Last week, my girlfriend asked me if I missed being pregnant, and my answer was irrevocably no. Let me amend that…NO! Besides the obvious weight gain, there is once again the theme of restriction. “You shouldn’t lift that…eat that…drink that.” The cool thing is that there was an allowance of moderation for each item. Understandably, I had to give up alcohol, even though many people said that the occasional glass of wine was okay (other than tasting a sip, I did not take advantage of this indulgence).
I also had to restrict my tuna and deli meat intake. What’s funny is that I don’t eat much tuna or many coldcuts in the winter, but in the summer, I love a great sandwich/sub and macaroni and tuna salad. My moderation is that I could have four ounces of tuna a week, so when I really wanted that tuna sandwich, I got one (Facebook friends will recall the tuna fish sandwich and ice cream sandwich post last summer).
The final restriction was that of caffeine. It was recommended that I could do no more than 8 ounces per day. In the beginning, I restricted myself to one dose of caffeine per week, but it seemed the closer I got to the deadline, the more caffeine I craved. Maybe it was because the further along I got, the more fatigued I felt. So I would drink either a small cup of coffee, iced tea, or soda. For the most I did well on the soda front, because I mostly craved fruit-flavored sodas (Strawberry Fanta was the main one).
Here’s what’s funny: immediately after I delivered, the first meal I ate was a tuna fish sandwich. I swear, it was THE BEST TUNA sandwich ever! But that could have been because I hadn’t eaten any solid food for the prior 17 hours, but I also hadn’t had any tuna in months.
The alcohol was my second indulgence. I was more cautious in the beginning since I attempted to breast feed in the beginning (that lasted all of three weeks). But I enjoyed a glass of red wine and we cracked open the bottle of Cuervo 1800 Anejo that we purchased in Mexico last year for an awesome margarita.
Finally, I enjoyed my caffeine again. Coffee, tea, and soda without restriction! And it was good. Today for instance, I had coffee and Coca Cola, and yesterday, I bought a gallon of iced tea from Popeyes and drank two glasses! And I love southern style iced tea. At the risk of getting the jitters, I may enjoy some tea before I go to bed. But then again, that margarita sounds like a good idea.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
The Latest Misadventure in Mommyhood
Well, a lot of things have happened since my last entry. The first is that I actually gave birth to my first child. Okay, that is the only thing that has happened but it has encompassed SO much. I was actually debating renaming this blog site to “the Misadventures of Mommyhood” but as the days, months, and years go by, I’m hoping that the summary of me will not JUST be mommy. But for now, most of my blogs will inevitable settle around my son and all the things we will learn together.
I have developed that distinctive mommy love of my son. But there is one important side effect that gave me the sudden epiphany that he will be an only child. I can deal with the every two-hour feedings; I can cope with the projectile pee, poo, and vomit that comes with an infant; I can even deal with the lack of personal hygiene that causes me to walk around the house with unkempt hair and no makeup (not even my trademark eyebrows).
What I’m having the most difficulty dealing with is the sudden lack of mobility. I struggled with this a little when I was pregnant, since people automatically try to treat you like this delicate flower (“You shouldn’t be carrying all those heavy bags” or “You’re not going to be able to travel like that while you’re pregnant.” All of which was total bumpkiss by the way.) But now, I feel almost incapacitated; worse yet, I have a feeling of being tethered, kind of like an eagle tied down with a rope. My late uncle and aunt (rest in peace Uncle Charles and Aunt Resa) used to always tease me about how I was just quick to get up and go and how if I ever got a man, that get-up-and-go would be suppressed. I bet they are in heaven getting a kick out of the fact that the man that finally did it is actually my son.
Realistically, I know it won’t always be like this and that in reality, I’ve only been doing this mommy thing for three weeks and thereby this feeling will fade, but today the reality came crashing down as I prepared myself and my son for a doctor’s appointment scheduled for 1:30 in the afternoon. Granted, I didn’t exactly do the most accurate planning and time management, but I thought I was doing okay until the last half hour. Then I realized I had to get dressed, get him dressed, do a last minute feeding, put on his snowsuit, put him in the car seat, put on my coat, grab my purse and diaper bag, secure him in the back, and then roll out. And it was at that moment when I had him, the diaper bag, and purse, and was locking the apartment door that I came to the realization that this part was more difficult than all the sudden bathroom urges, the carpal tunnel syndrome, the swelling, and even the labor and delivery. This is what I dislike about mommyhood. No longer can I just run into a store, or anywhere else, quickly when I have him. I thought about the task of simply going to a 7-11 for a cup of coffee and it put me in an unpleasant frame of mind.
I believe in the adage “this too shall pass.” But the thing is I’m torn between the passing and relishing the goodness of enjoying my son in all his stages, because he is truly a blessing and a miracle.
I have developed that distinctive mommy love of my son. But there is one important side effect that gave me the sudden epiphany that he will be an only child. I can deal with the every two-hour feedings; I can cope with the projectile pee, poo, and vomit that comes with an infant; I can even deal with the lack of personal hygiene that causes me to walk around the house with unkempt hair and no makeup (not even my trademark eyebrows).
What I’m having the most difficulty dealing with is the sudden lack of mobility. I struggled with this a little when I was pregnant, since people automatically try to treat you like this delicate flower (“You shouldn’t be carrying all those heavy bags” or “You’re not going to be able to travel like that while you’re pregnant.” All of which was total bumpkiss by the way.) But now, I feel almost incapacitated; worse yet, I have a feeling of being tethered, kind of like an eagle tied down with a rope. My late uncle and aunt (rest in peace Uncle Charles and Aunt Resa) used to always tease me about how I was just quick to get up and go and how if I ever got a man, that get-up-and-go would be suppressed. I bet they are in heaven getting a kick out of the fact that the man that finally did it is actually my son.
Realistically, I know it won’t always be like this and that in reality, I’ve only been doing this mommy thing for three weeks and thereby this feeling will fade, but today the reality came crashing down as I prepared myself and my son for a doctor’s appointment scheduled for 1:30 in the afternoon. Granted, I didn’t exactly do the most accurate planning and time management, but I thought I was doing okay until the last half hour. Then I realized I had to get dressed, get him dressed, do a last minute feeding, put on his snowsuit, put him in the car seat, put on my coat, grab my purse and diaper bag, secure him in the back, and then roll out. And it was at that moment when I had him, the diaper bag, and purse, and was locking the apartment door that I came to the realization that this part was more difficult than all the sudden bathroom urges, the carpal tunnel syndrome, the swelling, and even the labor and delivery. This is what I dislike about mommyhood. No longer can I just run into a store, or anywhere else, quickly when I have him. I thought about the task of simply going to a 7-11 for a cup of coffee and it put me in an unpleasant frame of mind.
I believe in the adage “this too shall pass.” But the thing is I’m torn between the passing and relishing the goodness of enjoying my son in all his stages, because he is truly a blessing and a miracle.
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