Finding My New Mom-of-Two Personal Normal

I really like getting dressed in something cute, but the first months of being a mom of two (and living through hospitals stays and everything that came after) was all about survival, otherwise known as all about elastic waistbands and jersey knit. Now that life is a little more settled, I'm finding time to dress a little better on the days I leave the house. I even bought myself a new dress and some new earrings. While my post adoption weight gain still lingers, there's plenty in my closet that looks and feels good.

This is a photo of me pre-marriage and pre-kids, waiting to start the Pikes Peak Marathon. While I'm not going to be able to get back to that level of training, even running a short distance three nights a week helps me clear my head and remember how well my body adapts when I ask it to.

I suffer from adult acne, and a year ago I did an elimination diet to figure out what caused it. Inconveniently enough, if I want to be acne free, I need to avoid grains, the milk part of dairy (I can have cream and butter), and most legumes. This leaves a limited amount of items that are easy to make for lunch, so I've just been having acne since the baby came home. It's just been too difficult to prepare that kind of lunch for two, and Zinashi balks when I tell her that she needs to eat something different from me; I got stuck in the trap of making enough for two so I could share. Well, guess what? I figured out that I don't have to share if I don't want to. We have a fridge and cabinet full of things Zinashi can eat that I shouldn't, and there's no reason I can't begin to teach her to be considerate of the needs of others. While she's not a fan of the fact that I won't make her an identical salad (which she will pick through and leave half eaten) to mine, she's adjusting, and I am enjoying having a lunch that tastes good and won't give me twelve new zits by morning.

I realize this runs counter to what I just said about my skin issues, but I find that there are both things that I can bake without acne causing ingredients, and some that are okay in moderation (like things with oats). I love baking, but it's a lot of extra work when little hands want to help, so I've started doing a little baking late at night or when the kids are hanging out with Jarod in the evening. I get the satisfying experience of making something delicious, and my family gets the satisfying experience of eating some of it.

When I was in the thick of paperwork to bring Elvie home, I used all my spare time both during the day and after Zinashi went to sleep to get paperwork and travel planning done. When we were home, even after I brought Elvie home from the hospital, I was so exhausted by the end of the day that it was all I could do to keep my eyes open long enough to reply to some emails. Add in the fact that I got woefully behind on opening mail and other necessary household tasks, and there was always something to do that didn't involve relaxing in front of a television drama. Luckily, my free time and exhaustion levels started to improve just as the new season of Downton Abbey was starting. I now sit in front of my computer screen late Sunday night with something I've baked and a glass of sparkling water and enjoy my favorite aristocrats and their household staff.