Five Months passed, Five Pounds left

It's been a little over 5 months since Keira's birth (and my most dramatic daily weight loss!). The pounds have been slowly coming off since then but I still have 5 left to lose.

I just joined an awesome group called Moms Run This Town (MRTT)- it's a Facebook group for local moms to get together and walk and/or run. I haven't got back into running yet but I did go for a 4-mile brisk walk with two other moms this week. I am hoping that this group will help me get my weekly exercise up.

I've also started doing a little bit of weight lifting at home. Keira thinks it's hilarious and some of the other (non weight) exercises even include her! 

I'm also still dairy free (Keira has a sensitivity in it that may last up to 9 months). This has helped not eat junk food because most baked goods and a lot of processed and bad-for-you foods contain dairy. 

My goal is to be back at pre-pregnancy weight (135) by the official start of summer- mid June. I definitely need to fit (comfortably) in my work clothes by September because I will be working again and refuse to buy new work clothes!

Hopefully I will get back into the 130's soon- I miss seeing that on the scale. Soon enough!

Beyond Postpartum Depression (Postpartum Anxiety and OCD)

When I was pregnant, I read it in all the books, heard my doctors speech about it- and just thought

"I'm fine, that won't happen to me"

Everyone talks about postpartum depression, even celebrities get it (thanks for your honesty, Brook Shields). I recall my cousin's friend talking about it when I was visiting for her baby shower- it sounded terrible, but the friend did get help and was able to recover. So I was on the lookout for depression, even though I was convinced it wouldn't happen to me.

Soon after baby was delivered I started worrying, a lot. And when we got home,  I worried even more. I couldn't stand the idea of sharp objects in the same room as the baby because I was convinced se would get hurt. I didn't want to take her near our balcony because I thought she would fall off. Then something even worse happened- I thought that since I was worrying so much and could even visualize these things happening, I started thinking that maybe I was a mentally ill person who would hurt their own baby. I mentally tortured myself thinking how much I loved my baby and how could I possibly be thinking these things. It wasn't getting any better and I felt like my brain was constantly battling itself. I was sure I would need to be checked into a mental institution, I cried thinking I would be taken away from my baby. I wasn't depressed, that wasn't it- this wasn't what the books and doctors described. On a long shot, I decided to google  my symptoms and see what came up- and I found this checklist:

You may have postpartum anxiety or postpartum OCD if you have had a baby within the last 12 months and are experiencing some of these symptoms:

Your thoughts are racing. You can’t quiet your mind. You can’t settle down. You can’t relax.

You feel like you have to be doing something at all times. Cleaning bottles. Cleaning baby clothes. 

Cleaning the house. Doing work. Entertaining the baby. Checking on the baby.

You are worried. Really worried.  All. The. Time.  Am I doing this right?  Will my husband come home from his trip?  Will the baby wake up? Is the baby eating enough? Is there something wrong with my baby that I’m missing? No matter what anyone says to reassure you it doesn’t help.

We Love Reading

Here are our favorite books right now !

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 Reading is fun(damental)!

Add to your library:

Protect Yourself from Food Poisoning

Another installation in my "protect yourself" series... One of us was unlucky enough to have a recent case of pretty bad food poisoning. In light of this, I decided to do some research to do everything I can from preventing that from  happening again!

Rules of Food Safety

• CLEAN
  Wash your hands and surfaces often. Germs can survive in many places around your kitchen, including your hands, utensils, and cutting boards.

• Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running water and always follow the rules of food safety.
  Watch the CLEAN video!

• SEPARATE
  Don't cross-contaminate. Even after you’ve cleaned your hands and surfaces thoroughly, raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs can still spread germs to ready-to-eat foods—unless you keep them separate.
  Watch the SEPARATE video!

• COOK
  Cook to the right temperature. While many people think they can tell when food is "done" simply by checking its color and texture, there’s no way to be sure it’s safe without following a few important but simple steps. Use a food thermometer to ensure that foods are cooked to a safe internal temperature: 145°F for whole meats (allowing the meat to rest for 3 minutes before carving or consuming), 160°F for ground meats, and 165°F for all poultry.
  Watch the COOK video!

• CHILL
  Keep your refrigerator below 40°F and refrigerate foods properly. Germs can grow in many foods within 2 hours unless you refrigerate them. (During the summer heat, cut that time down to 1 hour.)

For more information on preventing food poisoning, check your steps at FoodSafety.gov.

How Long do Condiments last in Fridge?

What About Drinks?

And remember to follow safe defrosting procedures, never allow meat to thaw on the counter: