Being Home. And Embracing It.

Things have been a little "in flux" (is that term made up...?) since we moved to Alexandria.  We moved in and got settled over the holidays which was a tad hectic and then by mid January it became clear that Nick's new job was not exactly as he expected. (more on that later)

I am definitely not an anxious person...the only time I really get anxious is when I'm not prepared for something. Which happens occasionally, let's be honest.  But overall I roll with the punches and don't worry too much.  However, I do worry about my little one, Waverly, being comfortable in her surroundings and knowing "home".  Not only do I want her to feel comfortable and confident in her home, but I also don't want it throwing off her sleep habits because selfishly that would also make me tired!  Obviously I shouldn't worry a bit, she's one happy baby...and healthy...take a look at that tummy in the picture below!

mom...i'm doing just fine!

So after we moved and things became "hazy" with Nick's new job...it made sense to keep our home life settled and for me not to job search just in case life became even more "up the air".  (these are good terms to describe a sucky situation)   I don't know why I felt the need to explain all that, but it gives some background to my decision to be at home with Waverly full time.

So I have been a stay at home mom for a while now! And I'm trying to make the most of it.

little too much mommy time??

Like any mom, there are times I feel like I am going crazy and not being productive at life. Those days are when Waverly doesn't nap or I didn't get a chance to shower or I have changed my outfit 4 times and hers 5 because of spit up or poop.  And on those days, we wait by the door for Nick to come home....ha.

try not to gag.

But most days I love being home with her and I love all the snuggles, laughter, when she figures out a new trick or I show her something mind blowing - clapping!  Taking care of her is definitely the most productive thing I could do.  Every day I try to remember that she's only this little once and to embrace this time together.  So in order to make the most of being home....here are some things we've done!

Library...(just trying to make you proud, Aunt Casey!) We go to the library at least once a week!  I love it because it's FREE and Waverly gets a chance to socialize with other babies, sing nursery rhymes, have story time, and put all the germy library toys in her mouth!  The Del Ray, Alexandria library has a great baby time, but the Columbia Pike, Arlington library is the best.  The children's librarian does a fantastic job with a new theme every week, lot of songs, books, tons of props, and we get to play with all the toys afterwards. The librarian also conducts some of it in Spanish which is cool for Waverly to hear....and for me to try and sing along. yea right. I studied French. I try not to notice the Hispanic nannies laughing at my attempts at Spanish.

Lunches with friends...it's great when your friends have flexible schedules and can meet for lunch!  We try to meet up with close friends Allison or Pete every once in a while to get out for a fun lunch. Recently when having lunch with Pete, it was a Friday. So naturally we had a beer. I swear the waitress did not think I was the mother of my baby.  I guess my chili cheese dog and beer didn't look "mom worthy".  I asked for hot water to warm Waverly's bottle and not only did I get hot water, but I got full instructions on how to warm the bottle, test it, and then how to feed her.  It took a lot of patience for me to only say "thank you"....instead of "are you freaking kidding me right now?!"

Another Friday...always drink on Fridays!

Mommy & Me Pilates...I LOVE this and wish I knew about it as soon as I moved here.  "Mind the Mat" (love the name) studio in Del Ray, Alexandria has some AWESOME mom and baby focused yoga and pilates classes.  I heard their prenatal yoga is great and you know I am a big advocate of that! Another mom I met at the library told me about the pilates classes.  It's a workout that will kick your ass (ballet barre and mat combined) and you have your baby the whole time!  The first week I held Waverly on my hip while doing the barre workout.  The following week, I smartened up and brought my baby bjorn carrier.  While on the mat the baby can be under you or on your stomach...or just chillin on their own blanket.  Nursing and crying during class is totally acceptable... very baby friendly while you sweat!  I can take Waverly till she starts crawling, so we're still going!

W stretchin out.

Making my own baby food....lots of mom's do this whether they are working or not, but I really felt like I should do this since I'm home.  Turns out, it's super easy. Really easy.  Add some extra produce to my grocery list, steam in on my steaming pot which I already had, and puree in my magic bullet which Nick previously used for protein shakes...voila, baby food! For the record, protein shakes are gross. The only thing I bought were some ice trays specifically for freezing baby food.  So far we have done sweet potatoes, apples, green beans, and bananas!  Everything is going down the pipe well except green beans...she holds them in her mouth and then lets them stream out down her chin...fun.  Next up is avocado, pears, peas, parsnips, and peaches (lots of "P" foods, apparently).

We have also discovered some fun baby music...we dance around the house to this song and she loves it.  Lots of artists have come out with kids music and it's pretty good....remember the song "Freshman" by  Verve Pipe??  They made a kids rock album and it's good!

I look forward to going back to work, but until that day rolls around...I'm enjoying my time at home.

Love from Alexandria!