tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90170372512563269622024-03-14T06:40:34.862-04:00Lola's ChildLola Rainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08331205588283877751noreply@blogger.comBlogger482125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9017037251256326962.post-62975319269214839732013-06-27T07:55:00.000-04:002013-06-27T07:55:58.064-04:00This blog has moved….find me at lolaschild.com<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thank you, readers, for being my audience and sticking with me all this time! Please join the party over at <a href="http://www.lolaschild.com/">www.lolaschild.com</a>, my new home. Hope to see you there!</span>Lola Rainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08331205588283877751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9017037251256326962.post-28026205821974913462013-06-26T14:14:00.002-04:002013-06-26T14:14:59.877-04:00My husband, the great sport<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As I prepare to launch my new website (tomorrow!), I can't help but think of my husband. Alex has believed in me from day one—always supporting my dreams, pumping me up when I feel lost, playing editor when I'm stuck. He's a big part of why I'm still here, blogging (and believing). And really, I couldn't do this work without his blessing, because I simply would not be an effective writer if he didn't allow me to pull <i>him</i> into my TMI world.<br /><br />You see, it was Alex himself who once told me that I had to be willing to be one hundred percent honest if I wanted to be a good writer. He pushed me to write from a much deeper, more compelling and relatable place inside me than I had before….and in so doing, <i>Lola's Child </i>was born. The beautiful thing is, Alex had to really put himself out there in order to give me that advice, because being honest as a writer means sharing some of <i>our</i> most intimate moments with the world, which he has graciously allowed me to do. He has given up a large chunk of his privacy (and allowed me to embarrass him at times) so that I could have this dream to believe in.<br /><br />So, thank you, dear! Thank you for believing in me more than I believe in myself at times!<br /><br />****<br /><br />The new site is coming! Stay tuned….</span>Lola Rainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08331205588283877751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9017037251256326962.post-10623980465726710662013-06-25T13:57:00.003-04:002013-06-26T12:26:57.676-04:00Stay-at-home mom stigma?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While scrolling through Pinterest recently, I came across a someecards poster sarcastically teasing stay-at-home moms. The message was that working mothers do double duty—working out of the home all day, and then performing all the same duties that take stay-at-home moms all day to accomplish, in just a couple of hours at night. Pause...And while I shouldn't care what a snarky internet poster has to say, the truth is that it sent me into a defensive rage. In an instant, I felt belittled and marginalized by the Victorian Era woman staring at me from her pink background. Yes, it was just a poster. But, it got me thinking about two issues.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Number one: Why do women like to divide themselves instead of stick together? And number two: Why does staying home to raise your babies have to carry a stigma (or does it)?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was never great at connecting with those of my own gender growing up. In fact, not until I found myself pregnant, did I feel truly able to bond with any woman. But at that point, I felt like I was part of a sisterhood….finally. I was doing the most womanly thing possible and I suddenly found myself able (and wanting) to connect with other women. My birthing experience only furthered my love of the sisterhood, as I labored in bed with several women holding my hand, brushing my hair off my sweaty face, and massaging my feet. And then, in navigating the challenging waters of motherhood, I found my sanity in groups of mothers who allowed me to be a mess…..to admit my struggles….to be real, all while encouraging and supporting me. Yes, this sisterhood is pretty great, I have found.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, why are there so many sisters still out there trying to knock other sisters down? Other mothers. This is a oft discussed topic, but for as many wisely written articles I have read, there are just as many moments that still leave me feeling baffled by this phenomenon.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Why can't it be as simple as: motherhood is difficult. Period. The end. Because, it </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">is</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> difficult….for us </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">all</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We all have the right to chose our own approach to motherhood, and in so doing, take on a unique set of challenges and benefits that other options might not carry. And thank god. Because, some of us would fully lose our minds staying home, and thus need a separate (non-mama) identity to visit every day. While others would fail in the workplace because we'd be so consumed and distracted by our faraway babies. Etc. Etc. Etc. There are about as many reasons for and against staying home as there are mothers out there. So, why can't we respect each other's choices?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Furthermore, how can we speak to the experience of other mothers who are living opposite lives? How can we be so quick to invalidate one another?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And that's just it. My experience felt invalidated and misunderstood by a someecards poster that I only assume was written by a mother living an opposite life from mine. It felt so unnecessary. Where's the sisterhood in that? At the end of the day (however you may have spent that day), we are all still mothers and women. Which brings me to my second issue...</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Growing up, I was always the girl who needed everything to be equal. In high school, I was told I could not join the boy's swim team, because I was a girl. But, I joined that team anyway (after much debate and insistence). I rarely saw the divide between genders. And while I often attributed my army of male friends, desire to someday become a lawyer, or belief that I could do anything I wanted to do in life to my father raising me in a very gender neutral manner, my father insists that I was born with a strong feminist edge. Either way, I saw things going a certain way when I looked to the future.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There were several enormous life events that occurred during my formative years that led to some drastic changes in my way of life (i.e. leaving behind my male friendships, discovering and embracing my much softer, artistic side, etc), but for the sake of brevity, I will skip to the part where I became a mother…a stay-at-home mother.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />I certainly wasn't one of those girls who always dreamt of having children and staying home to raise them, but when the time came, that was the decision that felt natural. And I felt so good about that decision, because it was right for me, and my family. But, as psyched as I was about my new role, I was surprised to find that I was judged at times, misunderstood often, and invalidated by my own kind (other mothers).<br /><br />So, I wonder, at what point did we hurl past a more accepting reality for women? Why must we work outside the home to assert our woman power? Why must we renounce our roles as mothers to be seen as strong, intelligent, impressive women? Why does mothering the children we carried and birthed have to be a stand against feminism? Are our only choices the 1950's or super feminism?<br /><br />***<br /><br />Perhaps a great portion of these debates is internal. Perhaps the trivial internet poster I saw doesn't speak to a general consensus on stay-at-home moms living easy, less important lives. But, I know I can't be the only mother out there struggling with her identity. Becoming a mother saddles <i>every</i> woman with a new set of challenges to work through. We must find a way to be <i>this</i> while being <i>that</i>, make sacrifices that we sometimes second guess, and make decisions in a sea of unsolicited opinions. So, wouldn't it be nice if we could at least have another sister's back? I think so.</span></div>
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Lola Rainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08331205588283877751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9017037251256326962.post-74871550662822531292013-06-24T14:59:00.001-04:002013-06-24T18:47:45.700-04:00She's got my whole world….in her hands<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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The other day, Emerson discovered my purse. It's been sitting on a chair, right under her nose, for thirteen months, and she has never paid it any attention before. Yet now, she was impatiently struggling with the zipper, desperate to see what lived inside it. And, as I watched, I found myself just as curious about its contents. You see, I haven't used that purse (or <i>any</i> purse at all) since I became a mother. I carried one with me for a short while in the beginning until, little by little, all the items that were necessary to my life migrated into Emerson's diaper bag, which is always with me. The rest of the once-important items were left behind in that purse, on that chair.<br /><br />As Emerson dug through my abandoned purse, my old life jumped out and sprawled itself across the kitchen floor, telling a story I had temporarily forgotten. There were various beauty accessories for the woman who used to not only wear makeup daily, but would also freshen up throughout the day. There was the small pocket flashlight that I used to carry when I lived in an urban high rise so I could find my keys when I dropped them on the ground in the dark parking garage. There was a chunk of amethyst from the days when I was so consumed with my spiritual yoga and meditation practices that I carried various stones with me to benefit from their "energy." (Yes, really). There was the foot balm I used to rub on my achilles tendons to heal and prevent friction from my high heels. There was the morning sickness pops from when I was pregnant. And the soap leaves I used to bring with me when I went camping. And at last, my business card case filled with cards that read: Lola Rain Photography.<br /><br />Emerson was most taken by the business cards. She tried and tried to open the case until finally it snapped in half. As I watched her manhandle my former life, I couldn't help but see the meaning in the moment. I was all hers now, and that life of mine felt so far away. At first, I felt a bit of sadness and longing as Emerson began to eat one of my business cards. But, the feeling was quickly replaced with a knowing confidence in the choices I've made. I felt the calling of a life to come, a new combination of the old and the current and some other things I've yet to realize.<br /><br />It's as if Emerson was trying to tell me it was okay to unpack the past….that I wouldn't lose anything by cleaning out that purse. She began to carry my business cards with her everywhere she went, leaving a trail behind her. I'm still finding those cards all over the house. But, I smile while picking them up. Because, those cards remind me of what I accomplished before, what talent and determination live inside me, what is still very much a part of me, but is gracefully waiting for me to return to it when this job called motherhood allows the space.</span>Lola Rainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08331205588283877751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9017037251256326962.post-67017704845360884482013-06-21T14:07:00.001-04:002013-06-21T14:07:14.075-04:00Moving and….moving<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are two moves going on in my life right now, both of which I've kept under wraps for months. The first is a virtual move. Yes, I will (finally) be moving this blog over to its very own domain….onto a website I've been diligently building for a while now: www.lolaschild.com. I'm really excited about this! After a few years of blogging on Blogger, my direction finally feels clear(ish) so it's time to take myself seriously. Lolaschild.com will be the same blog, just at a new site/address. I will make an announcement when it goes live.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The second move is a literal one. Next week I will be packing up my little family and heading off to a beautiful town just outside of Boston, where we will be living for the summer. We will still be living at home part-time every week, but it's going to be a big change nonetheless. I've sort of pushed this reality out of my mind ever since I found out it was happening (my husband took a summer position at the country's premier summer enrichment program…..way to go, Alex!). But, I can't ignore it any longer, because it's happening in just a few short days. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've worried about the affect this move will have on Emerson, the challenge of packing/moving/commuting every week, and living in a much smaller space without many of the comforts we are so used to. But, it is also exciting! This is our first legitimate adventure as a family, something Alex and I have missed these past two years spent gestating and raising a child. So, I have to say that the eternal adventurer/wanderer in me is pretty pumped to be moving to a new place, completely sight unseen. And, I may just not want to ever come home after rejoining the world of suburbia…..a major city minutes away….shopping and restaurants within walking distance….free food prepared for me every day….pristine, architecturally magnificent buildings surrounding me…..a pool and gym across the yard. I mean. It's peaceful and beautiful living atop this tiny mountain in the middle of nowhere, but I'm forever pulled by the green grass on the other side of wherever I am. Sigh.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, there you have it, folks! Big changes next week! I will still be here blogging throughout. I can't wait to see what this summer will bring to my blog (and my life)!</span></div>
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<br />Lola Rainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08331205588283877751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9017037251256326962.post-53165363550408490112013-06-20T13:28:00.001-04:002013-06-20T13:28:21.859-04:00The Husband's Perspective: Dinner for One and a Half <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The following post was written by Alex, my dear husband. Thanks, Alex!</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As head chef in my household, I am required to vacillate between the role of Macgyver and head of a psychiatric ward. This combination leads to a certain schizophrenia behind the oven that I will try to explain here. </span><div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To help illustrate, imagine the following sequence: put water in the baby food maker, save Emerson from near electrocution from computer cord, open baby oatmeal only to realize the measuring spoon is in the dishwasher, swipe Emerson's mouth to recover bits of colored cardboard from the cereal box she stole out of the recycling bin, eyeball the measurements on the baby oatmeal and put in baby food maker, snatch Emerson as she grabs a handful of plaster off of the injured kitchen wall, (curse lightly under breath), wash pot for big people oatmeal, open cupboard five times at the eager instruction (points and says, "that") of Emerson, turn light on and off with similar instruction, pull steaming hot jar out of baby food maker while burning hand, put water in big people oatmeal pan, unload a few dishes from dishwasher, offer Emerson a bite of baby oats that she refuses pointing to a tube of lanolin instead, offer lanolin to Emerson, offer oatmeal again this time successfully, snatch lid off big people pot as water boils over, get canister of big people oats only to realize it's empty, feed Emerson a bite, run to pantry for more oats, open with scissors, feed Emerson another bite, spoon big people oats into violently boiling pot, offer Emerson another bite that she swats away with tube of lanolin spraying the counter with chunks of oatmeal...This is the easiest meal of the day. Lunch and dinner are far more challenging….</span><div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My culinary schizophrenia is a result of the two ladies I love more than anything in the world, the profiles of which I will explore below. I will leave you to guess who is who. </span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Patient A </i></span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Is apparently allergic to wheat, corn, walnuts, pecans, soy, and occasionally, pea pesto. Refuses dairy, chocolate, caffeine, red meat, pork, shell fish, anything overcooked or undercooked, mixed accidentally with another food group or tainted by improper food preparation. We’re just getting warmed up here…. Doesn’t enjoy Brussels sprouts, cabbage, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">fiddle heads or anything at all exotic, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">collards or any bitter greens aside from Kale, won’t accept rhubarb, root vegetables, radishes, water chestnuts (just forget about it), apricots, blackberries, currants, cherries, dates, figs, honeydew melon, nectarines, pears, or tangerines. Occasionally, she will accept clementines, blueberries, and strawberries, but only if in season. Greens must be doused with salt, pepper and garlic to be consumed, and pasta must be slathered with no less than half a cup of legitimate (<i>legitimate</i>) olive oil. All, repeat ALL dishes must be served separately, and all condiments must be served on the side. Everything must be organic, especially the dirty dozen, though “clean fifteen” still vaguely suspected. The kicker: gets tired of routine meals quickly.... Needs frequent variety. </span></div>
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<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Patient B </i></span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Known allergies to dairy and coconut. Will only eat with best friend, a singing dog, serenading her and 1-2 other toys to play with while eating. Refuses bib. Occasionally will only eat if allowed to feed herself, thereby sullying chair, table, eating apparatus, and everything else in missile range. If patient sees, smells, or suspects the presence of buttered toast, will refuse to eat anything but said toast. Likes peas but only if they aren’t mashed, likes blueberries but only if dried. Caution: will eat any packaging included, accidentally or otherwise. Will eat healthy portions of dirt, dried leaves, flowers, or bits of plastic, rock, and last week’s meals left on the floor (note irony). Distracted easily, entrees soon turn into toys of mass destruction. Use extreme caution. Kickers: Eats frequently and at odd hours. Will poop herself without warning mid-meal. </span><br /><br /> </div>
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Lola Rainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08331205588283877751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9017037251256326962.post-20409230097851604342013-06-19T14:16:00.001-04:002013-06-19T14:16:42.527-04:00My top 5 diet tips: healthy body, fit frame<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Healthy eating is a lifestyle for me, not a "diet." And this lifestyle choice does more than keep my body trim. My diet choices (and yours) are invariably related to energy levels, sleep, mood, cognitive ability, productivity, quality of life and most importantly, the general health of my insides. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, what does healthy eating look like for me? Here's my diet boiled down into five general tips: </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>1. Eat food in its natural form</b> (or as close to it as possible)- We've all heard this one. Focus your diet on whole foods (think lots of fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, and lean protein), cutting out processed food and empty calories. Yes, eating whole foods requires more time and effort, but it is a habit that can be formed like any other and so worth the adjustment. My meals are freshly prepared (or leftovers of freshly prepared foods) with an occasional minimally processed snack (e.g. <a href="http://www.larabarstore.com/?trk_src_ss=LARPAYPCWEBMACSS&gclid=CMuBn8rQ8LcCFUKd4AodnR8Arg">Lara Bars</a> or <a href="http://www.bluediamond.com/index.cfm?navid=34">Nut crackers</a> with hummus).</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>2. Eat in/take out/carry snacks</b>- This is a continuation of #1, really. I stick to my whole foods diet by eating meals at home, taking meals with me (for work, travel, outings), and always carrying snacks in my bag to avoid <i>over-hungry-I-need-food-and-will-eat-anything</i> situations from occurring. I rarely leave the house without a bottle of water, a Lara Bar, a bag of nuts, or piece of fruit.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>3. Splurge mindfully</b>- Because, we all need treats once in a while. I am no exception! But, you're not going to find run-of-the-mill dessert items in my house. During the summer months, you will often find a container of <a href="http://coconutbliss.com/coconut-bliss-products/naked-coconut">Coconut Bliss</a> "ice Cream" (dairy-free and made with agave syrup instead of sugar) that I like to eat covered in fresh strawberries and/or blueberries. And during the winter months, you will often find me baking gluten-free oatmeal raisin cookies made with <a href="http://www.namastefoods.com/products/cgi-bin/products.cgi?Function=show&Id=13">unbleached flours</a> and <a href="http://www.earthbalancenatural.com/product/organic-coconut-butter/">dairy-free coconut spread</a>.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>4. Avoid dairy</b>- I know, I know. Most people want nothing to do with avoiding dairy. I admit, it is ridiculously delicious. But, I can tell you that there is a 10-15 pound difference in my body weight when I include dairy as a regular part of my diet versus not. What's more, humans do not need dairy. It is the breast milk of another animal species, and we were not built to consume it. There are plenty of ways to get all the vitamins and minerals (calcium included) that you need without it. That said, there are also plenty of ways to make your food <i>delicious</i> without dairy. Some of my favorite non-dairy finds include: <a href="http://www.earthbalancenatural.com/product/organic-coconut-butter/">Earth Balance Coconut Spread</a>, <a href="http://coconutbliss.com/coconut-bliss-products">Bliss Coconut products</a>, and <a href="http://www.daiyafoods.com/our-products/mozzarella">Daiya Mozzarella shredded cheese</a>.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>5. Eat healthy fats</b>- I discussed this briefly <a href="http://lolarain.blogspot.com/2013/06/my-go-to-meal-fueling-healthy-pregnancy.html">here</a>. Healthy fats not only benefit the health of your body enormously, but they also help fill you up and stave off cravings for less healthy foods. Craving a hamburger with fries? Try a salad topped with avocado and olive oil (find the recipe for my <a href="http://lolarain.blogspot.com/2013/06/my-go-to-meal-fueling-healthy-pregnancy.html">Big Salad</a>, chock full of healthy fats, <a href="http://lolarain.blogspot.com/2013/06/my-go-to-meal-fueling-healthy-pregnancy.html">here</a>). Good examples of healthy fats include: avocado, nuts and nut butters, olive oil, and fish.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />Happy eating, folks!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i>*Wellness Wednesday disclosure: I am not a nutritionist, doctor, or personal trainer. These posts are not meant to replace professional help in any of these areas. Be sure to consult an expert before making drastic changes in your health or fitness routine.</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Lola Rainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08331205588283877751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9017037251256326962.post-10265651153554604272013-06-18T13:50:00.001-04:002013-06-18T13:50:30.078-04:00Professional<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sometimes I feel like I'm living a secret life, which is ironic given I write a tell-all blog. But, I don't talk about that in my real life. I don't explain to people that I spend most of my free moments writing, brainstorming, researching, or learning how to build a website. I don't tell anyone how passionate I am about this blog….how alive and fulfilled I feel every time I hit publish….the big dreams I have inside me. I don't admit that I have a plan, a path that I am already walking, a life I have envisioned that I completely believe will come to me. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm just a stay-at-home mom, right? There are plenty of people who may think so, but I'm not. Not in my mind. Yet, I don't step in defensively when the subject comes up.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Because, my dreams are too important and in pursuing them, I am at times, too fragile. I guess I've been protecting those dreams by keeping quiet in real life and then pretending like what I'm doing is not a big deal in my online life. But, the truth is, this <i>is</i> a big deal (to me). This blog is my passion, my therapy, my sustenance….the beginnings of a career. I started this blog not knowing where it would take me, but believing very deeply that if I just kept writing I would be led. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But, here's the thing. While I am very good at taking risks and walking unconventional paths, I am <i>not</i> very good at being an amateur. I set such high standards for myself that I become frustrated and give up too quickly. Yes, I am an expert in the field of self-defeating practices—I believe I am capable of doing something, but I expect it to happen overnight. I feel so uncomfortable and embarrassed by the growing pains phase that I try to somehow sidestep it. And even after racking up a pile of achievements, promotions, and/or compliments, I doubt myself and BOLT. Over and over, I have done this in my life. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yet, I have continued to write this blog. This is the one thing I haven't given up on…and that has to mean something. That simple realization hit me last night and renewed my faith in this path. Because, that is what this blog is: a testament to my faith in this path I am being led down. And by continuing to write through my many identity crisis', periods of self-doubt, and the periodic urge to give up and forget the whole thing, I have learned not only how to overcome those obstacles, but how to overcome <i>myself</i>.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, while the world may still see me as a stay-at-home mom, I know the truth. I know that I was back to writing several hours every day only four days after giving birth. I know that through all of my sleep-deprivation and the overwhelming responsibility of raising a baby with little to no help the past year, I have still managed to keep this thing going. I know that I feel more successful now, writing a blog in my sweatpants while my baby sleeps on me, than I did when I commuted on trains and ferries with a business card in the pocket of my Armani blazer. It's like I read in the very book that inspired me to start living the life I am living now (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/This-Time-Dance-Creating-Work/dp/1585425273"><i>This time I dance!</i></a>): "Success is as much a singular affair as falling in love. That's why you can't tell by looking at how well someone's done <i>exactly</i> how well he or she has done. Only the soul knows. Only the soul glows."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I may not have reached "professional" writer status yet. But, my soul glows.</span></div>
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Lola Rainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08331205588283877751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9017037251256326962.post-65421883690015663172013-06-17T14:07:00.003-04:002013-06-17T14:07:47.167-04:00A year of fathering<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Someone once told me that in deciding whether or not a man was "the one," I should ask myself this question: if we had children and some tragedy subsequently took me out of this world, would I want <i>this</i> man to be the one charged with loving and raising those children? At the time, I sort of understood what this wise woman was trying to say, but not really. Not until I had a child of my own. Not until the part of my brain was turned on that is used only for compiling lists of horrible, violent, depressing, tragic, or life scarring events that could possibly happen to my child (or to me, thus affecting my child).</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fortunately, I married a man that passed the "what if I die" test. Sure, if I weren't around, my child's clothes might not match, she might always walk around with her last meal still plastered across her cheeks, and there may be a few more bumps and scrapes due to all the wild fun going on without motherly supervision. But, the important things would definitely be there. Sometimes, I even imagine a life without me in it just to calm the irrational fears that attack my mind at random. And in that life, I see a little girl holding hands with her dad at the zoo, an unending array of tight hugs and wet kisses, bedtime stories and all-night snuggles, a girl being cheered on at soccer games, music recitals, and graduations, long, honest talks over coffee. I see a dad who does things his way (without me there to micromanage….<i>wink</i>), but always honors what he knows the mother of his children believed in and wanted for her babes.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And the beautiful thing is, Emerson has that life I've imagined. She has <i>that</i> dad. Yes, I managed to marry the right man—for me, and our child(ren). He will listen and understand, he will be humble and apologize when necessary, he will give of himself generously and with unrestrained love, and he will do his very best to support and guide his children toward the life they were meant to live. And, I get to be here to give myself to her too, and that's just the best, most wonderful thing in the world.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, "Happy Father's Day" doesn't even scratch the surface of what I wanted to say to my husband yesterday. </span><br />
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</span>Lola Rainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08331205588283877751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9017037251256326962.post-81181358721567974292013-06-14T15:49:00.001-04:002013-06-14T15:49:31.364-04:00This is our life<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZbbAm851pLGJse1j14GEOPvZE0Np6JWeHSQuGs8lfnQBSpQJniFp_aF8SAOX7WADqBM0h6cmEp9Yz-7qBLXuSj-5Xv2JxsaHGB1Y-uz_Ynr2439HGcrMkU68EtqOOyJsCBvFd_GMpAAfq/s1600/sos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZbbAm851pLGJse1j14GEOPvZE0Np6JWeHSQuGs8lfnQBSpQJniFp_aF8SAOX7WADqBM0h6cmEp9Yz-7qBLXuSj-5Xv2JxsaHGB1Y-uz_Ynr2439HGcrMkU68EtqOOyJsCBvFd_GMpAAfq/s320/sos.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Me:</span> I'm simultaneously craving a cup of coffee and a cocktail.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Husband:</span> Oh, uppers and downers.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Me: </span>What does that mean?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Husband: </span>It means you're a parent.</span><br />
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<br />Lola Rainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08331205588283877751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9017037251256326962.post-52572910395475388622013-06-13T12:55:00.001-04:002013-06-13T18:49:51.574-04:00Thirteen months of Emerson<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I guess I'm not quite ready to give up these monthly updates. It just seems that Emerson is changing more rapidly than ever before. I can't keep up. So, I need a place to slow it down a little...</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The past month has probably been the most exciting month yet. Certainly not the easiest….in fact, it's been one of the toughest. But, the most exciting. We suddenly have this little person living with us—a walking, talking person full of character. After months of only being able to take a few steps, and then walking part-time, crawling part-time, Emerson finally gave up crawling all together.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The day I noticed Emerson was no longer taking breaks from walking by crawling was huge. In an instant, with a pair of new shoes placed on her feet for the first time, she was off and running. And part of me knows, she'll never return. Not to the place and time when she was in my arms all day. Not to this sacred year (and nine months in utero) that she needed me to carry her. That moment woke me up to the reality that she is her own separate being. As obvious as that may seem, it's not always so obvious to a mother. It can be difficult to distinguish the line that separates you and your babe when you share a body, or a breast, or a bed with them. But, there comes a day when it's impossible to ignore. And it's as thrilling as it is sad to realize. For I get to be an observer, watching my child blossom and create her own Universe. But, I will always want just one more sip of this unparalleled closeness.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But, back to the thrilling parts. Our little full-time walker is so amazingly joyful. I thought she was a happy baby when she learned to crawl, but O.M.G. I've never seen such excitement as I have when I set my <strike>baby</strike> toddler down in a field of grass. Or anyplace outdoors, really. She squeals and screams and toddles every which way until her feet are good and dirty. In fact, the bottom of her feet tell so many stories these days. Full of dirt, grass stuck in between toes=best day of her life.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There is much more than just walking going on around here, though. There is so much communication, and declarations of personality and independence (see her new form of personal expression <a href="http://lolarain.blogspot.com/2013/06/emerson-gets-dressed.html">here</a>). There are new words daily, gestures and hand signals, and an array of facial expressions. Speaking of facial expressions, Emerson has learned how to scowl and it's not only intense, but frightening. Can you see the sideways scowl?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Emerson has also developed a handy diversion tactic for times when she is caught doing something she is not supposed to. When she gets the "Emerson, what are you doing?" look from one of us, she immediately starts waving at us and saying, "hi, hi, hi!" over and over. As if to distract us with her enthusiastic welcome and cuteness. God help us.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mostly, we are in awe of the person we created. The more Em develops, the more we are allowed the privilege of getting to know exactly who she is. And who she is is so beautiful that my heart can barely process it.</span></div>
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Lola Rainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08331205588283877751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9017037251256326962.post-44455996249420640232013-06-10T14:30:00.005-04:002013-06-10T18:48:04.811-04:00Emerson gets dressed<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of my favorite things about small children is the day they develop an interest in dressing themselves. It's one of our earliest forms of expression, and oh, so precious—sometimes hilarious, sometimes shocking, but always interesting! I never thought Emerson would develop a love of clothing or her own signature style until she was a bit older, but she has been into the clothes for a few months now. And she has recently begun walking around the house in <i>my</i> clothes. She comes up with a way to "wear" each article and then stops every few minutes to adjust the way she's wearing it. Her creations are so creative! And tell me you don't agree that she is flat out posing in each "look!" She seems to think she's on the runway without even knowing what one is….</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pajama pants as a shawl...</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Or a scarf and bonnet duo...</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Camisole necklace...</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Camisole wig or headscarf...</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I also like to accessorize with mommy's sunglasses...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvhxwPSNzIpRq0ZDkt40DueYea-57ucZL2Mbs5XthyTDe1hKeBhjjgKbSk2osTtLbtCsH0wKqNUk0vomb1nl6jcAEGpF8vQq3ttVVtf-v9qEtLx7bbmVGz3f2JLUBy0Pcz5WTDvOkCjjVZ/s1600/emerson+12+mo11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvhxwPSNzIpRq0ZDkt40DueYea-57ucZL2Mbs5XthyTDe1hKeBhjjgKbSk2osTtLbtCsH0wKqNUk0vomb1nl6jcAEGpF8vQq3ttVVtf-v9qEtLx7bbmVGz3f2JLUBy0Pcz5WTDvOkCjjVZ/s320/emerson+12+mo11.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> I can't wait to see what kind of getups she wants to wear to school someday...</span>Lola Rainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08331205588283877751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9017037251256326962.post-24629697119543879252013-06-07T12:40:00.003-04:002013-06-07T12:40:45.799-04:00The workout I'm currently loving<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I talked about <a href="http://lolarain.blogspot.com/2013/06/tlc-for-postpartum-brain.html">my postpartum workout strategy yesterday</a>: focus on one body issue at a time. I think I've achieved some great results with this strategy, because it's more realistic and easy to fit into my busy life as a mother. In addition to my focused workout, I utilize my "<a href="http://lolarain.blogspot.com/2013/06/5-ways-to-lose-baby-weight-without.html">5 ways to lose the baby weight without tryin</a><a href="http://lolarain.blogspot.com/2013/06/5-ways-to-lose-baby-weight-without.html">g</a>" on a daily basis so my whole body is still getting some attention. I also take Emerson for walks several times a week.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzq7dUYAg_ycNk6WZ696ZuOxAlNUjSoh7mhNd5hp4oq-quuCQm8ACKekaoOt-uRBH1iwT9CROoyOyA9tgh-FQTvS-LgsdBcw9PifRtDvStFW6AR3y5tfMXRtgJGBDk_fGGeR_O8c6Z5TPk/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-06-07+at+12.39.23+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzq7dUYAg_ycNk6WZ696ZuOxAlNUjSoh7mhNd5hp4oq-quuCQm8ACKekaoOt-uRBH1iwT9CROoyOyA9tgh-FQTvS-LgsdBcw9PifRtDvStFW6AR3y5tfMXRtgJGBDk_fGGeR_O8c6Z5TPk/s320/Screen+shot+2013-06-07+at+12.39.23+PM.png" width="213" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://thehautebunny.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/brazilian-butt-workout/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">via</span></a></td></tr>
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<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Back to the focused routine. I was getting sick of not being able to keep my pants up after I lost the baby weight. I had no junk in the trunk to keep them on my hips! Which is why, I am currently loving the <a href="http://thehautebunny.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/brazilian-butt-workout/">Brazilian Butt Workout</a>. If you're on <a href="http://pinterest.com/alexaislola/">Pinterest</a>, you may have come across it. Well, trust me, you will feel the burn with this one! Personally, I love the feeling of waking up with sore muscles the next day because it's proof that I'm making progress. And I <i>am</i> making progress! If I knew I would be writing about this on my blog one day, I would have taken before and after photos, became <i>damn</i>. What is it about pregnancy that makes your butt flat, droopy and extra jiggly? I don't know, but I decided to do something about the "mom butt" a couple of months ago. Thanks to the <a href="http://thehautebunny.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/brazilian-butt-workout/">Brazilian Butt Workout</a>, I'm happy to report that my buns are looking rounder, firmer and less assaulted by gravity. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The workout suggests doing the whole routine three times through, but I will be the first to admit that that sounded impossible to me at first. Okay….it still does. It's all about easing into exercise and being realistic for me as a postpartum woman, so I decided to only commit to doing half the routine once through, and gradually increase that over time. That wasn't so much a choice as it was a necessity given I collapsed onto the floor, unable to move my legs the first time I did the workout (okay….again, this <i>still</i> happens).</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is also a great routine to do while watching the kids. Emerson is thoroughly amused and entertained watching me work my buns out! She especially likes to watch me do frog jumps!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I hope you enjoyed health and fitness week as much as I did! I'm feeling this as an addition to my blog right now so I'm going to go with it—maybe once a week—as long as I feel like it's working. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 13px;">Did you miss my earlier health & fitness posts?</span><br /><a href="http://lolarain.blogspot.com/2013/06/5-ways-to-lose-baby-weight-without.html" style="color: #249fa3; text-decoration: none;">5 ways to lose the baby weight without trying</a><br /><a href="http://lolarain.blogspot.com/2013/06/my-go-to-meal-fueling-healthy-pregnancy.html" style="color: #249fa3; text-decoration: none;">My go-to meal: fueling a healthy, fit pregnancy and losing the baby weight</a></span><br />
<a href="http://lolarain.blogspot.com/2013/06/tlc-for-postpartum-brain.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">TLC for the postpartum brain</span></a></div>
Lola Rainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08331205588283877751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9017037251256326962.post-91926669378606802592013-06-06T13:44:00.001-04:002013-06-06T19:04:28.300-04:00TLC for the postpartum brain<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don't know about you, but I feel depressed when I focus on the parts of a problem that I cannot control….the parts that are immoveable. When it comes to my physical appearance, though, I have often done just that: focused on things I cannot control. Given that fact, I could have very easily slipped into self-loathing postpartum. I could have gotten lost in the plumpness of my still pregnant-looking belly or the dark line that ran its length, fixated on the wideness of my hip bones that never fully disappeared, longed for the breasts of my former self, obsessed over the millions of new freckles and beauty marks that erupted all over my body during pregnancy, cried over the loss of skin elasticity in various locations, or pitied the fact that my belly button has been forever stretched and reshapened. But, I didn't. Sure, these issues occur to me at times, but I have chosen to focus on what I can control. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the first few months postpartum, I can honestly say that the joy (and lovely euphoric hormones!) of new motherhood almost completely shielded me from any negative thoughts about the state of my body. There was no time or reason to focus on my appearance. All I could see was how <i>awesome</i> my body was, because it made a perfect, beautiful little creature. I felt thankful (and still do) that becoming a mother changed the way I view my body and the importance I used to place on my appearance.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then I arrived at the point in time when my attention began to take short breaks from obsessing over my baby. I began to slowly take stock of what had happened to my body. But, I tried not to ever linger in the mirror, because it can be overwhelming (and paralyzing) to look at the whole picture postpartum. Your entire frame has endured a massive ordeal—a metamorphasis and subsequent deflation in a relatively short period of time. It finally occurred to me that I was never going to look the same again. Maybe close, but never the same "same." </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's not just about the weight, though. For me, losing the weight was step one. But step two is a much bigger project: renovations. That's the phase I have been in for awhile now. And for sanity's sake, I have chosen to break those renovations down into manageable chunks rather than having the expectation that I can fix it all at once. Because, when I was focused on the entire package, I just wasn't working out. I mean, who has the time to do cardio, an ab routine, weight train, tone your arms, tighten your butt and thighs, practice yoga, etc. etc. all while mothering a baby?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, I thought to myself why not pick one thing? Maybe, the one part of your body that bothers you the most….or that you'd most like to show off. Because, sometimes, having one awesome part of your body is a great way to detract attention from the less appealing parts and feel confident about what you do have going on. Age-old female trick, right? So, just one body part. Work on that until you achieve a noticeable difference and then move on to the next. All the while, working in some light cardio so the parts that aren't being focused on are still getting a little attention. For me, this has been a great way to ease into exercising postpartum while keeping myself motivated instead of giving up because it's too much work.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To that end, I will share the workout I am currently loving (and focusing on) tomorrow. Check back then!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Did you miss my earlier health & fitness posts?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://lolarain.blogspot.com/2013/06/5-ways-to-lose-baby-weight-without.html">5 ways to lose the baby weight without trying</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://lolarain.blogspot.com/2013/06/my-go-to-meal-fueling-healthy-pregnancy.html">My go-to meal: fueling a healthy, fit pregnancy and losing the baby weight</a></span><br />
<br />Lola Rainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08331205588283877751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9017037251256326962.post-16909053666587603792013-06-05T13:05:00.002-04:002013-06-05T13:05:32.348-04:00My go-to meal: fueling a healthy pregnancy, and losing the baby weight<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am obsessed with food. Healthy food, that is. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you were a fly on the wall of my life, you would often hear my husband asking, "<i>I'm eating a banana! What kind of vitamins and minerals am I ingesting? Hey, hon, what can I eat to get rid of this cold faster? Baby, do you want a lot of kale or a little kale with your dinner? Is that organic/in season/dairy-free/gluten-free/sugar-free/from the farmer's market?</i>" </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, I think about, read about, and talk about food <i>a lot</i>. It's the number one way I take care of myself. So, naturally, I was <strike>very interested</strike> obsessed with eating right during pregnancy. I wanted to provide the best nutrition possible for my baby while giving my own body what it needed to remain healthy and fit. And I found that, after giving birth, my goals were pretty much the same. I was still growing my baby by fueling her little body with breast milk and I still wanted to support my body so it could heal and recover from pregnancy without adding to the baby weight. The easiest way to accomplish these goals is to eat nutrient-dense meals (or snacks), more often. This means eating meals that pack a good variety of the vitamins and minerals your body needs into one dish. I find that I am left feeling much more satisfied (and with much fewer cravings for not-so-healthy food) when I eat this way.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have a few go-to meals that I eat in rotation, but the "Big Salad," as I so dubbed it during pregnancy, is one that never fails. I feel so nourished and satisfied afterwards, almost as if I can feel the nutrients going to work in my body. It's tasty, filling and so very nutritious. The protein from the eggs and hummus will fill you up, the whole grains from the brown rice bread will give you some fuel/energy without feeling heavy, and the healthy fats from the olive oil and avocado will satisfy cravings (cravings are usually your body's way of asking for something….it just takes a little bit of detective work to figure out what that is). </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All the "fat" in this meal might make you nervous. Personally, I swear by healthy fats. They are rich in omegas, good for your heart, fight fatigue, improve your overall health, and can actually help you <i>control</i> your weight. Healthy fats are one of my secrets! My diet is high in healthy fat and virtually devoid of unhealthy saturated fats. Let's not fail to mention that this way of eating also benefits a growing fetus or growing baby (through breast milk) enormously! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, here is my recipe for "Big Salad," including the health benefits of each ingredient (click links for full nutritional information):</span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Alexa's Big Salad</span></b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2-3 cups mixed dark, leafy greens salad mix (I prefer <a href="http://www.oliviasorganics.org/spring.html">Olivia's Spring Mix</a>)</span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">*high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, and iron</span></i><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1 cup baby <a href="http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=43">spinach</a></span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">*high in Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Manganese, Magnesium, Calcium, Vitamin C, Iron, Folic Acid, Fiber, B Vitamins, on the <a href="http://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/eating-well/week-11/big-nutrition-small-packages.aspx">"12 best foods to eat during pregnancy" list</a></span></i><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1-2 large <a href="http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=21">carrots</a>, peeled and diced </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;"><i>*high in Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Fiber, Vitamin C, </i>on the <a href="http://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/eating-well/week-11/big-nutrition-small-packages.aspx">"12 best foods to eat during pregnancy" list</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">6-8 grape <a href="http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=44">tomatoes</a>, halved</span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">*high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Lycopene </span></i><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1/2 an <a href="http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=5">avocado</a>, chopped</span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">*high in Folic acid, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Potassium, Omegas, on the <a href="http://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/eating-well/week-11/big-nutrition-small-packages.aspx">"12 best foods to eat during pregnancy" list</a></span></i><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2 hardboiled Omega/DHA-enhanced <a href="http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=92">eggs</a>, chopped</span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">*high in Protein, Omegas, B Vitamins, Choline (research indicates Choline can help prevent miscarriage in addition to its many other health benefits), on the <a href="http://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/eating-well/week-11/big-nutrition-small-packages.aspx">"12 best foods to eat during pregnancy" list</a></span></i><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2-4 tablespoons <a href="http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=58">hummus</a></span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">*high in protein, Folic Acid, Fiber, Manganese</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=132">Olive oil</a>, to taste</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Balsamic Vinegar, to taste</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Salt and pepper, to taste</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.foodforlife.com/product/breads/gluten-free-brown-rice-bread">Gluten-free brown rice toast</a> with <a href="http://www.earthbalancenatural.com/product/organic-coconut-butter/">Coconut Spread</a>, on the side</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Directions:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Mix all ingredients, salad mix through avocado in a bowl with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Top with hardboiled eggs and hummus. Serve toast on the side.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Lola Rainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08331205588283877751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9017037251256326962.post-59907729525691546062013-06-04T15:54:00.000-04:002013-06-04T15:56:12.910-04:005 ways to lose the baby weight without trying<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have always been an active person. Constantly moving my body (and burning calories). But, my body responded to pregnancy and postpartum by shutting down. On the one hand, I felt healthier than ever because it was a time of supreme nutrition as I obsessed over growing the healthiest baby possible. But, I had the urge to be sedentary. I went from a life of constant motion and craving exercise (to feel vital, energized and sane) to a life of napping and sitting on the couch all day. I would get dizzy, see stars, lose feeling in my limbs, and generally just felt overwhelmingly weakened when on my feet. Thus the extent of my exercise regimen during pregnancy included taking slow walks. I listened to my body and inner wisdom and rested. I knew that was what my body needed in order to support a healthy pregnancy. If you listen closely, your body will always tell you what it needs….and <i>that</i> is the starting point for health. Listen.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I hoped that my need for a relatively sedentary life would end abruptly as I pushed my child out of my body. But, it did not. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My recovery from childbirth was very slow.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> M</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">y body would loudly protest at the slightest hint of movement. I would suffer complications from simply climbing a set of stairs. At times, I would push myself and resist my body's wisdom by going for long hikes with my baby strapped to my chest. And things would get even worse. So, I rested. For nearly four months, I rested. While eating ice cream daily. And, <a href="http://lolarain.blogspot.com/2013/06/health-and-fitness-week.html">as I mentioned yesterday</a>, wearing maternity clothes.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Eventually, I reached a point when I was <i>finally</i> able to move again (it felt like an eternity!). True exercise, such as jogging, was still too painful, but I simply began to move. And the ways I began to move led to some significant weight loss. This may not be a cure-all for the postpartum body, but by adopting a more active life, you <i>can</i> make a difference. You can tighten and tone, lose weight and feel better while simultaneously entertaining or soothing your child. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>**A word of caution: Please remember, it's very important to start slow after giving birth. Wait the customary 6-12 weeks to allow your body to heal. Give yourself time. And don't expect your body to be capable of doing what it did pre-pregnancy just because you're no longer carrying a child. Your body has gone through an enormous ordeal. Respect your vessel.</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5 ways to lose the baby weight without trying:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. <b>Wear your baby</b>- I mentioned some of the many benefits of baby wearing <a href="http://lolarain.blogspot.com/2013/04/12-items-for-first-12-months.html">here</a>. But, wearing your baby doesn't just benefit the baby. It's a great way to strengthen your back and legs, and tone your abs and glutes. If you start wearing your baby from birth (or as soon as your body has healed enough), your muscles will grow with the weight of your child allowing you to continue carrying your child for many years without strain, all while toning your body. I have been wearing my baby for a minimum of four hours a day (up to 6+ hours a day) from the time my body had healed from childbirth until today. In fact, I am currently writing this with a 20 lb. passenger on my chest. Four hours may seem like a lot, and you can certainly enjoy the benefits by doing less, but it adds up quickly when you go about the business of your life or allow your child to nap on you.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Bonus tip:</span></i> Wearing your child while going about your every day life does a body good. But, to take it up a notch, try wearing your baby while taking a walk or hike outdoors. Can't get outside? Wearing your baby while cleaning the house will also make you sweat. I attribute much of my weight loss to vacuuming and cleaning a two-story home while baby wearing. All the lifting, trips up the stairs, and constant movement is a workout! Meanwhile, your baby is content and you are being productive. Win. Or, go a more traditional route and try doing some squats or lunges while wearing your baby.</span><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Caution: It's important to know how to properly use your baby carrier to prevent injury to your body. If you do it safely and ergonomically, you should not be in pain. And please, do not attempt cardio or weight training while wearing your baby.</span></i><br />
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2. <b>Bounce on an exercise ball</b>- I attribute the current shape of my abs to a billion hours spent bouncing on an exercise ball to soothe my baby. I mentioned the magic of bouncing <a href="http://lolarain.blogspot.com/2013/04/12-items-for-first-12-months.html">here</a>. Like baby wearing, it's not just magic for the baby, but also for your body! Comfort, soothe, and help your baby to sleep by bouncing on a ball instead of rocking in a chair and tone your body at the same time! When I first began bouncing on the ball with Emerson a few weeks postpartum, I could feel the burn in my back, abs, and legs. Fast forward twelve months and I am still bouncing my baby on the ball, but it feels easy because my muscles have developed so strongly. Another added benefit: my posture has improved greatly (I even get comments on this!).</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><i>Bonus tip:</i></span> Use the ball to play! Sometimes I will hold Emerson and play "bouncy baby." This involves holding her tight against my body and bouncing as high as I can while sitting on the ball (all while singing <i>bouncy, bouncy, bouncy baaaaby</i>….of course). You will feel the burn.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. <b>Be a tour guide</b>- From the time Emerson was born, we wanted to show her the world. We would walk her all over the house, narrating what we saw. As she grew, she loved this activity more and more. Whether we're stuck inside because of the weather or we're exploring the neighborhood, there is always so much to see when looking through the eyes of a baby. This may sound like a simple activity, but it can add hundreds of steps to your day. We've all heard how adding steps to your day can benefit your health. That's because all those steps add up! For roughly every 2,000 steps you add to your day, you have walked a mile. So, put one foot in front of the other!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Bonus tip: </span></i>Take a tour around your neighborhood instead of just the house or yard. You can easily add thousands, rather than hundreds, of steps this way. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4. <b>Play with your child</b>- Your child will love it, your body will love it! Get down on the floor and crawl around. A mobile child will "chase" after you. Give your shoulders, arms and back a workout by raising or safely throwing your child up into the air (try bouncing a smaller baby up and down like you are doing bicep curls….Emerson loved this as a newborn!). Roll around, jump like a frog, be silly. And the older your baby gets, the more strenuous playtime will be!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Bonus tip: </span></i>This qualifies as real exercise, but you can "play" by incorporating your child into a strengthening routine. Use your baby in place of weights for bicep curls, chest presses, and shoulder presses. Hold your baby while you lunge, squat, or plié. Sit your baby on your belly as you do crunches. She will probably giggle the whole time. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5. <b>Dance</b>- Do you remember when you were in college and you would leave a bar drenched in sweat after a night of dancing? I do! I also remember the soreness I felt in my muscles the next morning. That's because dancing is a great workout and burns a ton of calories. And, it's fun! It didn't feel like work to dance with my friends at a bar when I was young, and it doesn't feel like work to dance in my living room with my child now. This suggestion has the added benefit of putting you in a really good mood, too! Oftentimes when I am having a stressful day as a mother or I'm feeling a bit blue, I will turn on some upbeat music and dance with Emerson. In no time, I am smiling and feeling better. Plus, babies love music, and they love to dance. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Bonus tip:</span></i> Dance <i>with</i> your baby. As in, hold your baby in your arms while dancing to an upbeat song. Try incorporating your baby into your dance moves by raising them up into the air or holding them straight out in front of you and rocking them side to side. This used to be easy with a newborn, but these days I am <i>wiped </i>after just one song when dancing with my 20 lb. child. I can feel the calories melting off!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That's it, folks! Simple ideas that can give you big results! Check in tomorrow for my go-to meal for fueling a healthy, fit pregnancy and losing the baby weight.</span><br />
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<br />Lola Rainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08331205588283877751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9017037251256326962.post-47326790679648013102013-06-03T16:10:00.000-04:002013-06-03T16:10:20.514-04:00health and fitness week<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For most of my adult life, I have been active and fit. I was raised to pay attention to what I was putting in my mouth, to live as naturally as possible, to exercise and take care of my body. And all of those lessons stuck. At first, they were just seeds. But, as I journeyed deeper into adulthood, my interest in health, fitness and nutrition (with an emphasis on natural living) expanded and grew into passion. And then, after moving to health-concsious San Francisco in my mid-twenties that passion became borderline obsession.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, given my obsession, I assumed that getting back into shape after giving birth would be a priority. I thought I would <i>want</i> to exercise. But, while I was still very focused on nutrition for the sake of healing and providing my baby with grade A breast milk, exercise was one of the farthest things from my mind. Instead, I found myself lost in babyland—the amazingly exciting, chaotic, overwhelming space and time that occurs when you bring a new little being into your home. For me, though, that newborn haze seemed to extend outward and consume much of my first YEAR as a mother. There were the complications I suffered as a result of childbirth. But, mostly I was always too tired to exercise regularly. I didn't have time. And I didn't want to miss anything at home.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But, I did gain weight during pregnancy. Obviously. We all have baby weight after giving birth, regardless of our pre-pregnancy shape. So, after the initial shedding of tissue, bodily fluids….oh, and a HUMAN BABY from my body, I had weight that sat on me without budging like any normal woman. Still, I didn't have the time (or inclination) to employ a full-on workout program. Instead, I continued to wear maternity clothes and eat enormous bowls of ice cream every day. I'll worry about that later, I thought.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And then, around five months postpartum, the weight started coming off little by little, though I still hadn't started a regular exercise routine. But, what was I doing differently?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To learn the answer to that question, check back this week! That's right, I'll be talking health and fitness all week. Though this is a topic I have never broached here before, in real life, friends, relatives, and even strangers have been coming to me for advice and suggestions in these areas for the better part of the last decade. So, it occurred to me that I might have something to share.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I will preface this all by saying I am <i>not</i> an expert nor am I a dietician, nutritionist, personal trainer or doctor. But, I am passionate about health and fitness…..and I live it.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Up this week….</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Tuesday</span>- <i>5 ways to lose the baby weight without trying</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Wednesday</span>- <i>My Go-to Meal: fueling a healthy, fit pregnancy and losing the baby weight</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Thursday</span>- <i>A little TLC for the postpartum brain</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Friday</span>- <i>The workout I'm currently lovin</i>g</span></div>
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Lola Rainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08331205588283877751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9017037251256326962.post-48586820365601023612013-05-30T14:20:00.000-04:002013-05-30T14:20:18.404-04:00new buddies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6dBnlZQP5-gzOMgHRxS5MUKMPw9XAZqg7zfmjfb2eIZxbzRmv3PCrN7e-nPIqrruYy6_Lr4SKqhyphenhypheniaX1lcRsc-J3i45DNUDJmxnNhM0EE6L3s179FT9z-fe0x7JsEE7x-F1J3GPL4Gv_1/s1600/em+12mo3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6dBnlZQP5-gzOMgHRxS5MUKMPw9XAZqg7zfmjfb2eIZxbzRmv3PCrN7e-nPIqrruYy6_Lr4SKqhyphenhypheniaX1lcRsc-J3i45DNUDJmxnNhM0EE6L3s179FT9z-fe0x7JsEE7x-F1J3GPL4Gv_1/s320/em+12mo3.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We've had a handful of stuffed animals lying around since Emerson was born. She has never been interested in any of them, though, save for the occasional play session with the ABC dog we (begrudgingly) inherited from her cousin. But, all of a sudden a couple of weeks ago, Emerson began falling in love with any animal or doll-type friend we put in her vicinity. Now she hugs them, plays with them, lies down on the floor and cuddles with them, and carries them around the house where ever she goes. She lights up with complete joy and begins laughing and clapping when she sees them. I'm telling you, it's love. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All of this means that we now have extra company at the dinner table, in the car, on the changing table. Very often, Emerson will also refuse to eat unless her doggie is sitting with her….and singing. The minute the song loop on doggie ends, Emerson shuts her mouth and turns her head. The minute we hit the button and make it sing again, Emerson opens her mouth wide. Sigh...</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPHzDehwDuXuaS56c9JIIgacPzpfW3NNrle5l3M_-uoqOMesUkKP5MieNujgih6xfPxmY3kvR4ef4djCERbMjrYdvnI6qtPPx6Bu3oeT2GTC_tgyk76xByuqW8iXf3JtfS0A90H4kOSNSE/s1600/em+12mo2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPHzDehwDuXuaS56c9JIIgacPzpfW3NNrle5l3M_-uoqOMesUkKP5MieNujgih6xfPxmY3kvR4ef4djCERbMjrYdvnI6qtPPx6Bu3oeT2GTC_tgyk76xByuqW8iXf3JtfS0A90H4kOSNSE/s320/em+12mo2.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></span></a></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mostly, Emerson's tightness with her new buds is pretty adorable. Yes, sometimes it's difficult to do everything with an extra "baby" in tow. But, it's so heart-warming to watch your child "love" other things and people….to see her giving out all of the love you worked so hard to put in. And right now, Emerson really wants to share this experience with me. It's not so much about her being like <i>sorry mom, I have my own life now, I'm gonna hang with doggie and dolly. </i>No. It's more like Emerson handing me her buddies after she's done hugging them so I can see how awesome they are and hug them too. She loves to watch me cradle baby doll or pat teddy's back when he gets hurt. She knows I will take care of them. She knows that if they are important to her, they are important to me. She <i>knows</i>. After twelve months of devoting myself to building a strong, loving foundation to my child's being, I am beginning to catch glimpses of the result of all that effort. My baby has faith in my mothering…..she knows how to love, because she's watched me love her.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyaH-Lu68OBzdwlsu1XoFELQK-bH0hhHrFpIyo5pwfQumRayNfzjLHh7ljpAsePgR_LEfk0IIglFg1Eoqve9hr_sx3mlPihwTvB4kTvKi8YQNd2cCsE6ZJNn7G3YncxIMzDqODUdkDmwG3/s1600/em+12+mo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyaH-Lu68OBzdwlsu1XoFELQK-bH0hhHrFpIyo5pwfQumRayNfzjLHh7ljpAsePgR_LEfk0IIglFg1Eoqve9hr_sx3mlPihwTvB4kTvKi8YQNd2cCsE6ZJNn7G3YncxIMzDqODUdkDmwG3/s320/em+12+mo.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></span></a></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Of course, it won't always be this way. Emerson will soon grow attached to real, live buddies. And she won't want to share that experience with me. Instead, she will tear across a playground, <i>away from me</i>, at the sight of her future buddies. <i>They</i> will be the bee's knees and I will be….mom. This thought is so hard to accept, but it also presents itself as an opportunity. An opportunity to instill gentleness and kindness into my child. To love her, play with her, and share with her so she will do the same with others. To show her how to create relationships that will enrich her life and put a smile on her face. Because, I may be her Universe right now, but I want more than anything for her to go out into the world with an ever-widening support system that will hold her, encourage her and keep her company. These "buddies" are a first step...</span><br />
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Lola Rainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08331205588283877751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9017037251256326962.post-6595013517332670992013-05-28T13:51:00.001-04:002013-05-28T19:21:26.927-04:00this is our life- the wee hours<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxdYxJa-q7jheo3iLRylTd-rczaC54zb-EKGgzsnSoYhezLfOZiiuxvXsKzfKHK_-UuSvopzxHmczEjmHUm9j-cNMThlaTKzXR7IwiFenFyKg-0s5d0WbphFzH1wm9vcZJSqdg2SAY66-J/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-05-28+at+12.50.28+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxdYxJa-q7jheo3iLRylTd-rczaC54zb-EKGgzsnSoYhezLfOZiiuxvXsKzfKHK_-UuSvopzxHmczEjmHUm9j-cNMThlaTKzXR7IwiFenFyKg-0s5d0WbphFzH1wm9vcZJSqdg2SAY66-J/s320/Screen+shot+2013-05-28+at+12.50.28+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's 5:30 a.m. Emerson, who is lying beside me, begins to wiggle and stir. She flips over to her left side. Still asleep. Flips over to the right side. Still asleep. She calls out "daddy!" Still asleep. But, I. <i>I</i> am awake. I'm trying desperately to ignore all the thrashing, but knowing it's a losing battle makes it impossible to fall back asleep. I pull out a boob and shove it in Emerson's mouth. She instantly settles, and I think maybe…..just <i>maybe</i>. But, a minute later, there are limbs flying in every direction. Emerson (still asleep) stretches both her legs up in the air and then splits them with a violent force. One leg on mommy, one leg on daddy. She does the same with her arms. Up in the air, and smack! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I get whacked in the eye, and then she rests her hand on my cheek. Alex is lucky (at this point). He only gets hit in the back. Emerson is now lying completely spread eagle, while Alex and I cling to our respective sides of the bed.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5:45 a.m. Emerson gets sick of nursing. Instead, she begins to round house kick Alex. Bam. Bam. BAM! After about eleven kicks, Alex is frustrated so he turns over to face us. He falls immediately back to sleep (while I stare at him, full of resentment). As soon as he's asleep, his mouth opens and he begins to breathe heavily. Into my face. And I can't turn over, because Emerson has decided to start nursing again and I don't dare move her….I don't dare wake her up! So now, I am choking on Alex's horrific morning breath. Right into my face. I push him. I manually close his mouth for him….and it pops right back open. The bad breath fan continues. I use my pillow to create a barrier. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6:15 a.m. Emerson is still asleep, but begins to crawl across my body. She collapses with the upper half of her body on top of my chest, and her legs on Alex's stomach. She rhythmically kicks Alex in the gut, over and over, until Alex finally puts his arm over her feet in an attempt to stop the pain. Emerson gets annoyed. So, she rolls away. Onto my head. The weight of her body is now suffocating me, meanwhile, she seems perfectly comfortable to lie on top of my face. But, then she's not so comfortable anymore. She rolls away toward Alex. She is now lying horizontally across both our pillows….butt in my face, naturally. She farts. Still asleep. I am not amused so I move her back into a normal position on a normal part of the bed. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6:30 a.m. Emerson wakes up. But, she's still drowsy so she continues to lie there while singing to herself. The singing gets louder. And louder. Until she is screaming out random words—some real, some made-up. She gets stuck on the word "daddy," which reminds her: o<i>h my god, daddy is right here in bed with me</i>! She sits up and starts smacking daddy on the back. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Hi, daddy. HI, daddy! HI, DADDYYYY!!!" </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Alex whimpers, but doesn't budge. Displeased with his reaction, Emerson crawls onto daddy's pillow and begins to poke him in the eyes. She sticks her fingers up his nose. She pries his mouth open and pokes his teeth. She grabs his ear and wiggles it back and forth. Alex is trying his hardest to fake that he is sleeping. So, Emerson grabs his eyelids and opens them. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Hi, daddy!!"</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Hi, Emerson," Alex mumbles.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I lie there secretly smiling, because <i>damn</i>. If I'm not sleeping, I sure as hell don't want to watch my husband lie there, immune to the miniature acrobat in our bed. But, Alex still refuses to accept that sleepy time is over. He pulls the covers up over his head. My resentment grows.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6:45 a.m. Emerson gets bored with daddy so she crawls back over to me and proceeds to open the shirt I just buttoned up. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"<i>No, Emerson. Num nums have closed up shop. No more num nums!</i>" </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Emerson ignores me. She finds her way into my shirt, literally laughing, and begins to nurse again. I want to stop her, but I also don't want to get out of bed….so I let her nurse. Back and forth, back and forth. She switches breasts like she's eating at a buffet. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">7:00 a.m. I can't take anymore. And I'm definitely not getting any sleep. I get out of bed and open the shades. Eventually the bright sunshine annoys Alex enough and he gets out of bed, too. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Emerson, you are one thorough alarm clock," he says.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Good morning.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is our life.</span><br />
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Lola Rainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08331205588283877751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9017037251256326962.post-81884839080949681292013-05-24T14:37:00.005-04:002013-05-24T19:46:33.261-04:00what not to wear<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdi3rqS3EPA7tv1kyRaLxzE_D5mgblmw4t_Ty3PuFNI3_NKmZNDqw-G0kQbPvLU59sKzJq_zm2QWMM5X1Nv13gj10UEEuwsYHERU5uJfsLeXeRv75jtPKQ6e6x0xG4J1t9m81gBcJFoBHQ/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-02-06+at+12.56.47+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdi3rqS3EPA7tv1kyRaLxzE_D5mgblmw4t_Ty3PuFNI3_NKmZNDqw-G0kQbPvLU59sKzJq_zm2QWMM5X1Nv13gj10UEEuwsYHERU5uJfsLeXeRv75jtPKQ6e6x0xG4J1t9m81gBcJFoBHQ/s320/Screen+shot+2013-02-06+at+12.56.47+PM.png" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am pretty sick of wearing loungewear (aka, my uniform) right now. <i>Except</i> when I have somewhere to go. Because then, I am reminded of what it feels like to experience a good old fashioned wardrobe crisis. You know, those mornings when even your favorite outfit suddenly looks unflattering. Everything you put on is just wrong. You hate all the clothes in your closet and drawers. You try on outfit after outfit, as the pile on your bed grows taller and taller with rejects. And then you start running out of time. You have to leave the house. But, you're still stomping around your room in your underwear surrounded by a mess.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then, you experience one of those moments with a baby at your feet. And what used to feel like a silly little tantrum begins to mean more. I don't know whether to feel better or worse when Emerson runs out of patience and cries to be picked up while I hurl shirts and pants in every direction. For it <i>could</i> <i>be</i> a reminder of what's really important….it <i>could</i> refocus my energy on things (or persons!) that really matter. Or, it could be a reminder that I don't have the luxury of caring about my appearance most days (which is really only a symbol for the gluttonous freedom I traded in to be a mother).</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But, there's more. There is the fact that my wardrobe consists of eight different sizes now. And those pre-pregnancy jeans would look great with that two-months-postpartum shirt. But, that shirt really needs a nude bra and I only have one in my third trimester cup size. And, it doesn't matter anyway, because all three of those items are the wrong size and don't flatter my current body. And it's warm out today so I need short sleeves….but none of my clean tee shirts are breastfeeding-friendly. And WHY AM I STILL NAKED?! I've been out of the shower for 30 minutes!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Just put something on," suggests my husband.</span></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"BUT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! How could you? I have nothing to wear!"</span></i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwmTEw4WMPZD5xPRFxZKySlJ0EGDk2PMFn8AIoG6BCU-3Sr7riZM1BKpfiKIn1jjfkQ87B97Xd59S5C-t2ovBF0X_5ILnVRqWdhzyIMhtpPFNiCby6gJqR2gfyxVpYxZ0AonRDJqY21RF/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-05-23+at+8.04.22+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwmTEw4WMPZD5xPRFxZKySlJ0EGDk2PMFn8AIoG6BCU-3Sr7riZM1BKpfiKIn1jjfkQ87B97Xd59S5C-t2ovBF0X_5ILnVRqWdhzyIMhtpPFNiCby6gJqR2gfyxVpYxZ0AonRDJqY21RF/s320/Screen+shot+2013-05-23+at+8.04.22+AM.png" width="212" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://somuchtosmileabout.com/2013/02/one-of-a-kind-style/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">via</span></a></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And I suddenly realize that I am a mom. Now I'm having an existential crisis (still undressed). How can I wear <i>any</i> of this? How do I reconcile the fact that my closets and drawers are filled with either fancy business clothes or the free-spirited hippie wear of my youth while I am currently approaching my mid-thirites, working from home, and a mom? What would an appropriate wardrobe even look like?!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"<i>I'm just a mom now, aren't I? Does this mean I have to wear one-piece bathing suits?</i>" I ask my husband.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Yes," he replies.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"<i>Is that depressing?</i>"</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"I actually find you more attractive this way. The more matronly, the better."</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"<i>What? But, can't I be a MILF?</i>"</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Why do you want teenage boys lusting after you?"</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"<i>Well, I don't. I just want to be a MILF to you</i>."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"You already are."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Trying to be this new person, in this new role, is at the same time very natural and very confusing. It's like when I was trying to put together an outfit for Em's birthday party. I narrowed down my choices to two dresses based on the following criteria: does it fit my <i>current</i> body? And, can I say that I don't look like I'm either trying to take someone home from a college bar or going to a corporate luncheon? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"I am going to try on these dresses for you, and I need you to tell me if they are flattering," I asked my husband.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"That sounds dangerous. I don't like where this is going…" he said.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"I didn't say 'tell me if I look fat or ugly.' It's just about the piece of clothing. Just be honest."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Reactions...Dress one: boxy tee shirt dress I bought a month ago. Blank stare. Eyebrows raised as if confused. Hands up in the air with nothing to say. Dress two: structured spaghetti strap sundress I bought when I was 21 years old. Blank stare. Eyebrows raised at my bust line. Put long cardigan over dress. Hands up in the air, afraid to speak.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"<i>So, should I go with 'shapeless mom' or 'sexy librarian?</i>'"</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Sexy librarian. Shapeless mom's dress is too short."</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">***</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Of course, I know I can wear a short dress if I want to. Or rock a bikini. But, that's not the point. The point is, I don't know if I <i>want to</i> anymore. And to be honest, it's kind of relieving to no longer feel like that is expected of me. Even more so, to realize that maybe it <i>never was</i>. You see, pregnancy forever changed my body, but <i>motherhood. </i>Motherhood has forever changed the way I<i> view</i> my body. I can't wear the old clothes that make me feel like I am trying too hard when I simply want to feel comfortable in exactly who I am.</span><br />
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Lola Rainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08331205588283877751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9017037251256326962.post-90188066429740476112013-05-22T13:38:00.001-04:002013-05-22T13:38:26.356-04:00to all the mothers<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If there is one thing mothers have a surplus of, it's unsolicited advice. You know, the "advice" that never ceases to pour in from every angle….the masked (or not-so-masked) criticism and judgment. Backseat parenting—that's what I like to call it. It goes a little something like….</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Your child isn't eating solid food yet? Why don't you bottle feed her? She really needs to get used to strangers. She shouldn't cry like that. You need to let her cry it out! Toughen her up! Why is she always in that sling? You need to put her down. Why are you still breastfeeding? She doesn't want breast milk. She doesn't like being carried. She isn't tired right now. She wants to stay up later. She's too dependent on you. You're too overprotective. You're doing. it. all. wrong!</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i> </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>*** </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've spent the better portion of the past year wondering why this happens. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Why we aren't being encouraged, complimented, and supported. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Why mothers are the constant receivers of inappropriate comments and critiques. Why so many people are trying to predict the (possibly doomed) future our kids are headed for if we don't heed all this advice. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's the thing—children unite us. They are the glue to a family. For instance, I automatically feel more related and bonded to my husband now that we have a child. And I feel more related to all of my in-laws knowing that my baby shares a chunk of DNA with each of them. And my own family. Etc. Etc. But, all of that oneness can lead to….dun dun dun….unsolicited advice. Because, your whole family feels invested in your child. This is just the beginning, though. This oneness stretches past your family, out into the world, in a way that causes masses of people to feel invested in your child. I'm only assuming this is what fuels a complete stranger's confidence in approaching you to comment on your parenting….and of course, also touch your baby.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Oneness is great. Don't get me wrong. I'm a 'one love' kind of gal. But, what all of us mothers don't need is more advice. More comments. More criticisms. What we don't need is everyone around us insisting they have the answers we need. This doesn't feel like love or help. It feels like an invasion of the intimate relationship between mother and child. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here is what we <i>do</i> need: to be nurtured. Supported. Encouraged. Appreciated. Loved. So...</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>To all the mothers,</i></span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You are doing a great job. It is awe-inspiring to watch you give and sacrifice until you are empty and exhausted. Only a mother could do that. And what a mother you are! Your transformation from individual to mama bear has been so beautiful to watch. You've been so selfless, so inspiring, so strong. I don't know how you do it! But, it's quite evident that you would do anything for your offspring...that everything you do is for them. I know you have spent so very many hours and days and years devoted to making well-thought-out decisions on how to best care for your child. I know you always do what you believe is best and right for your child. And, I also know that you have all the answers you need...because you are your child's mother. </span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Listen to your own voice, your own intuition, your own heart. No one else has the wisdom that you do. No book or relative or friend or baby expert can ever replace that. Did I mention you are doing a great job? Because, you are doing a great job! It's beautiful to watch, really. And, by the way, your struggles and emotions and experience….those are all completely normal. And to be expected. You are not alone in them. Being a mother is HARD. It is never-ending, sometimes thankless, exhausting, and even a little scary. You are a beautiful solider. Your experience is valid. </span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And your child—</span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">idiosyncrasies and challenges included—</span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">is perfectly normal. So, if someone else is leading you to believe that your child is the only one who isn't sleeping or cries in the car, they are either lying or just don't know what they are talking about. And if you think you are a bad mother because that same (normal) child makes you want to cry, scream or hide at times….you are not. No. Also normal. You are a wonderful mother and your child is lucky to have you. </span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Keep going! Drown out all the other voices that claim to "know." They don't know. Nobody knows your child like you do. Nobody knows how to love them like you do. Feel confident that you are doing your best and your best is amazing. Yes, YOU ARE DOING A GREAT JOB! Congratulate yourself for giving and surviving, and feel good about all you've done.</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Light and love, sisters!</span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>Lola Rainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08331205588283877751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9017037251256326962.post-1712528860184462262013-05-21T12:24:00.001-04:002013-05-21T12:24:54.162-04:00this is our life- our first break from parenting<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We hired some help recently. Just <i>a little</i> help. So I can have a mere hour or two a week to actually get things done, work on my career, or maybe just <a href="http://lolarain.blogspot.com/2013/03/a-quiet-room.html">sit in an empty room doing nothing</a>. Because, after a year of being with Emerson every waking (and non-waking) moment of my life without even one day (or night!) off…..sister needs. some. help. And so, I asked an amazing high school girl I met a few months ago to help us out.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But then, the day arrived. For the first time EVER, I was off the clock. And Alex came home early from work. So, we were <i>both</i> off the clock. The problem was we had no idea what to do with it. Emerson—who usually will not let me leave her alone with anyone other than Alex—suddenly didn't need me. She was totally in love with her new friend and didn't even notice, let alone cry, when I left the room. I was astonished and suddenly found myself wandering around the house, feeling nervous and confused, not knowing what to do. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But then I bumped into Alex in the living room and felt a spark of excitement. "<i>We are alone in a room without a baby!</i>" I said, expecting to be met with equal excitement. But, my husband just looked up the staircase to the bedroom, and said he wanted to take a nap. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"<i>A nap?! But, we're alone in a room. Isn't this what we've been missing the past year? What about all the months you've spent feeling lonely, because I'm always with Emerson?</i>"</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Yah…..I guess you're right. What do you want to do?"</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"I don't know. Maybe we could just sit on the couch and talk. Or cuddle? We never get to do that!"</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And so, we sat down together, but it felt strange. No one was interrupting us. No one tried to tackle us apart when we cuddled. Was Emerson okay? What was she doing right now? No. Push it out of your mind. Enjoy this moment. Talk about something interesting. Make out. Come on...</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We tried.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The thing is, in the absence of our baby, we felt free. But, we were not free in the way we used to be. No. Now, freedom meant not having to find our second, third, fourth or fifth wind of the day. Freedom meant not having to ignore our needs and aches for the well-being of another. Freedom meant abruptly feeling the weight of an entire year tending to our child come crashing down on us. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And so, after five minutes of <i>talking about Emerson</i>, the room began to spin. All that cuddling on a soft, comfortable couch was too much for us—we were just two exhausted parents.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Just go take a nap, baby. That's really all you're capable of right now."</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Alex rolled off the couch and dragged himself up the staircase as I sat in the living room comatose...until I was needed again. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is our life.</span>Lola Rainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08331205588283877751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9017037251256326962.post-75216223222475638312013-05-17T08:32:00.003-04:002013-05-17T18:46:24.850-04:00Emerson's party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBqrVj4DfKm3fl1hFpil1eHzIZDc3mMaVYKaS55eFmfkBKk8a6NZiswnn_Z4bbRpcglF9SXyFOF_u_YdpY3s75Zl0QRa1rl-nOe4Vva6CYZyQa-gO3QFe7l78r5GpAsO_9l_xeOBU3mZh/s1600/bday+girl7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBqrVj4DfKm3fl1hFpil1eHzIZDc3mMaVYKaS55eFmfkBKk8a6NZiswnn_Z4bbRpcglF9SXyFOF_u_YdpY3s75Zl0QRa1rl-nOe4Vva6CYZyQa-gO3QFe7l78r5GpAsO_9l_xeOBU3mZh/s320/bday+girl7.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Although I lost many hours of sleep preparing for Emerson's party—brainstorming, stressing out, feeling overwhelmed, getting excited—I have to say that it was worth it! I put time and energy into the details more as a celebration of what Alex and I had survived and accomplished, but was pleasantly surprised to see that Emerson thoroughly appreciated it, as well. I am pretty sure it was the best day of her life. I mean, she was the center of attention, there was so much entertainment, she got to climb on and rip open piles of presents, and her parents let her make an enormous mess with a cupcake. By the end of the party she was flat out screeching with delight at the top of her lungs, jumping and flapping her arms…she was totally crazy, but in a good way. And all of it made <i>me</i> so happy. It was incredible to watch a room full of people love her….and for her to receive it all.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjatyZ8UxDGiEr3cfy2IoW3Za80uEQTMNLzxs7RjrDyD4Yn_90cEUA4_jXRCihgp_lURK2HjI2LdVdR0cKOInHVLEsS2iqySR0EUDtNyN9JhLLsLoEM5bqYCx4TfRQEjgjELHJEelYGu3ZC/s1600/bday+girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjatyZ8UxDGiEr3cfy2IoW3Za80uEQTMNLzxs7RjrDyD4Yn_90cEUA4_jXRCihgp_lURK2HjI2LdVdR0cKOInHVLEsS2iqySR0EUDtNyN9JhLLsLoEM5bqYCx4TfRQEjgjELHJEelYGu3ZC/s320/bday+girl.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBolnl2Y9fwl2UYltiiOW6P65NcOFndLKyoJzB3DI5W2IEnqSUgB_M6M5hrK-4SbEuYQwmOa8cVVHsHZE0oGoxzj_gOw59sM43zA7RwVpedMzxMM4pb7TCzYeljEEM2YxrfV7u8bg3WNOy/s1600/em+bday19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBolnl2Y9fwl2UYltiiOW6P65NcOFndLKyoJzB3DI5W2IEnqSUgB_M6M5hrK-4SbEuYQwmOa8cVVHsHZE0oGoxzj_gOw59sM43zA7RwVpedMzxMM4pb7TCzYeljEEM2YxrfV7u8bg3WNOy/s320/em+bday19.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTRIP_c5DnQ6VYwKxUQ1KpO3y8tErpn2VqG48pHlWxtUbwGolr8wI6Op52gogpdTd0dGGKQnKmHAS1ZxAtkS0tZZ09LE75RbYZk3ZKv8hBJex_P5aaHRBeuqnlTULxjsQEz43Si-aWjO7U/s1600/em+bday2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTRIP_c5DnQ6VYwKxUQ1KpO3y8tErpn2VqG48pHlWxtUbwGolr8wI6Op52gogpdTd0dGGKQnKmHAS1ZxAtkS0tZZ09LE75RbYZk3ZKv8hBJex_P5aaHRBeuqnlTULxjsQEz43Si-aWjO7U/s320/em+bday2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I didn't get a chance to take many photos of the party details that I spent months researching, pinning, hand making and trolling Etsy for. Yes, I'd say I put just about as much effort into this party as I did for my wedding, only on a shorter timetable! Here are a few of the details….</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7mkwTAthgi18errh1-tWCzuujw5JhtqOym-Yrx6Av5o4xiU1CCkzt8_9Z_nxXC2kIznG5FxoKkepZG1FJT49Yke_G6tO2Lu2hnkjAbQRCidgU_HfGTdOE_8oLzXD7RjDXHM8zNzwymKxh/s1600/em+bday22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7mkwTAthgi18errh1-tWCzuujw5JhtqOym-Yrx6Av5o4xiU1CCkzt8_9Z_nxXC2kIznG5FxoKkepZG1FJT49Yke_G6tO2Lu2hnkjAbQRCidgU_HfGTdOE_8oLzXD7RjDXHM8zNzwymKxh/s320/em+bday22.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My jumping off point was this <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/77290414/ready-to-ship-banner-in-pink-white-and?ref=usr_faveitems">beautiful banner</a> that I knew I wanted to use. Originally, I was going to make one myself, but mamas don't have endless amounts of time. Enter Etsy. I bought <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/77290414/ready-to-ship-banner-in-pink-white-and?ref=usr_faveitems">the banner</a> from <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/StarlitNestGifts?ref=seller_info">Starlit Nest Gifts</a>—beautiful shop, highly recommend. It made me feel good knowing that it was still handmade—even if they weren't my hands—and I can't speak highly enough of the quality.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-KTE4-phE9KrdF5UtDn_474etqdxbJfQScuqGSsBkRnXQrI4AJXCW7YnS0D5jINJXZRO6Smyds04zJC3wsbMtx53YStW5DliI8Kun_rZ9BXd2haSeiRzhCYAqTnBAeLvWGztJrGnwcEYQ/s1600/bday+cups.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-KTE4-phE9KrdF5UtDn_474etqdxbJfQScuqGSsBkRnXQrI4AJXCW7YnS0D5jINJXZRO6Smyds04zJC3wsbMtx53YStW5DliI8Kun_rZ9BXd2haSeiRzhCYAqTnBAeLvWGztJrGnwcEYQ/s320/bday+cups.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next I added another ever-popular party choice: <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/79897895/paper-straws-wonderland-hot-pink-stripes?ref=usr_faveitems">stripped paper straws</a> in mason jars. I know it seems like everyone these days is using these themes, but I happen to think vintage-y bunting banners and <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/79897895/paper-straws-wonderland-hot-pink-stripes?ref=usr_faveitems">paper straws</a> in mason jars are just so lovely no matter how often I see them.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In addition to framed photos placed on all the tables, I posted a mini clothesline (a combination of ideas from Pinterest with my own spin) displaying photos from each month of Emerson's life. I used <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/79449569/bakers-twine-wonderland-duo-hot-pink-and?ref=v1_other_2">baker's twine in hot pink and aqua</a> (party theme colors) for the mini clothesline from the same Etsy shop I purchased the straws and matching cupcake liners from. By the way, I will be using <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/CakesAndKidsToo?ref=seller_info">Cakes and Kids Too</a> in the future for my party needs—amazing selection of party decor items! Check them out!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I attached the photos to the "clothesline" with hot pink Washi tape (Michael's purchase)—super simple and inexpensive.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbywyg2CNDaCz6VVdepxrj18DpqGA4ulLVS_NSDazYPCn04bg4p3uRkaaL36kvrEOCw5P52wZjDI9YF7rcBuihdog5-ctvPSANw4gddwJLqw6QacCbgiYcveaX1UzuIqivkdu4kXPDYEh/s1600/em+bday20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbywyg2CNDaCz6VVdepxrj18DpqGA4ulLVS_NSDazYPCn04bg4p3uRkaaL36kvrEOCw5P52wZjDI9YF7rcBuihdog5-ctvPSANw4gddwJLqw6QacCbgiYcveaX1UzuIqivkdu4kXPDYEh/s320/em+bday20.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR1SEJq7ddK3BKSj5JFqlke3Q755a82iQ4RDj3gU9wIAaMUQR2NctU0HCOiIsUhj0onFx_IU17HiloHKXil4qtgF4hGnwgNtOJhGruC7l130_4ozcpbKFnxcQs1lP4vE9t8T61TgPZ9zmg/s1600/em+bday+21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR1SEJq7ddK3BKSj5JFqlke3Q755a82iQ4RDj3gU9wIAaMUQR2NctU0HCOiIsUhj0onFx_IU17HiloHKXil4qtgF4hGnwgNtOJhGruC7l130_4ozcpbKFnxcQs1lP4vE9t8T61TgPZ9zmg/s320/em+bday+21.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We did a brunch hors' d'oeuvres buffet with <a href="http://mixingbowlkids.typepad.com/family_bites/2012/02/pancake-hors-doeuvres.html">mini pancake stacks</a> (with whipped cream and strawberry topping) and <a href="http://www.manilaspoon.com/2012/08/spinach-quiche-cups.html">mushroom spinach quiche cups</a>. My amazing husband made little flag toppers for the pancake stacks using bamboo skewers (cut in half) and leftover Washi tape (thanks, honey!). This is not a photo of our actual pancake stacks, but they looked just like this: </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghqpzExu0JHZF758Wi9uh0pKRRV9lkmtjCjBknj1PF2dhOEszCRBYmyNWlr6UaQqUtCs3lQi6BBSXF02hVTLQV5R1nQrrvt-vz_nVX9NHppto5T_qaKAGPxR5AJWqJdFEgQfFdvAPLyOZK/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-05-16+at+10.30.15+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghqpzExu0JHZF758Wi9uh0pKRRV9lkmtjCjBknj1PF2dhOEszCRBYmyNWlr6UaQqUtCs3lQi6BBSXF02hVTLQV5R1nQrrvt-vz_nVX9NHppto5T_qaKAGPxR5AJWqJdFEgQfFdvAPLyOZK/s320/Screen+shot+2013-05-16+at+10.30.15+AM.png" width="257" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The last bit I will share about was one of my main birthday concerns: the big (cup)cake smashing tradition. I wanted to give Emerson the chance to have fun with this, but I had two concerns. My first concern being that I didn't feel too excited about going from one extreme to another—Emerson has never had <i>any</i> sugar, but I'd then be giving her a huge, concentrated bomb of it. So, I wanted to make cupcakes that utilized some form of natural sweetness and no added sugar. There will be plenty of time for real sugar, after all.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My second concern was introducing new foods one at a time. Given her strong family history of food allergies, Emerson has not had any dairy, eggs, soy, corn, nuts, or wheat/gluten yet. So, I needed a cake that was allergy-free and sugar-free. Not the easiest kind of cake to make! After trying a few recipes I found on blogs and Pinterest, I settled on a Vegan Carrot Cake (original recipe found <a href="http://www.wildandwee.com/2012/02/wees-1st-birthday-healthy-vegan-carrot.html">here</a>- but I modified it). In trying out recipes, though, I determined that the ingredient that makes allergy-free treats still TASTE GOOD is SUGAR. Yes, they taste horrible without it. Sigh. So, I resolved to allow my child to have a <i>tiny</i> bit of sugar by adding a thin layer of homemade maple buttercream frosting (dairy-free but can be made with real butter, too) on top of her sugar-free cupcake. Recipes below...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIdlvoYUZ5RhQCYAII77aENDpZKV7Qq1_fGbaMUsRfNViXtrjqlzK0WuTN2u7oqk9E_NxOw6n1QHkAX9E-18E4goCeSn0vwZ6pzavgEUTLL2EfiWF5Jobtf1qs2uJGic1e5xIaJJDcfsH6/s1600/bday+girl2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIdlvoYUZ5RhQCYAII77aENDpZKV7Qq1_fGbaMUsRfNViXtrjqlzK0WuTN2u7oqk9E_NxOw6n1QHkAX9E-18E4goCeSn0vwZ6pzavgEUTLL2EfiWF5Jobtf1qs2uJGic1e5xIaJJDcfsH6/s320/bday+girl2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><i>healthy vegan carrot cake muffins</i></b></div>
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makes 6 muffins </div>
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<i>ingredients:</i></div>
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<ul style="color: #777777; font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2.5em; padding-right: 2.5em; padding-top: 0px;">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">1 cup gluten-free flour (I like Bob's Red Mill or Namaste Foods)</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">1/2 tsp baking powder</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">1/2 tsp baking soda</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">pinch sea salt</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">1/2 cup + 1/8 cup water</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">1/2 tsp cinnamon</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">1/4 tsp nutmeg</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">1/2 cup organic carrots, grated</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">1/4 cup organic sugar-free applesauce (I prefer to make this myself- steam, then puree the apples)</li>
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<i>directions: </i></div>
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<ol style="color: #777777; font-family: 'Josefin Sans'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 15px;">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">Preheat oven to 375º F.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">Line muffin trays with liners.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients. Fold in the grated carrot and applesauce. </li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">Scoop the batter into baking cups and bake for about 10 minutes, or until done. Transfer to cooling rack and cool completely.</li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #777777; font-family: 'Josefin Sans';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 15px;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #777777; font-family: 'Josefin Sans';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 15px;"><b><i>dairy-free maple buttercream frosting</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #777777; font-size: 15px; line-height: 15px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ingredients:</span></i></span></div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 1/2 cups powdered sugar</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3 tbsp real maple syrup</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/4 cup butter substitute (I use Earth Balance Coconut Spread-amazing!)</span></li>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">directions: </span></i></div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Soften butter.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Add all ingredients to a bowl or Kitchen Aid.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Beat until smooth and creamy.</span></li>
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Lola Rainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08331205588283877751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9017037251256326962.post-10944897856909789822013-05-16T14:16:00.002-04:002013-05-16T14:16:59.483-04:00Birthday GIVE AWAY!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In honor Emerson's birthday I am having a (small) give away! For, if it wasn't for the birth of my sweet angel (and muse) I wouldn't have found my voice as a writer, nor would I have found something I am passionate enough about to write about every day. And, if it wasn't for YOU, my lovely readers, this blog would be nothing. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, I am giving away a copy of one of my favorite children's book, <i><a href="http://www.bookworm.com/p/on-the-night-you-were-born-8496">The Night You Were Born</a></i>! Though I have many favorites, this one is most dear to my heart. Alex read this book to my belly every night during the last half of my pregnancy, and we continue to read it to Emerson today. The story has always touched my heart (and on occasion, made me tear up). Not to mention, the pictures are beautiful works of art.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To enter, leave a comment (here or on Facebook) telling me what your favorite book was as a child (or any comment at all!). I will pick the winner on random.org next Thursday (the cut off will be 6:00 pm EST, Wednesday). Good luck!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Lola Rainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08331205588283877751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9017037251256326962.post-81769701359490529632013-05-15T13:25:00.003-04:002013-05-15T13:25:41.250-04:00One year of Emerson: the video<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Okay, let's try this again! It took me weeks to put this video together commemorating Emerson's first year…..and when it was finally up, youtube muted all the audio. I'm so bummed because this montage went so well with Bob Dylan's "Forever Young." The peppy version best known as the <i>Parenthood</i> theme, that is. But, apparently that is like the one song you can't use (thanks a lot <i>Parenthood</i> copyrights!). Regardless, these are the words I still hear when watching the video:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>May God bless and keep you always</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>may your wishes all come true</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>May you always do for others</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>and let others do for you</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>May you build a ladder to the stars</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>and climb on every rung</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>May you stay forever young.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Of course, "love you more than anyone" isn't a horrible substitute. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here is the video with a song I used for <a href="http://lolarain.blogspot.com/2012/04/watch-belly-grow.html">my pregnancy video</a>….</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MFPhTOzWqW4" width="560"></iframe></span></div>
Lola Rainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08331205588283877751noreply@blogger.com0