Just Say NO to Being a Frumpy Mom!

I thought this was a pretty good article, reminding us not to be frumpy moms...let us not forget our fashion sense ladies!

It's tough to be a new mom. Maternity clothes are too big, your pre-baby clothes are too small, and it seems like styles completely changed in the mere nine months you were allowed to take a fashion siesta. To add insult to injury, you usually end the day with spit up, paste or some unidentifiable goo smeared across your shirt. So what do most moms do? They turn to Clorox commercials and preschool teachers for inspiration and wind up wearing… The Uniform.




The Uniform comes in two dumpy iterations: khaki pants, t-shirt, denim shirt and tennis shoes or turtleneck, corduroy jumper, tights and frumpy flats. There are some good points to The Uniform: You can wear it five times a week and no one notices; it makes you feel clean, soft and maternal; you blend in perfectly with the other moms standing in line at Target or on the sidelines of the peewee soccer match. On the flip side, all those good points are very, very bad! The Uniform is so ubiquitous that not only will no one notice if you wear it five times a week, no one will notice you period. "Clean, soft and maternal" reminds men of their mothers. You're also a wife. You used to be a girlfriend. Once upon a time you were a hot date. Get the picture?



Here's something to ponder: Wearing kitten heels does not make you a bad mother. And your child doesn't care whether you're wearing beige matte lipstick or a hot coral gloss. Maybe it's time to look in the mirror and shake things up a little bit. With some imagination and very little money you can liven up your look, feel better about yourself and maybe surprise Daddy too!

Paxton Un-shackled

How liberating, on Monday baby Pax lost his stump(ie umbilical cord) and on Wednesday we lost our plastibell(ie circumcision cover)...officially free from grody things that prevented submersion while bathing.
Buh bye sponge bath, hello warm water surrounding me, making me more likely to be warm and enjoy bath time  :)

Random Act of Kindness

I was touched by the simplest, but sweetest, random act of kindness today.  As Jay and I were pushing Pax in his stroller, up to the Costco entrance, there was a man operating a jack hammer of the noisiest kind(but aren't they all, really?).  Before we crossed his path, he stopped what he was doing, allowing us to pass in peace.  I thanked him as we passed and he again, offered the same thoughtful pause as we left Costco.
People are good!...or is it just the midwest?  :)
Remember to offer someone a random act of kindness everyday.

Paxton Silver Rohde

Paxton's Welcoming Nursery

Daddy surprised us upon our return home from the hospital w/ balloons and signage in the front yard, with  more decorations and flowers in the nursery.  Though I was happy to plop down on the sofa to feed Paxton when we arrived home, Jay coaxed me into making the trek(post csection) upstairs to the nursery and so glad he did...he did a great job at making it look so welcoming !
Thanks Daddy, you rock!

Find Comfort in Discomfort

This months O Magazine had a good article on the 6 steps to taking a big step(moving outside of your comfort zone) and I really liked the message in the 6th step:

'Find Comfort in Discomfort'


"Remember it is suppossed to hurt, you're suppossed to feel sore", says Ford, She's not talking about just the physical aches and pains of the couch potato turned triathlon competitor, but also the mental and emotional uneasiness of the would be CEO or aspiring artist. "Accept that you'll never get rid of self -doubt,", Kashdan says. "An adventurous person will always have moments of feeling like a fraud-it's a sign of that you're creating new roles for yourself, that you're evolving, it means you're doing great, passionate work." Jessica Winter

Let this be a message to all of us wrestling w/ moments of our own self doubt  :)

Happy Birthday!

Paxton Silver Rohde was born on May 17th @ 8:28am. He weighed 6lbs 10 oz and was 19 1/4 long.
So excited he was born via csection without issue. I was most nervous about the long needle going in my back for the spinal, which actually turned out to not be that big of a pain. It was amazing how quickly things moved along. We were admitted to the OR at 8am and he was out and breathing by 8:28am. Once I heard his gurgling cries, I was reduced to a weepy mess. Bring on the water works! A feeling like no other, knowing Jay and I had created that screaming being on the other side of the iron curtain :) Jay brought him over to me after the cord was cut, his eyes were lubed, nose/mouth were sucked and he was wiped down...to tell me, he was 'perfect', indeed he is!

Happiest day of our lives, you better believe it! We could not be more excited about our newest family member and how he is going to change our lives forever!