Monday, August 9, 2010

The Trials of a New Mom: Fitting it all in...

Here are a few true statements about me:
1) I have many hobbies and interests.
2) I like to do things well or not at all.
3) I absolutely hate to sit still.
4) I rarely do only one thing at a time.

However, that little munchkin up there has thrown quite the little monkey wrench into the way that I like to do things....a cute little lovable monkey wrench, but a monkey wrench all the same. Therefore:
I still have many hobbies and interests, but only a few at a time. For instance, I had to pretty much give up running for the time being. I still think about it. I see people running and a part of me longs to do so. It's just not in my cards right now. Sure, I could work it out if I REALLY wanted to, but running just isn't high enough in my priorities at the moment. It's too stinkin' hot for one thing. Sure I could wait for the munchkin to go to bed, but Michael has been out of town for so many weeks that I've lost count and I'm not going to have someone come out just to sit every few nights in case the munchkin wakes up. And lately, it seems like I never get him to bed before dark anyway. I fully intend to pick it back up this fall when Joseph is old enough for a jogging stroller and it's cool enough to actually take him running. My baby is a wuss when it comes to the heat!

I think I may have worked out a way to get back to riding like I need to. I was inspired by Clea over at her Pancake is Cute blog. She has a baby who is only a little older than Joseph and still runs like a maniac. She's a hardcore runner though....way more than I ever was. She gets up EARLY in the morning to do her runs before work and before it gets too hot, I would assume. I'm not going to apply this to my running, but it got me to thinking....if she can work a full time job, have a baby, AND do her hobby to the best of her ability...then I can certainly work out a way to get back in the saddle consistently. I'm not going to be getting up at 3 AM...I could, but I'm not going to (and I doubt Spice would appreciate me waking her up either). I can't imagine if Joseph woke up and it was only Michael here and with Michael NOT being a morning person and having to go to work the next day...not a good combo. However, I COULD go to the barn after Joseph goes to bed. Michael stays up later anyway and he's much better at handling things at night. So, last night I gave it a shot. Unfortunately Joseph decided he was going to go to sleep later than usual (he was consistently going to be at 8:30 but last night it was 9:30 and he wasn't totally asleep but Michael told me to go on and he would take care of him), but I left for the barn at 9:40. Got out there at 10, but my horse was turned out. Thank goodness she was easy to catch though...she must have known I had had a rough time getting the little one to sleep...or maybe she missed me...or maybe she just couldn't tell it was me in the dark. I'll go with she missed me. :) We were saddled up by 10:15, rode until 10:45, and back home by 11:20. Shower and bed by Midnight. Up at 6. I have to say it went pretty well. Joseph stayed asleep the whole time. Michael is out of town again this week, but hopefully I will get someone to watch Joseph one afternoon this week so I can go out and ride. Once Michael ever gets home, I hope to be able to go out and ride a few nights a week. I'm pretty happy with this plan. Remember how I like to do things well or not at all? I had actually toyed with the idea of taking my horse back to my parents since I was only getting to see her a few times a month. It seemed like such a waste! But Michael, being the wise man that he is, knew I would only regret it and that soon Joseph will be able to ride with me and it won't be so hard to fit riding time in. Wise, wise Michael!

So, what I've learned is that I have to MAKE time for the things I enjoy when I can and yet still be able to settle down and enjoy my life as the mom of a fabulous little boy. I still want to be able to do it all, but I'm learning to take it a day at a time. :)

I promise I will be getting back to posting some recipes. I am actively trying to get my baby weight off (before I was passively trying...and I think I had gone as far as possible) and am trying to eat healthy. I've joined an 8 week weight loss challenge at a gym in Frankfort. I'm only a few days in, but I will try to give ya'll updates on how it goes.

Anyway, this has gotten long enough. I'm about ready to join the munchkin in dream land myself.

2 comments:

  1. Great post! I gave you a shout out back on my blog. I keep telling myself that in a couple years Jasper will be doing my hobbies with me. Hang in there...

    and BTW, the cross stitch is awesome!

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  2. Love the pic of Joseph on Spice! Look at that face!

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