Take Care

Self care is crucial at any time in our lives, but I would argue especially so when you've had a baby. Moms really go through the punches just to keep that little bundle of flesh alive and healthy. It starts before birth and never really seems to stop. Our little bubs come first, and sometimes we sacrifice ourselves to make that possible. My go-to self care list is very different from what it was before baby. And that's okay, the important thing is figuring out what works for you and implementing it. A little something every day can help to keep you sane when things get a little hairier.

I've been blessed enough to be doing this with the father of my baby. Usually, as soon as he walks through the door, I'm ready to hand off the baby for a little while. We both need breaks sometimes though. I've found that what we do when we need a moment for ourselves is very different, though. My husband will ask if he can go with his friends for a couple hours to play Pokemon Go (I married a dork and I love him). In contrast, I'll ask if he will watch the baby for a while so that I can shower for as long as I want, uninterrupted. He will watch the baby so that I can go to the occasional girls night or something with my friends, but most of the time I just want to do something quietly by myself.

Something that I've been trying to do more of especially lately is exercise. I'm not so much looking to get some version of a pre-baby body or anything like that. More so, I want to be the healthiest version of myself. In the past, I've gone running but I haven't been able to do that yet post-baby. Instead, I've been going walking a lot. We had some car trouble recently which has sort of forced my hand when it comes to walking, but I'm glad for it. Recently, this has meant I've had to walk to run errands around town. Earlier this week, I had a doctor's appointment in the morning and then had to pick something up at the pharmacy. After I finished there, I decided to go to the Maverik near my house for a soda. All in all, this meant walking roughly five miles by noon. I was spent, but I really felt like I had earned that tasty, tasty Dr Pepper. I also feel like there's nothing to stop me from walking for errands all the time. Until it snows, at least.

In addition to walking, I've been working on getting into a daily yoga routine. I've been a major slacker and haven't gotten this one totally figured out yet. I know, though, that this is something I'll easily be able to do with a minimal amount of effort after JJ goes to bed each night. I have a personal goal to be able to do a headstand pose by the time his first birthday rolls around. I know this means I really need to get my butt in gear though. It's important with exercises like yoga and inversions to take your time and listen to your body. Pushing myself too fast too soon could mean injuries that push back any progress I might make. And even if I don't make my goal by his birthday, I know that as long as I do start working at it I'll be so much closer then than I am now.

Once the local college resumes classes in the fall, I plan to start attending a Zumba class once a week there. I started doing this before I got pregnant and continued through the first half of my pregnancy until I got too big to be able to move around that vigorously. There's something invigorating about being able to completely focus on moving quickly to a beat. I don't worry about what I look like or how red my face gets, I just focus on staying in motion. It's really zen in a weird way.

Something that I've found is beneficial to me in addition to some type of exercise is reading. About a month before JJ was born, I signed up for a library card. And now I only have one thing that bugs me about it. Why didn't I get a library card sooner?! It's seriously wonderful. I live close enough that I can walk to the library (similar walking situation as the five miles I mentioned earlier) and they have DVDs, CDs, books for me, books for my husband, and books for my little-- and it's all free! I have a bag that we've dedicated to library books and we can check out up to 50 things at one time or something really crazy like that. It's beautiful. It's been so great having a free way to get books and read. I don't even have to feel guilty about only really reading semi-crappy cheesy romance that takes two seconds to figure out. (Side note: love me some modern romance surrounding weddings, but that's pretty niche so if you have suggestions PLEASE let me know!)

Sometimes, even with all these great plans, self care simply means I have to let my sweet baby boy cry while I go to the bathroom. I know there are moms that just take their babies with them and hold them while they go. I'm trying really hard to avoid that. I've had him in a bouncy seat or swing in the bathroom with me while I shower, but I try to keep doing my business a private affair. Even though it's just a minute or two, I let myself sit and soak up the quiet for just that brief moment. It gives me the chance to gather myself and recompose. I get to take a breather before heading back to the front lines. And sometimes that's the only self care I get in a day. I try to make sure I get other things done for myself during the day but we all have those days where our little one is extra fussy or clingy. Those days especially, I close the door and go to the bathroom all by myself. I let the fan drown out his cries just for a brief 60 seconds so that I can get my head on straight and be the mom my little boy needs. And that's okay. He will be okay for sixty seconds while I go to the bathroom. The world will not end. His world will be better because I took that minute for myself.