Organically Growing

Last night went well. Ryder nursed at 10p, woke up at 1am crying and I spent about 30 minutes laying him back in the bed before he went to sleep until 5am. Came to bed with us. Feeling good.

On the flipside, he has a really bad diaper rash that has gone from bad to worse. This morning what was raw and red is now looking more like an open sore. A trip to see the ND at our pediatrician’s office didn’t do much to ease my mind. She diagnosed him with Hand, Foot, Mouth Disease and Fifths Disease before even looking at his bum. Fortunately, I’ve had so many weird interactions with this woman that I didn’t get too worried. Eventually was given an antibiotic ointment to use for a few days. They took a culture to see if it’s strep. He doesn’t seem to be bothered by it, so that’s good.

Oh, and the only reasonable explanation she gave was that perhaps he had eaten too much acidic food. Which is likely since he was on a strawberry bender for two days.

1. Laugh More
Remember that everyone is learning! I spent way too much time being critical of Marc for not putting a dirty diaper in the pail or for getting Ryder too excited before bedtime. This is time to share, learn together and have fun as a new family.

2. Buy good (cute) nursing bras and tanks
With any luck, you’ll be nursing for much of the first year which means you will get very, very tired of those ugly beige colored nursing bras. Buy something cute. And refresh your camis regularly! It’s amazing how good nice underthings can make you feel – even when you’re feeling like a cow.

3. Follow your instincts
Yes, you have them. One of the hardest things about being a new mom is learning to trust your instincts. You know what to do.

4. Stockpile breastmilk while you can
You never know if your supply will dry up before you’re ready or a friend may be in need.

5. Don’t put off your personal fitness
Of course, I’m not saying you should be jumping on the treadmill at 2 weeks postpartem, or going against doctors orders. But, for me – the 6 month mark was when the natural weight loss started to significantly slow down. If I had opted to hit the gym just a couple times a week and move toward getting back to even half of my pre-pregnancy workout schedule, I’m pretty certain I would buff and toned right now. Take advantage of the extra calorie burn with breastfeeding in the early months by working out a little bit (and you can still enjoy all the tasty cookies and treats!)

It was a goregous spring day in Seattle! Sunny and nearly 70 when I took our old flannel picnic blanket out to the front yard with my boy. I sat Ryder in the grass … which was kind of funny because he just kept rubbing his foot back and forth on the grass, but didn’t want to touch it otherwise. Once I moved him to the blanket, he would crawl all the way to the edge and try to reach for me without getting on the grass. He quickly got over his hesitation with the tickly green stuff when Marc put his Blackberry out for a “carrot.”

The fun really got going when he picked up a clod of dirt and promptly placed it in his mouth. Not delicious, yet he refused to give it up to me. Instead he made sour faces while mashing the muddy mess around in his teeth. A couple gulps of water and he was good to go.

HappyGreenBaby.com’s Spring Cleaning sale starts today! Everything on the website is marked down 20% (except gift certificates).

You’ll save 20% on everything from organic cotton baby toys to eco-friendly BabySoy baby clothing and recycled Fleurville diaper bags. Shop today – sale ends March 31, 2010.

http://www.happygreenbaby.com/