7 Quick Takes, Vol. 23

1. Our amaryllis is juuuuuust about to bloom. Crazy what it has done in 2 weeks after doing, well, not much for so long.

2. Someone miiiiiight just be thisclose to saying “Dada.” She is definitely saying Mama and Dada a lot, but most of the time when Charles walks into the room, she’ll point and say, “Dadadadada!” We applaud and encourage her, so she’s getting lots of positive feedback, and I think it’s stuck. There's just still some Mama confusion, like at bedtime last night.

3. Said someone is 10 months old today. Huh? Where has the time gone? I’ll be taking 1 million pictures later today and posting my ode tomorrow.

4. She is also becoming a fruit fiend, loving honeydew and strawberries in particular at the moment. Maybe because that is what I have at the house right now.When I was pregnant, I was obsessed with fruit. I wouldn't normally think pregnancy cravings have much meaning, but I find the connection interesting.

5. So, I’ve been wanting to write a post for about ev-er about how cookies and milk have totally changed my afternoons. It sounds ridiculous, but it’s true. I’ve just decided it would be a ridiculous entire post, so I’m making it a QT instead. This is the premise. Most days I have an afternoon crash. At work, I would fight through with a snack, but at home, I tend to start grazing and graze alllllll afternoon and eat a bunch of junk and just really, really want sugar and coffee. I try to avoid with all this not sugar or coffee stuff and then finally give in. For a variety of reasons post-Lenten sweets ban, I’ve started keeping frozen cookie dough and literally making 2 cookies in the afternoon and eating them with a glass of milk. I’ve found that it mostly keeps the grazing at bay and totally kills the cravings. I also use it as a reward for myself to get stuff done at the beginning of Clare’s nap. So, more productive, less crash-y, and less grazing on junk food is a win-win-win in my book. I hope eventually to adjust down the cookie part, but for the time being, this is working.

6. The other big dietary change I’ve made is eating breakfast. For the first 31 years of my life, I considered breakfast a chore. For most of my life, choking down a banana or a slice of toast was about all I could muster. As an adult, I learned to eat a bowl of cereal, but really, that’s not that much better. A couple of months ago, though, I started upping the ante and start trying harder to eat better in the mornings. I’ve found that I feel better, less hungry (shocker!), more productive. Basically, all the same stuff, but in the mornings. Amazing what happens when we take care of ourselves. *rolls eyes at myself*

7. For all the mamas out there, I hope you have a lovely day Sunday, and get a chance to relax, even if it is just 5 minutes alone. 

Off you go to Jen's for more.