infant life Archives - My Inner Shakti

It’s the end of what feels like a long week, and as I sit down to blog, I’m in a ‘let me share ALL the thoughts’ kind of mood. So…we’re going to chit chat a bit!

If you’re wondering what happened to my ‘Friday Thoughts + Favorite links’ posts, I think I’m going to treat those like I do all my other posts. When I have thoughts and links to share, I will. When I don’t, I’ll share something else. Like today. I’m trying to be more agile with my blogging in 2018 because it started to feel a bit forced sometimes. That’s the last thing I want for this very special space!

We can officially check off ‘survive week 1 of daycare.’ And honestly speaking, we did more than survive, we thrived! Kaiden, in particular, took this big change like the champ that he is. His teachers are loving and great people overall, and thankfully, they love him already! I love that his daycare incorporates things like music, yoga, and reading into the infant classes. It feels like we’re sending him to school versus a traditional daycare. At this point, it probably doesn’t make a huge difference except that it makes me feel better about leaving him all day!

Now that we only see K for a few hours a day, it feels like he’s already changing so much. A total mom thing to say, I know! And while it’s awesome to see and experience, I personally find that it’s hard to keep up with everything. Babies grow so much in the first year, and there’s something new going on all the time in terms of developments and milestones. I want to stay relaxed and trust the notion that babies are very intuitive beings, but on the other hand, I want Kaiden to thrive and grow and learn and play and have fun. One day at a time, mama!

With that being said, I’ve never questioned myself and my decisions as much as I do now that I’m a mom. For example, I probably drove Vishnu insane the other day when I agonized over how and when to squeeze in K’s second meal of the day. Should I pick him up 20 minute later and let daycare feed him? Should I pick him up at my usual time and feed him when we get home? Should we push his bedtime and last bottle of the day back by 30 minutes? WHAT DO WE DO?! It finally took Vishnu telling me what he thought and walking away to calm down. I don’t know why but every little decision feels so freaking monumental. In my moments of calm, I recognize that no one thing is going to impact K to the degree I think it may. One day at a time, mama!

This brings me to another point around trying to stay present and in the moment but also finding myself thinking about the future and how we’re going to juggle home, work, Kaiden’s needs, daycare, life, etc. The good thing is that I don’t ever feel the need to live life according to anyone else’s standards or terms. It’s more so about figuring out what works for us and knowing that change is right around the corner. One day at a time, mama!

Something that helped bring some calm to the crazy this week was staying on top of my meal plan, prepping something in advance, and having easy meal ideas ready to go. For example, I made my Instant Pot Veggie Sausage Pasta on Sunday, Piping Pot Curry’s Instant Pot potatoes and peppers stir-fry on Tuesday, and Ambitious Kitchen’s pancakes on Thursday. I want to delve a bit deeper into this topic, as I’ve received a number of questions around what I do to meal plan now that K’s in the picture. It’s crazy how a few simple steps can save you so much time and effort. More coming soon!

Something I’m still figuring out is how to better organize our mornings so they’re less stressful. Regardless of how early I wake up, I end up running around like a crazy person. Right now, so much depends on Kaiden and how he is in the morning. Because it varies a little day by day, it’s hard to set a routine. More to come on this as well!

My early morning workouts are the one thing I want to continue striving for…even when life gets cray cray. I know I sound like a broken record, but I’m so thankful to have found Barre3 Online (link to the get $15, give $15 promo) because it makes 4:30 am workouts bearable and enjoyable. If you’re strapped for time but want to fit movement into your life, I highly recommend giving Barre3 Online a chance. Trust me, even the 30 minute workouts are no joke.

And finally, I’ve been thinking a lot about MIS in 2018 and what I want to do with this space in the coming year, especially since my SEVEN year blogiversary is in a couple of short weeks! There are just so many different ways to engage with people now, so figuring out what works for me will be key. Personally, I have lots of thoughts and ideas and so little time (or so it feels). If there’s something in particular you’d like me to blog about or incorporate on Instagram/Facebook, please share in the comments or send me an email (myinnershakti@gmail.com). The more ideas the better, especially when they come from people other than me!

Thanks for chatting with me! It’s time for the weekend and family time! Make it a good one, y’all!

Your turn – See my request above!

Why does no one tell you how terrifying it is to cut a baby’s nails? Like no one talks about this! No one brought it up in the ‘understanding your newborn’ class. Not one of my girlfriends prepped me. Not even my own mom.

Personally, having been a mom for a little over four months, I feel like this is one of the most terrifying things I’ve had to do to date.

I still vividly remember holding Kaiden’s tiny hands in my own and thinking, “How the hell am I going to do this?” I even asked my mom if she wanted to try, and she said no. Ha! Thankfully, as a newborn, he didn’t move around too much. This helped me get the job done relatively quickly.

But now, as an infant, he doesn’t sit still! This makes for a very interesting and scary experience when it comes time to cut his nails.

Now you may be thinking, why don’t you get Vishnu to just do it. Well, let me tell you about the time my husband declared, “I’ve performed surgeries, Par. I can cut Kaiden’s nails.” Well, ok then. He took the clippers from me, sat in front of K, looked at his hands, and handed the clippers right back. His final declaration? “Yeah. This is a lot harder than it looks. How do people do it?” My point exactly, Vishnu, my point exactly.

So how do I do it? Well, seeing how this task makes me sweat bullets every single time, my answer is…not easily.

First, I do exactly what they tell you not to do in a baby’s first year. I turn on the TV. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Kaiden is easily distracted by the Food Network. Haha.

I then move as quickly as possible and trim as many nails as I can. Some days I get through four and some days it’s all ten. It just depends on how distracted my baby boy is.

It also depends on if I accidentally clip K’s finger along with his nail. When this happens, Kaiden rightfully screams and cries, which makes me cry….sometimes. I feel so so horrible, and if I’m being honest, like a mean, monster mom. Luckily, this doesn’t happen very often, but when it does, it’s not fun.

And when I say trim, I’m by no means talking about an even trim. Sometimes Kaiden’s nails are slightly jagged because I don’t have it in me to go back and even them out. He’s also not a fan of the nail file. What’s a mom to do? Try again later. That’s what. Turn on the TV – sweat bullets – move fast.

As terrifying as this is, I need to figure it out because K likes to claw at my arm. And only my arm. Vishnu and my dad remain unscathed. Go figure!

So soon-to-be/new parents, you’re hearing it from me. Cutting your baby’s nails will likely be a scary, terrifying experience. But know that you can do it. You may need a little from the telly, and that’s ok. You’ll get through it!

End of the Week Chit Chat

Cutting Baby Nails – A Terrifying Experience

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