Food

Becoming mom has changed the way I eat.  I can't just hop in the car and pick up Thai food every day anymore.  And I no longer have time to buy a variety of fresh ingredients for a recipe and spend time preparing a nice dinner in the kitchen to serve hot and fresh.  I shop, prep, cook and eat all around her schedule now, not mine.  It is important that I do this well because I am exclusively breastfeeding so essentially all her nourishment comes from me and what I eat.  I have to make sure that not only do I eat enough even though I don't have much time, but that I eat enough of the good stuff and less of the bad stuff.  I will swear to my grave that part of the reason she's so stinking cute is because of all the snickerdoodles I ate when I was pregnant with her.  But now that I see her and actually watch her belly grow instead of mine I have more motivation to snack on healthy things like cheese and fruit.  Don't get me wrong, I still indulge a lot, after all, I am supposed to eat 600 calories above a typical prepregnancy diet.  The key is balance. 
Amelia was born 2 days after Christmas so 2011 was the last year we celebrated as a couple and not as a family of 3.  I was huge and uncomfortable, but still had an amazing holiday shared with family and with all the excitement of what was and is to some.  Brian and I received the best gifts for expectant parents from everyone in our family. Among lots of other things we got a camcorder to record her milestones, and an iPad to store those videos.  We got worlds largest bag of Dunkin Donuts coffee which kept Brian functioning during those first few weeks when he had to do all the housework and diapering while I recovered from surgery.  And I got the best gift of all for a new mom, a crock pot.  (Insert here the heavens opening up, a chorus of angels, and light shining down on my amazing new kitchen gadget!!)  The crock pot has become my lifeline.  Brian broke it out first, on New Years Day, and made black eyed peas .  I've since made pork tenderloin and lots of other delicious meals, at my convenience.  I just kind of search recipes and pick my favorite parts of them based on what I have handy, and see what I come up with.  I've made stroganoff, chicken chili, london broil, beef stew and lots of other stuff.  But my favorite is the best breakfast ever, from my new favorite blog, The Yummy Life.  I put this in the crock pot before bed and wake up to a delicious healthy breakfast.  The leftovers (if there are any) go in the refrigerator and I have a delicious healthy snack for later.  If possible it's even better warmed up with a little milk in the microwave. 
So anyway, from time to time I will put on here some of the dinners I manage to prepare that are the best successes, but for now it's time to go feed my beautiful little girl.  This morning she will have steel cut oats and a delicious orange with her milk.