn to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. To do that, I've got to be learning those things myself, growing in my understanding of them and, most importantly of all, living my life as though those things are the truest things in the world. God help me.
So, my darling baby girl, I apologize for all the ways that I'm going to screw up in what I teach you. Just remember that I'm growing up too and its a rough and tumble sort of roller coaster we're on together. We'll both screw up, but it shouldn't be any other way.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Dear Baby B... Part 1
We're one month (28 days) away from your due-date. Not so secretly, I hope we're actually closer to 14 or 21 days away from your arrival. I feel like the past 8 months have flown - but now time is slowing down. I'm so ready for you to be here. So is your daddy - he's been ready even longer than I have been. "I feel like I'm at the starting line for a big race and no one will blow the whistle for it to start," he tells me - and has been telling me for about two or three months now. He's going to love you to pieces and spoil you like every daddy should, and I can't wait to see him at it. You're one lucky little girl!
Your room is ready for you - I've even put things up on the walls and color coordinated all the decorations! Your clothes are all washed, folded and sorted into drawers by size. I hope you're little because you have the cutest collection of 3 month clothes I've ever seen. We just bought the last "must-have" before you arrive - your car seat! I want to go get it professionally put in the car, but we'll see if daddy lets me. He seemed a little offended when I suggested doing that.... He man. He put together crib (perfectly!) and install car seat. I woman. I worry about nursery colors and making actual baby.
I can't wait to dress you up and take your pictures and let people ooh and aah over how cute you are. I can't wait to see you! I know you'll have blue eyes, since your daddy and I both do, but what color will your hair be? Will you have curls like me or straight hair like your daddy? (Well, we actually probably won't know that until your first or second birthday, given that your dad and I were both bald babies... sorry sweetie!) And I can't wait to get to know you - will you sleep well like I did, or be curious like your daddy and never want to sleep? I can't wait to snuggle with you, even at 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. I'm so excited to learn your cries and coos and noises. I don't know the answers to any of those questions, I just know that God has designed the perfect little baby for us! You'll be just what we've always wanted and needed in our first child. That is without doubt or question, since God is in control of it all.
What your Aunt Kristen has been telling me all along (we're so thankful for her - I would have gone crazy without her to badger and ask about every little thing this pregnancy!) is proving true. I'm getting so anxious to meet you and so uncomfortable (don't worry, I forgive you already) that the thought of labor doesn't phase me anymore. Whatever it takes to bring you into this world, that's A-OK with me. I'll do it. So hurry up, OK, my little one?
Your room is ready for you - I've even put things up on the walls and color coordinated all the decorations! Your clothes are all washed, folded and sorted into drawers by size. I hope you're little because you have the cutest collection of 3 month clothes I've ever seen. We just bought the last "must-have" before you arrive - your car seat! I want to go get it professionally put in the car, but we'll see if daddy lets me. He seemed a little offended when I suggested doing that.... He man. He put together crib (perfectly!) and install car seat. I woman. I worry about nursery colors and making actual baby.
I can't wait to dress you up and take your pictures and let people ooh and aah over how cute you are. I can't wait to see you! I know you'll have blue eyes, since your daddy and I both do, but what color will your hair be? Will you have curls like me or straight hair like your daddy? (Well, we actually probably won't know that until your first or second birthday, given that your dad and I were both bald babies... sorry sweetie!) And I can't wait to get to know you - will you sleep well like I did, or be curious like your daddy and never want to sleep? I can't wait to snuggle with you, even at 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. I'm so excited to learn your cries and coos and noises. I don't know the answers to any of those questions, I just know that God has designed the perfect little baby for us! You'll be just what we've always wanted and needed in our first child. That is without doubt or question, since God is in control of it all.
What your Aunt Kristen has been telling me all along (we're so thankful for her - I would have gone crazy without her to badger and ask about every little thing this pregnancy!) is proving true. I'm getting so anxious to meet you and so uncomfortable (don't worry, I forgive you already) that the thought of labor doesn't phase me anymore. Whatever it takes to bring you into this world, that's A-OK with me. I'll do it. So hurry up, OK, my little one?
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Mommies & Tummies
Freaky thing about the second and third trimester is that what I'm eating these days affects what my daughter is going to eat for the first few years of her life - and therefore for her entire life. If I eat every green thing in the produce aisle while I'm pregnant, she probably won't turn her nose up at the green mush called "peas" that comes out of those adorable baby food jars. If I eat cheese enchiladas (yum!) every day for the next 97 days, then she'll probably choose Guapo's for her birthday dinner location every year of her life. It's crazy.
But let's be honest, a mom's (and dad's) affect on her child's food habits goes so much further than that. Food affects a huge portion of your life. It affects family values, nutrition, overall health, traditions. My mom was - and continues to be - Mom of the Century when it comes to food and everything that goes along with it. My brother and I grew up eating at home anywhere from 5-7 nights a week, every week, from birth right through high school. Family dinners were one of the most consistent things throughout my life - even during summer and winter vacations while I was in college - that I really don't know what growing up without them would have been like. Not only did we have family dinners that often, but we had really good family dinners that often. I remember a year or two ago looking in my mom's pantry and seeing her two shelves (two shelves!) of both cookbooks and binders full of recipes that she's used over the past 23+ years while she was raising us. She created this recipe collection, cooked the widest variety of yummyness you could imagine, all while homeschooling us (until I was 8, my brother 10) and then gradually transitioning to part-time, then full-time work when we moved to Maryland. I remember her doing Once A Month Cooking on Saturdays so that we had home-cooked meals every night even when life was crazy busy for her. On top of that, I can't remember a time that we weren't allowed to bring a friend home for dinner. Mama was always happy to feed an extra mouth.
I don't want to overlook my dad here - he cooked a lot too, grilling during the summer and making his "Texas" meals during the winter (like his famous Texas 5 way chili). We were rarely home alone with my dad overnight since my mom didn't have to travel for her work, but even when we were, we ate healthily and well. He never minded cooking when my mom needed help, and I remember him doing the dishes for her many a night - the cook didn't always have to clean in our house!
What has all this meant to me? Lots of things I took for granted when I was a kid, I'm sure. As an adult, it means that I love cooking and I understand how to prepare a healthy meal. Our table is almost always set with whole grains, green, fiber filled vegetables, lean meats, and fresh fruits. (Though my mom also taught me how to bake like an expert, so I'm still taking advantage of our metabolisms by making sweets frequently. Chris appreciates that.) It means that tonight I get to make one of my Great Grandma's recipes because my mom used to make it all the time when I was a kid and passed it down. It means that I'm looking forward to cooking 6 nights a week for my family my entire life, and that I'm excited about Sunday night pizza night (the one night we were allowed to watch TV with dinner was Sunday, when we ordered pizza out and watched the Disney movie on ABC Family.) I understand that cooking takes creativity, meal planning and that its worth it to spend a bit more money on groceries if you're eating healthy. And it means that I haven't gained more than my allotted 35 pounds in the past 6 months of pregnancy, because I enjoy eating healthily - with an occasional double cheeseburger from McDonald's on the side.
So thank you Mumsy, for your wonderful example, for all your hard work and planning and all the hours upon hours you spent looking up recipes and then making them all through my life. It was no small thing. It matters. Its made a huge difference in my life, and its going to make a huge difference in my children's lives.
But let's be honest, a mom's (and dad's) affect on her child's food habits goes so much further than that. Food affects a huge portion of your life. It affects family values, nutrition, overall health, traditions. My mom was - and continues to be - Mom of the Century when it comes to food and everything that goes along with it. My brother and I grew up eating at home anywhere from 5-7 nights a week, every week, from birth right through high school. Family dinners were one of the most consistent things throughout my life - even during summer and winter vacations while I was in college - that I really don't know what growing up without them would have been like. Not only did we have family dinners that often, but we had really good family dinners that often. I remember a year or two ago looking in my mom's pantry and seeing her two shelves (two shelves!) of both cookbooks and binders full of recipes that she's used over the past 23+ years while she was raising us. She created this recipe collection, cooked the widest variety of yummyness you could imagine, all while homeschooling us (until I was 8, my brother 10) and then gradually transitioning to part-time, then full-time work when we moved to Maryland. I remember her doing Once A Month Cooking on Saturdays so that we had home-cooked meals every night even when life was crazy busy for her. On top of that, I can't remember a time that we weren't allowed to bring a friend home for dinner. Mama was always happy to feed an extra mouth.
I don't want to overlook my dad here - he cooked a lot too, grilling during the summer and making his "Texas" meals during the winter (like his famous Texas 5 way chili). We were rarely home alone with my dad overnight since my mom didn't have to travel for her work, but even when we were, we ate healthily and well. He never minded cooking when my mom needed help, and I remember him doing the dishes for her many a night - the cook didn't always have to clean in our house!
What has all this meant to me? Lots of things I took for granted when I was a kid, I'm sure. As an adult, it means that I love cooking and I understand how to prepare a healthy meal. Our table is almost always set with whole grains, green, fiber filled vegetables, lean meats, and fresh fruits. (Though my mom also taught me how to bake like an expert, so I'm still taking advantage of our metabolisms by making sweets frequently. Chris appreciates that.) It means that tonight I get to make one of my Great Grandma's recipes because my mom used to make it all the time when I was a kid and passed it down. It means that I'm looking forward to cooking 6 nights a week for my family my entire life, and that I'm excited about Sunday night pizza night (the one night we were allowed to watch TV with dinner was Sunday, when we ordered pizza out and watched the Disney movie on ABC Family.) I understand that cooking takes creativity, meal planning and that its worth it to spend a bit more money on groceries if you're eating healthy. And it means that I haven't gained more than my allotted 35 pounds in the past 6 months of pregnancy, because I enjoy eating healthily - with an occasional double cheeseburger from McDonald's on the side.
So thank you Mumsy, for your wonderful example, for all your hard work and planning and all the hours upon hours you spent looking up recipes and then making them all through my life. It was no small thing. It matters. Its made a huge difference in my life, and its going to make a huge difference in my children's lives.
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