Hi there! Were you afraid I was not making an appearance? Well, I thought so! 🙂 It has been a wonderful blessing enjoying all of my daughter’s changes since leaving the hospital. I cannot even believe 2 weeks have gone by.
We have had the blessing of having my mother-in-law for 5 days, then my mother for a whole week and visits from different family members. I am not quite sure what I will do with myself next week when everyone is gone but I know I will have God’s strength.
How has it been with a newborn? Very different and somewhat challenging, but oh so much fun! The biggest thing I have learned from being a mother is that IT IS NOT ABOUT ME ANYMORE. My daughter’s needs are above everyone else’s because she requires care and attention, but do not get me wrong, Ryan and I have needs that also need to be met. Let me explain.
I explained a while back that when I was pregnant I had no desire to keep my vegan diet.Why it happened this way I do not know but I knew there was a purpose. All desire for tofu, seitan, or all meat substitutes and dairy substitutes except beverage made me sick.
Now that the baby has arrived I have such a desire for everything I was eating before, but more along the lines of eating fruits, veggies, soups, salads, beans, etc.
I have been learning a lot about colic and how MY diet and everything I eat affects the baby. Did you know this? Not that I have been testing this out but learning how Julianne is responding to them on a day to day basis makes me keenly aware of how much I do not want my baby to go through colic.
On days I ate spicy, tomato-based foods, beans, onions, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, coffee, and more I noticed that Julianne was fussy and hardly rested during the day.
By God’s grace we have only had one episode of colic and it last for 45 minutes, even though it felt like hours. I cannot stand listening to my daughter in pain or in discomfort so my plan is to keep a journal of all foods I eat. My diet is not any longer focused on being vegan but on what would be healthy for my baby. Articles shows that too much raw foods, onions, beans, and the foods I listed cause colic. I want to prove that my baby can be peaceful and happy without my eating the foods that make her an unhappy baby.
Defenseless.
It is my responsibility to keep my body healthy, yes, but it is also my responsibility to have a happy AND healthy baby. So even though I will be posting vegan and vegetarian recipes, this blog will not concentrate on these food labels but on healthy eating.
Julianne has been a GREAT night sleeper. I have been averaging 6-7 hours of sleep a night even though I am waking up every 3 hours to feed her.
A question though. Julianne would sleep 5-6 hours a night IF I did not wake her up for feedings. My preference is for her to sleep and I notice she eats a lot more and is satisfied when she is not forced to wake up during the night. During the day I do wake her up but the night is different. What is the best method?
The last 3 days have been a dream because she has been napping well and even lulling herself to sleep! She wakes up almost automatically for feedings every 3 hours and I try to catch a nap here and there. There is not escaping it though. Julianne is always fussy or active during our dinner time whether we have it early or later, she is there waiting to be held or to be given some attention. Pretty crazy!
What have I been eating as of late? I have been eating lots of oatmeal, barley drinks (recipe to come soon), soups, meat and potato foods, empanadas, tostadas ( all not spicy at all and no beans), and an apple crisp. The barley and oats all ensure better milk production and to better satisfy the baby. So far, the evidence seems pretty true. Happy baby!
Be on the look out soon! I will have some reviews and giveaway coming on the blog. Happy weekend!
