Vegan Goodness:
Today we ate:
- Breakfast: A green smoothie for mom – yay!! (I finally stocked up on kale and chopped and froze it for smoothies – so exciting). Mom also had a soy chai again. Dad and LP had smoothies and oat cereal.
- Lunch: Leftover pasta with garlic scape pesto for mom and leftover pizza for LP and dad
- Mom snacked on apples, cheerios and almonds at her PD, and dad and LP munched on blueberries after LP’s nap.
- Dinner: Lemony Chickpeas and Chard over Coconut Rice from Color Me Vegan.
- Dessert is going to be oatmeal chocolate chip cookies – I’m going to go with “the baby wants cookies” and leave it at that 😉
Money Matters:
During the month of June we have a bigger budget than we will in July. This is partially because I am still working, and there are costs that come with that (transportation, classroom materials, meeting co-workers for weekly Friday breakfast, etc.) So, rather than be completely limited by our “Year of Family” budget, we are simply trying to be more aware of our spending this month, and trying to cut down on “extras.”
Today we spent the following:
- $4.83 for another soy chai for mom on her way to PD
Thursday Baby Update:
All week I have been in a fantastic professional development (PD) workshop. We’ve been sitting in groups all week and I was lucky to land in a group with some fantastic teachers. However, what I am most appreciating right now is that most of them are also moms. Everyone has been super nice to me (since I am totally and completely nine months pregnant) but these women have been more than that. They have been a great support system for me. While they (and everyone else in the class) ask me how I’m feeling pretty often, our table is often joking around about giving birth and having kids. They seem to know how I’m feeling, but they also know enough not to be afraid that I’m going to give birth in class (like some people seem to think, since most of what they know about birth is from TV). When I was telling one of them about the fact that my midwife told me to just head home if I felt “off” at all (so that I wouldn’t be stuck driving an hour while in labor) this woman said “Oh, I would totally drive you home, no question!” It is pretty awesome to be around people who are not only kind and supportive but also get it.
I’m incredibly lucky to have a mom support system in my friends too. When I had LP my best friend (with two kids) was with me in the hospital, and my other friends who are moms came by the house pretty soon, bearing food and knowing how to visit but also how to give me and the baby space. Recently a bunch of new moms from my work (who are also good friends) have been e-mailing as a group and they all try and get a grasp on all things related to newborns (and I try and remember what it is like to have a newborn – apparently I blocked out a lot of it in my sleep-deprived state). I’m so grateful for all these women. Don’t get me wrong – I also have a phenomenal support system of people who aren’t parents (a couple of whom are totally prepared to come take care of LP when I go into labor!!) The G-man and I couldn’t really get along without any of these people. But today I just wanted to take a moment to appreciate the other mom’s in my support network. They are the women I ask the weird questions to, whose shoulders I have cried on when I am at a loss, who I laugh with about things we think about that sound crazy to people without kids. And as I walk around feeling like a water-buffalo with a gland disorder I really, really appreciate the women who not only ask how I’m feeling, but won’t freak out when I say “tired” or “eh” and instead will just get me a look that says “I get it. I’ve been there too.”
