If I've learned anything about myself since becoming a mother it's that the busier I am, the more I thrive. During those first few postpartum weeks I found the days morphing into one another until I literally didn't know Monday from Friday & I'd binged on all that Netflix had to offer while feeding babe in the early hours of the morn. Now don't get me wrong, I believe this to be perfectly acceptable behavior for a new mother, but for me personally I wanted out of that butt shaped groove on my couch, & pronto.
I am incredibly lucky that my little guy has always slept relatively well & by 3-4 weeks he was marathon napping through the night. We've had our bumps along the way; our move to Oklahoma for my husbands rotations definitely threw a spanner into the works that was our routine, but with a little figurative elbow grease & a hearty amount of literal temper tantrums thrown by all, we were able to get back on track. This has made my transition into the new Mummy club a lot smoother than I ever thought possible & it offers me opportunities to get stuff done while the little cherub snoozes.
All that being said, what I've learned from the mammoth life changing events that have occurred throughout the past 4 months is that idleness can consume me in quite the same way that I could consume 20 McDonalds chicken nuggets during my pregnancy. If I don't start the day off with a hefty honey-do list of my own devising then there will be a new butt shaped groove on our futon here in OK & it's quite possible I could fall far enough down the Netflix rabbit hole to get involved with the likes of "The Vampire Diaries" or "Pretty Little Liars". If not for the sake of myself then for my husband & child, this cannot come to pass.
It was this understanding that has led me to acknowledge a change of lifestyle is in order. I know there will be days of sleep deprivation when the only strength I can muster is to keep my little one fed & happy, & this will forevermore be my primary goal - baby trumps all. Likewise, I am certainly not going to turn my nose up at the casual day of laziness; nor will I deny myself chocolate or crips or doughnuts or pizza (everything in moderation). But I'd like to take a whack at this healthy & active lifestyle & show myself what I'm really made of.
With that decision at hand, I am now attending Krav Maga lessons twice a week & can already attest to the positive physical & mental discipline I am learning. I've never been a gym rat, I just cannot find joy in lifting weights or running (on a treadmill or the actual earth). Kudos to those who have the self discipline to stay fit this way, I've tried & tried & ultimately failed because I frankly don't have the grit or determination. Now, offer me a path that will teach me to fight like Buffy Summers & if that includes doing a few squats here or some push up's there then I'm game. Sign me up. Literally.
I have also hand on heart, pinky promised myself that I will cook homemade, healthy meals Monday-Friday. I'm not going to count calories or cut out bread & pasta because if I did, my soul would flicker out like a weak flame. I will keep my home clean, dedicate all my love & energy to my baby during his waking moments & save the binge watching sessions for when season 2 of Jessica Jones is available.
I know I'll be busy & it may well be a shock to the system at first but I'm lucky to have such a supportive husband who is not only willing but happy to come home after a long day at work & feed, bathe & put baby to bed solo, so that I can attend my classes. I'm ready to take this bull by the horns ladies & gents, & if necessary give it a good, swift roundhouse kick.
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