In what is becoming a yearly tradition, in early January, Mikhail & I picked our word for the year:
Or two.
Okay, three.
Words that describe what we want to create for 2011, the possibility we want to live into.
Abundance, vitality & faith.
I love how the three relate, connect, and influence each other. When I imagine vitality, I can imagine energy propelling me into abundance. When I am confronted by the idea of abundance, I think of the backbone of faith.
And I love how the word abundance contains dance inside it, something I never noticed until Mikhail wrote it in the sand.
Maybe it's the Universe telling me to try a Zumba class...
The baby is still congested and snorty and not sleeping well, and now I've got a cold too. He's been nursing what seems like constantly the last few days, which means I need to drink all the time or I get a headache, I'm ravenously hungry, and I'm feeling.. well... drained. Literally. So he and I are having a mellow afternoon in bed with a movie, snuggling up and resting and focusing on feeling better soon, and being grateful for the downtime.
New Year's Resolution: losing 20 pounds, Month 2.January was about getting going; February is about building momentum. At the end of January, I was feeling pretty good about my plan. I had lost 2 pounds, not much, but a start. I was thinking that if I just kept up a slow and steady pace, I might make my goal. So I made February about building momentum, keeping the same basic plan as January with the addition of eating more whole grains and fewer simple carbs.Then February started, and my ... more
It's late January, and I haven't written about New Year's Resolutions. How is this possible? Where is the time going? Oh, yeah, the hours are eaten up by staring at my beautiful baby. He's so cute! How does anyone get anything done with such a cute baby?See what I mean?Anyway, I have big hopes for 2011. Jobs, health, good sleep... but the one I want to write about here & now is getting my body back.That is such a phrase -- "getting my body back." It makes me cringe. ... more
I was writing a post about New Year's resolutions, but I didn't finish it, and when I came back to it, I was in a different mood, a different place, a different person. That's the danger of not finishing something -- I either wait until the mood comes back around again, have to force myself back into it, or let it go.I will finish the post about New Year's resolutions, I will!But suddenly at 4:00 yesterday afternoon, the weariness set in. I don't know how else to describe that ... more
Today, I got back into the pool. There were a few big hurdles to surmount: 1) the baby had to get his first bottle, an event which makes me tear up with the thought he doesn't need me anymore, but that I know is necessary if I'm going to have some freedom in the many months of nursing to come and 2) I had to deal with the bathing suit situation.I should back up for a minute. The last few months of my pregnancy, after I hurt my back and ... more
my first engagement ringThis pregnancy has really forced encouraged me to re-think my expectations of myself and of my body. Pregnancy this time around has been so different from my pregnancy with Elan. I'm more tired and crabby. I have more aches and pains. Back pain, hip pain, pain places I don't want to talk about on the Internet.The baby is low, and my back is straining, so I have a back/belly brace to help support my back.I have a map of veins down one leg, so I have ... more
where we are now - so beautifulI've always loved travel. But being gone for more than half of this August has been a bit much for me. At 32 weeks pregnant, my homing instinct is strong. I crave my own dishes in the sink, my own groceries (or lack of) in the fridge, my own bed (even if I do need to figure out how to soften it up for my aching-preggo hips). People have been good to me while we do our family-visiting; everyone has been helping me ... more
I think of myself as a fairly reliable person. I don't generally forget appointments or flake on people, though I do tend to run 5-10 minutes late, an inherited trait I blame on my mother (Hi Mom, are you reading the blog these days?). However, pregnancy mush brain has descended upon me with a vengeance. In the last few weeks, I have forgotten several appointments. I either wrote down the wrong time or never wrote them on my calender at all. In this morning's example, I wrote the right time ... more
"The deepest secret is that life is not a process of discovery,but a process of creation. You are not discovering yourself but creating yourself anew. Seek, therefore, not to find out who you are,seek to determine what you want to be”– Neale Donald WalschI'm thinking a lot lately about the idea that I am creating my own life everyday, with every choice I make. This way of looking at things doesn't come that naturally to me. I feel like so much of my life since becoming a mother is ... more
A long-overdue update...* I made it to the second trimester! I am now in my 17th week, which seems kind of amazing. A few weeks ago, the nausea improved about 10%, and now I think I've made another 10% jump. It's definitely not where I hoped I'd be by this time, but it is nice to feel some improvement. * With a corresponding slight improvement in my energy, I suddenly notice how disorganized and chaotic my life and house are. However, I'm still pretty worn-out, recovering from various colds and ... more