Mama update: I made the plunge and went back to work in January. Sure, I miss Juniper during the day, but I have to just let go. After returning back to work, it seems like people are judgemental whatever decision I've made whether it's going back to work or staying home. Everyone has opinions and I think every mom and family make that decision to see what works best for their family. As for taking care of myself, I've been keeping up with my daily ritual of waking up at 5 am. I've been doing Kayla Itsines BBG and yoga. I've been using the YogaGlo app. Eventually, I would like to work spin classes in my schedule. So, I work out six to seven days a week. I wish I had more time to go to classes, but for right now, this works for me. Also, I'm following Kelly Leveque's Body Love book for food consumption. It stresses the importance of incorporating fat, fiber, greens, and protein with every meal. I know it sounds basic, but in the past, I never thought about consuming protein when I ate a meal. So far, so good. I really like her approach to eating. The reason I am so focused on taking care of myself is that I can't afford to get sick.

Juniper update:

1. When she is lying down, she can sit up. When she tries sitting up from lying down, she grunts and tries really hard. It is so cute.

2. She makes a gummy smile. She started doing this thing where she exposes all of her gums. It's kind of a scary scene from a horror flick, but because she is my baby, it's adorable.

3. She refuses to lie down on the Keekaroo when being changed. This is kind of problematic for me, especially when I have to change her out of a #2 diaper. So, I give her toys while she is lying to down to keep her preoccupied. At first, I wasn't sure how to tackle this issue because she would get so mad and make angry raspberry sounds. However, I just learned she is really intrigued by the hairbrush that lives near her body oils, so I give her her brush to keep her happy.

4. She dances in her high chair for food. This happens on occasion, but if she really likes what she is eating, she will move her head from side to side in delight over what she is tasting. So far, she gets really excited from papaya, beans (any kind), banana, guava, and any kind of potato. She does not like spinach, kale, or kiwi. We are still using Yumi and are getting it delivered once a month. It's organic baby food without added sugar. It's awesome because I can just freeze what Juniper doesn't eat immediately. You can get $50 off your first purchase with them. In addition, we have been using the Stokke high chair due to its flexibility with growing with the baby. Justin and I love it. It's easy to clean and made of wood.

5. She tries to clap. Instead of actually clapping, she bangs her hands against her chest like King Kong. She does this when she is excited about something.

Oooh! I'm late with this one! However, here goes...

Mama update: I'm feeling a lot better than six months ago. Although I hear from other moms, it takes a whole year to feel yourself again. Since Juniper has been sleeping through the night (mostly), I am able to really get a full night's rest. However, my challenge is going to bed early. She goes down at 6:30, so after that time, I squeeze in a workout, finish making dinner, and if I have the energy, try to work on something creative. I'm still trying to find a balance.

I've been trying to make a more concsious effort to eat clean and more plant based. I'm mostly pescatarian, but my body feels and works better when I am not eating processed junk. So, now if I do eat something processed, it's just too salty or sugary for me to eat. I'm not perfect, but I am trying. I would say it's not so much about losing weight, but about feeling good and happy.

We tried Blue Apron for about a year or two, I can't remember, but I just felt like everything was super salty, buttery, and carb heavy. Both Justin and I admit that we gained weight eating Blue Apron. Every meal was like 700 calories. As a result, we are trying Thistle. So far, so good. It's about the same price as Blue Apron, it's cooked, and healthy. So, its a win-win for us. They have plant-based meals and you can add your choice of protein. They have snacks and drinks too. If you want to try it out, enter NICOLE079 at the check out to receive $20 off your first order.

Juniper update:

1. She can sit up with help. To be honest, I was scared when she first learned how to sit up. I would often use the boppy to help her out. However, sometimes I wouldn't and then she would hurt herself. This mostly happened when she was tired and didn't have the stamina to hold herself up. On the other hand, she learned how to catcher herself from falling straight onto her back by using her elbows to support her from a big fall.So, I would have her practice on the bed. She is getting better every day. I talked to other moms and its all a learning process. I am super nervous about anything happening to her head because I have old head injury stories when I was younger.

2. She likes to shake her head back and forth (wiggle) when she is happy. One day I undressed her on my bed and she started to shake her body back and forth against the wool blanket and would smile. Now, she does this before taking a nap or when she is happy. It's seriously the cutest thing ever.

3. I finally started feeding her solids. The first food she ate was carrots. Then, we tried zucchini, applesauce, kale, oatmeal, and bananas. So far, she not really into the whole eating process. She prefers milk. However, I am starting to feed her in the morning and at night as a starting point. I really hope she loves food as much as Justin and I do. I started getting Yumi, but only getting it once a month to have food on hand. If you want to try Yumi, click here to get $50 off.

I usually make her food using the Beaba and will store it in freezer trays. I've been using small ball jars to feed her with because it can be warmed up in the Beaba or a bottle warmer. I was really hesitant about getting it, but I just couldn't see myself steaming/boiling food and then putting it in the tall carafe of our Vitamix. I also discovered that she likes the Beaba spoons and the Oxo bibs. These bibs are a dream come true because they don't stain from foods and they fold up into a pouch.

4. She said "mama." We were going to walk the Rose Bowl loop and when I sat her in the stroller she said, "mamamama." It was so cute and I was mega excited. She has only said it a couple of times since, but it was still exciting!

5. She is finally ticklish. She is mostly ticklish on her side, near her rib cage. She tries to fight the tickle, but It's so cute when she laughs. I live for her laughs.

Juniper's Favorites (aka mom's clothing favorites):

1. bonnets (love all the bonnets from this company)

2. plum dress (similar here)

3. tights

4. headbands/bows

5. stripe dress (similar here)

6. grey knit cardigan (similar here)

7. binky blanket

8. Duck dress (similar here)

9. Brown booties

10. bibs