Picky Toddler?

m0dernh0usewife

When my son was a baby he would eat anything you put in front of him. I ate a huge variety of foods when I was pregnant (well after 4 months of constant vomiting, but that’s a story for another time). I did not want him to be a picky eater. My husband refuses to try so many foods and it drives me absolutely nuts. My rule growing up was to try it once, and I don’t have to eat it if I really didn’t like it. That worked for me. I eat all things weird. Oysters, olives, bleu cheese and all seafood. I want my son to experience all the magic that food can have.

When he turned 18 months it was like a switch went off. Why is he not even eating Mac and cheese?! He started refusing chicken, fish, steak, anything with bread, sandwiches quesadillas, pasta, cooked veggies, oatmeal, pouches anything. I got concerned because all he wanted was fruit, chips or snacks. I felt like I failed. Did I introduce “junk” food too early? Should I have stood my ground when the grandparents offered him cookies and popsicles? What happened?

Well nothing happened. Sure he may have got a taste of one too many bags of Doritos and didn’t want to eat his broccoli but the most important thing I did was never stop serving it. Toddlers are notorious for being picky. They’re figuring out textures and their senses and how to be defined. I still plopped the veggies on his plate and threw them away night after night. But I was persistent. Sometimes he would take a couple bites, sometimes he’d lick it and put it back. But those were baby steps! To make sure he was getting his veggies and protein I used the baby pouches that had at least a full serving of veggies and made smoothies. I got a ton of variety of frozen fruit, spinach, broccoli and pouches. I added milk and peanut butter, chia seeds you name it! Best part, he absolutely loved them. For all he knew they were berry and banana smoothies. But hidden in there was some intense healthy super foods.

I still wanted him to pick up broccoli and snack on it, but this was a life saver. I felt confident he was getting the nutrients he needed and he thought they were delicious. He probably had smoothies very often for a few months. As he approached two, he starting trying new foods again. He found a strong love for chicken wings, raw green beans and cucumbers. I find that offering him a hodge podge sampler style of foods has help tremendously. I also make sure he eats something filling and nutritious before he is allowed to have snacks or processed foods. If your toddler is being picky and impossible, don’t give up. Get those veggies in there somehow and take charge of their diet. They are growing at astounding rates and need to fuel those little bodies. They are shaping their relationship with food and can’t make all the best decisions with out your help. Get creative and don’t give up.

I think the phase is coming to an end and he will persevere as a foodie like his mama.

Help me.

m0dernh0usewife

When you walk in the door and you see me struggling, I need your help. When I’m trying to cook dinner, tend to the kids, clean up the messes and juggle everything else, I need you help. When I ask… or beg for help, I NEED IT! I’m not sure if you don’t understand or if you just don’t care.

Being a stay at home mom is an exhausting and rewarding, heavenly hell on earth. I love my kids and I feel so blessed every day to spend the time I do with them. But I’ve completely lost myself. I lose my temper way too easily sometimes, and spend the rest of eternity drowning in guilt. I try to do it all, and slap on a brave face. But when the baby finally goes down for a nap or when they spend the day with grandparents I break down. Instead of taking a much needed break, I spend the time cleaning and organizing just for it all to turn into mess in less than 24 hours. I do laundry, dishes, cooking/preparing of 3 meals a day (and a million and one snacks for my toddler) picking up toys, getting groceries, cleaning out the fridge, organizing the pantry, managing paying all the bills, and the bookkeeping for my husbands company. Hell, all he does is do the jobs. I make sure he get paid for them. But I don’t see any of the money. I am burnt out. I need help.

I know I am capable of doing all these things by myself, but why should I? I hate that I feel weak when I ask for help. I hate that I get ignored and brushed off when I ask for help. Do I not deserve it? My friends and family offer help when they can. But I need my “partner” to pick up the slack and join the team. I’d yell less, I’d be happier. I’d be a better me and everyone would benefit. But instead I resent him and pick up my head and continue on doing everything. I do it for my kids and tell myself “all that is terrible, is also temporary”. And I carry on. But I still need help.

Let’s talk mom bods.

m0dernh0usewife

I had my son in 2017 and I was way too confident in my body when it came to “snapping back”. I was young, 23 and assumed that because I had always been thinner, I wouldn’t have to worry. HA I was such a naive person pre baby. I threw up the first 4 months of my pregnancy and lost 13 pounds. I weighed as much as I did in high school. I figured “hey, i’m half way through, how much weight can I really gain?” I gained 45 pounds. Pretty much in 3 months and then just plateaued. This made my stomach break out in stretch marks and it was really hard to shed the last 15 pounds. Even with being a pretty active mom of a newborn and breastfeeding.

I tried going to the gym when I put my son down for bed. I couldn’t do it for long because my son did not sleep more than 2 hours and I was depleted of energy most nights. My husband owns his own business and works long 5-6 hour days. I didn’t get nearly enough time to myself and needed to figure out a way to get my body where I felt comfortable again. 11 months postpartum and I was feeling so down and did not recognize the woman looking back at me in the mirror. I knew some changes were permanent, or too soon to tell, but I still wanted a change.

I found beach body on demand and was especially drawn to the 21day fix. It was a complete 21 day workout system that you could do at home on your laptop or TV. I could do this while the baby was napping or playing. There was a meal plan that focused on eating whole foods and lots of fruits and veggies. You get containers that make it easy to portion out everything. Guys, it couldn’t be easier. I saw so many of my friends on facebook and instagram who tried it and got amazing results. I was hooked and ordered it for about $65 dollars.

I’m not going to get super into the details on the program, because you can check out their website and see all the programs they offer and decide which one is the best for you. All of beach body gives you the same at home workouts and a meal plan to follow. At the end of the 21 days I lost 13 pounds. I cheated a little bit on the meal plan and skipped a couple workouts but it made me have a lifestyle change. I overall ate better. My grocery lists after the program consisted of a lot more vegetables, fruit, smoothies and healthy nutritious meals. I had more energy to keep up with my growing baby and was so proud.

I got pregnant with my daughter a few months later and had a whole new outlook on the way i fed myself during pregnancy. I gained weight a lot slower and gained a more reasonable 30 pounds. When I was 6 weeks postpartum and cleared for working out, I did…you guessed it, the 21Day Fix. And I got back to my pre 1st baby weight! My body is the same weight, but definitely does not look how it used to. Things are saggier and softer. I have some fluff on my tummy and hips, and new stretch marks all around my belly button. I have more toning to do and need to strengthen my core muscles after they carried two babies in less than 2 years. Our bodies are amazing and complete an absolute miracle when our babies are born. Some of you are lucky and do “snap back” but a lot of us don’t and that is ok. There is such a rush to get our bodies back, but you will have plenty of time. The first year, or years actually are the toughest and there is too much pressure in my opinion, to lose the weight.

So take your time, or jump right in. Whatever works for you and makes you happy. You may never be in love with exactly how your body looks, but you must be in love with your body for what it has done. Being a mama and birthing a little human is such an amazing thing and the way we look should not be put into the spotlight. Enjoy yourselves and your babes and know that you are still one hot mama.

You’re invited to my Mom Squad

m0dernh0usewife

I feel very silly saying “welcome to my mom blog” because I am not usually one to speak up on social media. The only photos I post are of my kids, and even those are minimal compared to most.

My name is Melissa and I currently stay at home with my two children and have a handful of friends with kids, most with multiples. I know mom life. Everyday is a learning experience and although it is the hardest job (yes, I said job! It most definitely is) it can also be the most rewarding.

I am most definitely not a “pinterest mom”. I leave dishes in the sink almost every night, I don’t wash my duvet cover nearly as much as I should and my toddler probably watches too much TV. But I am trying! I am figuring out how I want to parent more and more along the way. Opinions on things change and reality sets in. I want everyone to know that it’s ok. As long as you are trying your best, you are enough.

I want to share my opinions and my two cents with you all and let this be my outlet, to benefit my sanity. I hope that the stories I tell and the advice I will give can help even just one other mom out there. I am blessed with my own “mom squad” but I realize motherhood can be a very lonely time at the end of the day. Just know mama, I am with you.

And welcome to my mom blog (lol)