Notes from Postpartum-Land

Hi, everyone!

I thought I would check in with a few notes of what's going on around here! Nothing fancy, just some random scattered thoughts as we progress through the postpartum period:

- Baby Greta is a darling, and so far an easy baby. She is a true marathoner - she likes lots of sleep, lots of being held (preferably by mama!). and lots of food. That's about it!

- The postpartum period is, as usual, a bit on the chaotic side, but that's to be expected. Thankfully it's been much better than some rounds! We have truly been blessed during this postpartum period, and that has been awesome.

- It's amazing how much our "baby" (the 2yo) has "grown up" in the two weeks since our newest arrived. In other words, it's really taken the new baby's presence to make me realize that the 2yo (who is almost three!) is not a baby any more - and that's a good thing!

- Thanksgiving went well - actually very smoothly. We had my parents and DH's parents in town, and everyone contributed a couple of dishes - meaning that nobody was too over-stressed.

Speaking of holiday dinners - it's fascinating how different people bring different approaches to hosting the holidays. My mother, who worked full-time outside the home, hosted every holiday for our extended family. Every holiday was done formally (formal dishes, formal serving, etc.), and she absolutely insisted on doing everything herself - even when others offered to bring something, she refused.

My thoughts on doing holidays that way? Ack! No, thank you! I can't imagine taking on that amount of stress voluntarily. We do host several holidays for our family, but they are casual and done potluck style.

How do you all approach the issue of holiday hosting?

- We are currently on break from school and will continue on break through New Year's. Hurray!

- I am happy to announce that I think I have (almost) figured out curriculum choices for next year. Quick translation: Come back in a few days, and all of my choices will have changed. (Okay, actually they changed before I finished this blog post.) Anyone know the feeling?

- Now that we're officially in the postpartum period, I need to take some time to go over my supplement and diet protocols to update them and get them ready to start again come New Year's. I'll hope to share those soon!

- Either today or tomorrow, I hope to post my summary post regarding my use of the VLC diet to fight hyperemesis. Please let me know what you think, and if you have any questions!

- What I'm reading:

• My postpartum reading selection was an unusual one - I went through my entire collection of Sherlock Holmes. Fun stuff! Now that I'm older (I haven't really read them since high school) it was fascinating to track social trends, religious and secular lines of thought, scientific advances, etc. Period literature is always eye-opening when it comes to tracking social history!
  
• I'm currently also enjoying two other books:
  
• Keto Clarity: Your Definitive Guide to the Benefits of a Low-Carb, High-Fat Diet  - A must-read for anyone trying a ketogenic diet.
  
• "Leading health blogger Jimmy Moore and researcher and internist Dr. Eric C. Westman join forces again to explain the powerful therapeutic effects of a ketogenic diet—one that combines a customized carbohydrate restriction, moderation of protein intake, and real food-based fats—which is emerging in the scientific literature as a means for improving a wide range of diseases, from Type 2 diabetes to Alzheimer’s and more. Simply eating a low-carb diet alone isn’t enough, and Moore and Westman tell you why."
• Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking - Excellent! (They know me.)
  
• "In Quiet, Susan Cain argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose in doing so. She charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal throughout the twentieth century and explores how deeply it has come to permeate our culture. She also introduces us to successful introverts—from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Passionately argued, superbly researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how they see themselves."

- I am planning to use this book list idea to have fun with the children during December. Easy, low-stress, and involving books. That's a win-win situation! We're also planning to make play snow as well as our usual crafts (glitter pinecones, paper snowflakes, etc.). I'm trying to find a compromise between "overdoing it" and "doing nothing." Time will tell if I can find this elusive balance.

- Today is the first Sunday of Advent! Time to break out the Advent wreath and our Advent calendar. Happy Advent, everyone!

- I don't know how much I'll be around in the next period of time - life is extremely unpredictable right now. No promises, but I'll try to check in when I can!

Happy Thanksgiving, dear friends! Enjoy this holiday season!