End of Month Recap - May 2011

May, what a crazy month it's been.  We're all still adjusting and recovering.  But also truly enjoying our new bundle of joy.  I did pretty well on most of my goals.  Some not as much.  But that's what happens with a new baby, recovery, crazy hormones, a defiant 3 year old, etc.  Here's how it went.

FOOD

1. Eat full GAPS-legal food (no grains, no dairy except butter, hard cheese, kefir and yogurt, no sugar except honey and fruit). - did my best to stick to it...even in the hospital!

2. Eat plenty of healthy fat daily (coconut oil, butter, lard, EVOO) - struggling a bit with this at the moment.  But I'm trying to increase my intake.

3. Reduce sugar intake - check.

4. Eat broth/soup regularly - I ate a lot of broth most of the month.  But there were some days/weeks where I didn't do as well.  And I can tell.  Trying to get back into it.

5. New probioitic - possibly start my new probiotic at a very low dose at the end of the month - Nope :P  Maybe next month.

6. Avoid foods that I'm sensitive to - my tummy seems to be able to handle things a little better post baby.  I have been able to eat some raw fruits and veggies again thankfully.

potatoes, oats, rice, raw apples, bananas, carrots, raw spinach, beans, tomatoes, peppers, asparagus, any raw food at the moment.

7. Continue Sunday night fun/finger food night, and do breakfast one night a week - check.

8. Keep my kefir and sourdough going! - check.

9. Digestive enzymes - this is another very critical part to gut healing that I've read about in GAPS. I would like to get some digestive enzymes and maybe start using them at the end of the month to see if that improves my digestion. You take them with each meal. Maybe I'll do a separate post about them sometime - I have not had a chance to go to the store/look for these.  Maybe next month.

10. Fermented veggies - I already eat fermented food each day. But it tends to be stuff on the sweet side. I would like to start eating fermented veggies daily. I have a batch of sauerkraut fermenting. Hoping to try it this week. But I would like to try others as well - I am enjoying my sauerkraut.  Maybe as more produce is in season I'll start fermenting more veggies.

11. Order beef and pork. It's that time of year. Time to get our beef and pork ordered so we can restock the freezer in a couple months. Hoping to get the details figured out before baby - check!  We ordered 1/4 beef from Grassfield's and a small half pig from them.  Anxious to get our new meat :)  Beef will be here in June.  Pork in the fall.

HEALTH

1. Get enough sleep - getting what I can :P  At least I haven't gotten up at 4 am (I'm often awake at 4 to feed, but go back to sleep) since the baby was born.  Most days now it's 5:30.
2. Breastfeeding - CHECK!! :)  Abram is a good eater :P
3. Adjust to baby/new routines - still just taking each day as it comes.  Trying to fall into a routine a bit.
4. Recover from c-section - check!  Recovery went even faster than I expected.  You'd never know I just had surgery.  I carry Rebecca, exercise, drive, etc.  No limitations.  Just waiting for the baby belly to keep shrinking :P  Only about 10 lbs. left to lose (after gaining at least 45!!).  And with the way Abram eats the last few pounds should come off quickly.
5. Healthy lifestyle series - possibly digetstive enzymes, omega-6/omega-3 - no time.

FAMILY/PERSONAL

1. Activities and Outings

a. BABY!!!! - hospital May 9 - 12 - CHECK!
b. Kindermusik family night - May 18 (if I'm up for it...Justin and Rebecca will go for sure) - we all went.  It was fun.
c. MOPS (last meeting May 6) - didn't make it :(  Just was not feeling up to it, and Rebecca had a cold.
d. OB appt. (last one!!) - May 4 - check.
e. Family wedding near Detroit - May 28 (we'll play this by ear...see how I'm doing and how the baby is doing if we're up for it) - we went.
f. Mother's Day - not planning on doing anything since it's the day before my c-section. I might even stay home from church since sitting for that long is killer on my legs/swelling. We'll see.

2. Rebecca - some things to do with Rebecca this month:

a. Keep working on potty training (hoping progress doesn't go backwards after the baby comes) - making good progress on her telling us when she has to go/her being able to go by herself.  Hoping it continues.
b. Keep working on letters, numbers, spelling/sounds, counting, math, etc. (a friend gave me a pre-k book to look at...might try some stuff) - check.
c. Adjustment to baby - this is a work in progress.  But we're getting there one day at a time.
d. Make sure she gets plenty of attention/some one-on-one time - doing our best with this as well.

3. Baby

l. Start cloth diapering by the end of the month - nope :P  We're going to wait a bit yet...until the daily diaper count goes down a little and I have time to actually deal with diapers.
2. Plan baptism - July 17
3. Birth announcements - we have them.  I need to get them all mailed.