Thursday, November 29, 2012

Is it possible to (fully) recover from an eating disorder?

The question "Do you think full recovery, from an eating disorder, is possible?" has been posed to me several times. It is something I have thought about, a lot, over the last few years. 

There are two trains of thought when it comes to eating disorders and recover (and probably any addiction and cooresponding recovery for that matter). 

1. One has the ability to fully recover. You recover, move on, and never deal with your disorder again.
2. One will never be 100% recovered and thus will always have some lingering effects, regardless of how big or small these effects might be. Basically, you will live with your disorder your entire life.

A New York Times article states "It is difficult to define recovery from an illness that has both physical and mental dimensions." This is very true. Very, very true. 

The article expands on this idea. . . 

"If, for example, a patient reaches “normal weight” — which researchers define as either 85 or 95 percent of a person’s ideal weight — and starts menstruating again, she would be considered to have recovered in most studies. But what if she still weighs herself daily, monitors her calories with a vengeance and obsesses about food and the size of her ankles? Or, as is often the case, moves from anorexia to bulimia or binge-eating disorder?" - Source 

See how this gets a little tricky?

How do you define recovery for an issue that is soooooo amazingly complex?

I don't think there is a black and white answer. And I think, in a sense, recovery looks a little different for everyone.

So what does it look like for me?

It's looking back on my darkest days, and the behaviors that accompanied me during my darkest days, and asking myself "ok, so where am I now?"

We Are The Real Deal also wrote a post on this concept called "Full Recovery from Eating Disorder is Possible. 

Like the author's experience in the blog post, there are several components that had to fall into place before I could say, without a doubt, "Yep - I'm recovered. Fully. No doubt." 

Here's a few that immediately come to mind...

I knew I was fully recovered when. . . 
  • I stopped weighing myself on a daily basis. (Which later translated to a weekly/monthly basis)
  • I stopped measuring my food. 
  • I stopped obsessing about what I would order when we went to a restaurant. 
  • I no longer felt a sense of accomplishment when I turned down one of my fear foods.
  • I no longer felt a sense of accomplishment when I ate less than friends or family. 
  • I no longer had food on the brain 24/7. (Side note- It is quite ironic how one, who is so scared of food, can think about food. day. long. I could dedicate an entire blog post to this irony.)
  • I could eat one of my fear foods and not dwell on it all day long. 
  • Guilt was no longer associated with food. 
  • There was no longer good vs. bad goods - but instead more of a balance.
  • I could sense my stress starting to build, yet was able to manage it in other healthier ways, besides controlling my food intake.
  • Good days vs. bad days were not determined by my weight. 
  • I stopped associating a set number on the scale with being "fat" vs. "skinny"
  • I was able to consistently set appropriate boundaries with other people, when necessary.
  • I no longer limited myself to a black and white, perfectionist way of thinking.  
  • I no longer got my self worth or self confidence from the size of my jeans, but rather from my Creator and Savior.
  • I once again found joy in eating a variety of different foods.
  • I started saying yes to social outings that involved food, rather than saying no because I was too scared of what I would have to eat.  
  • The first first thing I wanted to do each morning was grab my coffee and Bible and talk to my God, rather than weigh myself (all alone, in the dark, in my bathroom).  
If I kept thinking, I could probably add more.

Now. . . This doesn't mean that I will never again feel fat, never again step on a scale, never again second guess eating that second piece of double fudge cookie cake, or never again have a day when I struggle with body image. I think these things just go hand in hand with being a woman, or a human for that matter. Take the most self assured person around and I guarantee they have days when they don't particularly like the extra dimples on their thighs, or they order the grilled chicken instead of the fried just because it's the healthier option.

Do you get what I'm saying here?

If I turn down dessert it's just because I don't feel like having dessert. Or maybe I'm full. Or maybe I want to have some dessert when I get home. If I order a salad for my meal that just means a salad sounds good at that time, not that I have fallen back into my disordered ways.

I can say these things with confidence. Because I have come that far.

Praise God. Praise His holy name.  He has brought me up out of the pit and set my feet on new ground.  Much more sturdy, solid ground. I'm living proof of Psalm 40:2.

So there you go. That's a little bit about how I view (my) recovery.

What about you? For those of you with an eating disorder past, do you consider yourself fully recovered? Or if you have struggled in another way, what does recovery look like for you? I would really love to hear other people's thoughts on this topic. 

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Make Christmas Count 2012

It's that time of year again. Pumpkins and turkeys have been carved, fall decor has been put away, and thus begins the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season. I absolutely love this time of year. I really do. It is my favorite for a lot of reasons. I love the music, decor, lights, overall feeling of giving that is in the air, our three foot Christmas tree (no lie), and I even love the 10 degree cooler Houston weather, although I'd be lying if I told you I didn't wish it would get just a liiiiiitttttle bit cooler.

The change in seasons brings a change in opportunities that are laid before us.

Are you looking for a way to get involved this holiday season? Have you been looking for a "different" way to give back this Christmas? Yearning to feel like you are a part of something bigger? Searching for a way to really, truly touch the life of another individual?

If so, then I encourage you to take a few seconds and read this blog post from my friend, Aja.

Aja is highlighting an opportunity called Make Christmas Count 2012 It's really cool. Like, really really cool. To think that you and I could spend five minutes (literally) of our time, today, and impact the life of another child. Like truly touch another little heart.

Wow.

I'll say it again. . . that is pretty cool.


Thanks, Aja for spreading the word. Every little decision we all make has the ability to work towards a greater good. Together we all can make a drastic difference. So, let's make that difference this Christmas. 

Monday, November 26, 2012

Just because. . .


Happy Monday!

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Thankful 2012

This year has been full of blessings for the Blackburn family. Hardship and sadness mixed with some tears? Yes, some of that too, but overall God has been overly gracious to us this year. We have so much of which to be thankful, just like last year, and if we are really honest, every year for that matter.

So here's what I'm thanking God for as 2012 comes to a close, and specifically, on this Thanksgiving Day holiday.

my daughter


modern medicine

good friends - ok. . . great friends


therapy - seriously y'all - therapy is the best thing ever - try it

a great church home

an amazing family that showers us with unconditional love and support (photo from 2011, but last shot I have of all of us on the Wright side)


the ability to eat delicious food, and lots of it, guilt free (source)


acupuncture

this amazingly addicting treat - found on - you guessed it - Pinterest (where else?)

a husband who loves me and Clara more than anything and who gives it his ALL everyday, regardless of how hard work has been that day, or how tired he might be from a lack of sleep the night before


the Holy Spirit and the way He speaks to us in both the most subtle and obvious ways

the promise that God is good, all the time, no matter what

new friends and the blessing of new life to come 

laughter, because sometimes you just need a good laugh to get through the day


DePelchin's annual Holiday Project - it really does make a difference, every. single. year. If you are looking for a way to serve this holiday season, I encourage you to check it out. You are blessing the life of a child and family no doubt.

coffee - lots of strong coffee - since we've been a tad sleep deprived around here

This list is just tapping the surface of what we are giving thanks for this year. How about you. What are you giving thanks for this year? Share in the comments. . . Ready, set, go! 

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Sleep Training Clara, Ferber style, Day 6-7

If you haven't been reading over the last few days, the links below will bring you up to speed on our sleep training experience this time around. . .

Day 1
Day 2
Days 3-5

Day 6 {30 min35 min; 40 min; 40 min (subsequent waits)}

8pm - Bedtime - She was so tired at bedtime that she was falling asleep as she was taking her bottle. Laid her down and she was out cold. Then, she woke up all. night. long. I think she woke at least six times during the night. The third time I assumed she was actually hungry so I went in and gave her a bottle. She took it all quickly and then fell asleep again. Only to wake up three more times. The night was such a blur, I don't really remember all the details, but she was able to put herself to sleep several times before I had to go in her room, so that was good! I know I can't expect perfection every night. It's all about baby steps!

7am - woke her for the day.

8:45am - Nap - No crying or fussing at all. Put herself right to sleep.

1:00pm - Nap - No crying or fussing. This nap was super short. (I haven't really been focusing on sleep duration for naps this time, but it seems that Clara's afternoon nap, which before could easily have been 2-3 hours, is now 1 hour tops, and usually more like 30- 45 minutes. Did anyone else experience this at around 6 months?)

4:20pm - Nap - Earlier than normal due to her super short afternoon nap. No crying or fussing.

Day 7 – {35 min40 min; 45 min; 45 min (subsequent waits)}

8pm - Bedtime - went down with ease as she was really sleepy. She woke at 8:40pm and that is when the craziness began. She cried for nearly 2.5 - 3 hours. I think she finally fell asleep, for good, again around 11:30pm. We went in several times and at one point gave her a bottle and the Hyland's homeopathic teething tablets. She also got a diaper change. I'm really not sure why she was so worked up. Brandon suspects it was maybe a little reflux, since her cry was a little different. More like she was uncomfortable and not just "I want to be awake, pay attention to me." Every time we went in the room you could tell she was SO tired, like she wanted to be asleep, another reason we suspect she might have been uncomfortable. Once she finally gave up at 11:30pm she slept, solid, until morning, waking at 6:30am.

8am - Nap - No crying at all!

1pm - Nap - No crying at all! 

5:30 - Nap - Fell asleep in car on our way home from an errand (bad timing on my part) so I transferred her to her bed when we got home and she stayed asleep until I woke her a little bit later.

*All three naps today were awesome - long and thus some good consolidated sleep. I had to wake her from each nap today!*

8pm - Bedtime - She cried for ten minutes when I left her room, and then woke up about two hours into bed and cried for a little while, but not long enough where either of us had to go in to console. She stirred some in her sleep, but for the most part, slept solid until 6:30am. *edited to add - Brandon just informed me that yes, she did cry long enough that warranted a check. He handled it as I was apparently passed out in bed. Oops.*



So there you go. Seven days of sleep training, again. We are very pleased with how she responded to the Ferber method and would recommend this style to any parents out there that are ready to help their kid sort out their sleep habits. While I was hesitant at first to try Ferber's approach (for several reasons of which I will address later), I will admit that this style makes me feel more comfortable as going in every so often to check on your baby only reassures you that, despite some tears, they are in fact ok. And if they are not, then you can deal with the issue right then and there.

I'm sure this sleep documentation bored some of you to tears and thus you are probably not even reading todays post. Like I said, I really wanted to have this all documented for our own memory. For those of you that followed along, thank you! I might write a reflections post here soon, comparing the two methods we have tried and things we learned along the way, or tips for other parents out there that are considering sleep training of some kind. We will see...

Our sweet Clara has finally, and hopefully once and for all, sorted out her nights and days. This is not to say some nights won't be rough or that we will never see a regression in her sleep; we know that parenting, and all the issues that come with it, are rather fluid, always changing so to speak. We are fully prepared for set backs here and there. But, I think she has this sleep thing figured out!! Which makes for a happy baby, and a very happy momma.  

Friday, November 16, 2012

Sleep training Clara, Ferber Style, Days 3-5

Recap of Day 1
Recap of Day 2

Which brings us to Day 3. . .

Day 3: {15 min; 20 min; 25 min; 25 min (subsequent waits)}

8:15pm - bedtime - she fussed for a few seconds but quieted down and went right to sleep. I never had to go in. Not once.

5am - she woke but started playing quietly in her bed. She never really fussed or cried. I looked at the monitor about 5:45am and she had put herself back to sleep w/ not even a whimper.

6am- she's up again and rather fussy. Decided to start our day. Overall.... a VERY VERY good night!

8am - Nap - No crying or fussing.

1:15pm - Nap - No crying or fussing.

5:15pm - Nap - Again, went down easily. No crying or fussing.

Day 4: {20 min; 25 min; 30 min; 30 min (subsequent waits)}

8pm - bedtime - Had to go in 1x to pat her back. After that she fell asleep. She woke at 10pm crying. We started the progressive waiting and when we hit the 1.5 hour mark, and she was still crying, we decide to try changing her diaper and giving a bottle, along with some homeopathic teething tablets (we could see on the monitor that she was starting to rub her hands along her gums). She took about 1/2 the bottle and seemed to settle after we gave the tablets. Laid her back down and she didn't make another peep. So by 12:15am she was back asleep.

7am - still asleep and had to wake her to establish wake time.

8:40am - Nap - No crying or fussing.

1pm - Nap - Played in her crib until 1:20pm, then cried for a while so I went in at the 20 min mark to pat her back. I left the room and she was asleep by 1:40pm. (Maybe I overestimated her tiredness this nap and should have put her down a little bit later than usual? She woke fairly quick from this nap too.)

4:45pm - Nap - No crying or fussing.

Day 5: {25 min; 30 min; 35 min; 35 min (subsequent waits)}

8pm - bedtime - No crying at all. Went right to sleep.

2:30am - woke and cried but never had to go in. Put herself to sleep before the 25 min mark.

3:30am - woke and cried but never had to go in. Again, put herself to sleep before the 25 min mark.

5:00am - woke and cried but was back asleep before the 25 min mark (only 10ish min of crying).

7:00am - still asleep so I woke her for the day.

8:40am - Nap - went down super easy, no crying.

1:15pm - Nap - cried for 15 minutes but fell asleep by 1:30pm, so never hit the 25 min mark.

5pm - Nap - Went down without a peep. She was extra tired since she only slept for 30 minutes during her previous nap.

Until next time. . .

(Side note - Here's a great post from Inspired To Action talking about living today on purpose (and living free of Mommy Guilt). Go read it!)


Thursday, November 15, 2012

Sleep training Clara, Ferber style, Day 2

We are Ferberizing around here! Day 1 was a success in my book.

Here's how Day 2 went down...

Day 2: {10 min; 15 min; 20 min; 20 min (subsequent waits)}

8pm - bedtime - We did not have to go in at all! That girl put herself to sleep. :) She woke at 10pm and fussed for a second but fell back asleep before we hit the 10 min mark!

5am - woke up but was content just playing in her bed for an hour. She wasn't fussing or crying just kicking her legs and arms having a grand ol time. I checked the monitor about 6am and she had put herself back to sleep!

6:30am - she woke again and was quite fussy and so our day began (since I would have woken her up at 7am anyways).

Y'all ... do you realize that we did not have to go in her room at all during the night? 

I AM SERIOUSLY SO PROUD! 

8:00am - Nap - she was already acting quite tired so I plopped her in bed and she didn't make a peep. Looked around a few times and then laid her head down and went to sleep. Never had to go in!

1pm - Nap - Had to go in 1x at the 10 min mark. That did the trick and she was able to put herself to sleep after Brandon left the room. She slept two hours solid!

5:30pm - Nap - She laid in her bed for a while, then got fussy. Had to go in 1x and she eventually fell asleep about 6:15pm. Woke her up at 6:45pm, so it was a quick power nap.

Days 3-5 coming tomorrow. . . TBC...

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Sleep training Clara, Ferber style, Day 1

If you've been reading for a while you know that Clara's sleep has been crazy for a long time now. A really long time now. Remember when we tried sleep training at 4 mo and then traveled for a solid month and thus any progress went right out the window and she ended up back in our bed every single night? (yes - total run on sentence) Yeah. . . that was really fun.

Anyways, I gave a little sleep update in her 6 mo post. While I came to terms with her sleeping in our bed (has never been my first choice) and was ok with it, it got to the point where she wasn't even sleeping soundly there so we said "enough is enough." Clara only knew how to fall asleep with us, either holding her and/or walking the halls with her, and thus any time she had a spontaneous awakening during the night (which is totally normal for all babies, kids and adults) she was not able to put herself to sleep unless we got up w/ her and started pacing. So you can imagine what nights were like when she woke 4-5x, every single night.

We declared it time for sleep training round two.

Enter Ferber method.  Based on his book, Solve Your Childs Sleep Problems. 

So what is Ferber's approach?

In a nutshell, Ferber says you can teach your baby to soothe himself to sleep when he's physically and emotionally ready, usually sometime between 3 and 5 months of age.

He recommends following a warm, loving bedtime routine and then putting your baby in bed awake and leaving him (even if he cries) for gradually longer periods of time. Putting a child to bed awake, says Ferber, is crucial to successfully teaching him to go to sleep on his own.

Parents are instructed to pat and comfort their baby after each predetermined period of time, but not to pick up or feed their baby. This routine is called "progressive waiting."

The suggested waiting time, which Ferber charts in his book, is based on how comfortable you are with the technique, how many days you've been using it, and how many times you've already checked on your child that night.

After a few days to a week of gradually increasing the waiting time, the theory goes, most babies learn to fall asleep on their own, having discovered that crying earns nothing more than a brief check from you.
(Source)

Ferber never says you should simply leave your baby in his crib and shut the door behind you. His progressive waiting approach allows you to gradually limit the time you spend in your child's room while providing regular comfort and reassurance – as well as reassuring yourself that he's okay.

(Source)

Here's the suggested wait times listed in the book although Ferber notes that any schedule will work as long as times increase progressively each day. Also, if your child wakes during the night you are to start again at the minimum wait time for that day and work your way up to the maximum, and continue at the maximum until your child falls asleep again. 


Day 1 - 5 min (1st wait); 10 min (2nd wait); 15 min (3rd wait); 15 min (subsequent waits)
Day 2 – 10 min; 15 min; 20 min; 20 min (subsequent waits)
Day 3 – 15 min; 20 min; 25 min; 25 min (subsequent waits)
Day 4 – 20 min; 25 min; 30 min; 30 min (subsequent waits)
Day 5 – 25 min; 30 min; 35 min; 35 min (subsequent waits)
Day 6 – 30 min35 min; 40 min; 40 min (subsequent waits)
Day 7 – 35 min40 min; 45 min; 45 min (subsequent waits)
We decided to start on Friday night 11/9/12. Before deciding on this date we made certain that we would be NOT be leaving town any time soon and thus we could remain consistent. Training will last until Friday 11/16 as I wanted to give it our all, for a solid week. I also had to limit my social calendar during this week, so that I could make sure we were home for naps. Let's be honest. . . it wasn't that hard since I'm by nature, a complete homebody.

(Note: For sake of not having to repeat myself just know anytime I put her in her crib she was awake, thus the entire point of this training. Also, we are continuing to follow the HSHHC recommendation of not keeping your baby up during the day for more than 2 hours at a time, as this has proven to work really well for Clara. Sometimes she can last 2.5 or closer to 3 hours but I just have to watch her signs. Three hours is usually pushing it.)

Also, I am documenting the start of each day as 8pm, Clara's bedtime, since we started the training Friday at bedtime. So each "day" runs from bedtime - last nap of the next day. 
Day 1: {5 min (1st wait); 10 min (2nd wait); 15 min (3rd wait); 15 min (subsequent waits)}
8pm - Bedtime - She went down easily and then woke at 9:30pm crying. Had to go in a total of 5x before she fell asleep, which equaled about one hour of crying. Not bad! I honestly expected a lot more!
2am - Woke again. Went in at the 5 min mark. Left the room after a few minutes as Ferber instructs. She fell asleep on her own before we had to go in at the 10 min mark. 
5am - Woke again yet was able to soothe herself before the 5 min was up and thus we didn't have to go in at all!
6:30am - Woke for the day!! I'll take it!
8:30am - Nap - she fell asleep ON HER OWN. Had to go in 1x as she woke spontaneously, but after a few minutes of patting her back, and then leaving the room, she was able to self soothe and fall asleep quickly. 
1pm - Nap - She played in her bed for a while (until about 1:30pm) but never fussed/cried and was able to fall asleep on her own!
5:15pm - Nap - Fell asleep on her own & never had to go in her room!
TBC. . . 

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Clara 6 months


Happy 6 months to our baby girl!
November 2, 2012 







Weight: 14 pounds 10 ounces (20th percentile)
Height: 25.75 inches (40th percentile)
Head Circumference: 15.75 inches (2nd percentile)
BMI: 15.51 kg/m2

Other info:
We graduated from reflux meds! Yay! I accidentally forgot one night and then later realized she was fine and did not shed one tear! I only had two pills left anyways so I just decided to not give them to her the next two nights and again, she was fine! Very thankful the reflux is behind us!

Eating:
She takes a pumped bottle every four hours and then gets oatmeal w/ a fruit in the morning and a vegetable in the evening. So far she's tried sweet potato, squash, green beans, mixed veggies, banana, pear, and apple. So far so good! I just bought some carrots and peaches for her to try next. 

Sleeping:
Oh my. Not sure where to begin. We've had some rough nights around these parts. We got to the point where she wasn't even sleeping soundly in our bed (literally waking up 4-5x a night, not out of hunger, b/c she wouldn't even want a bottle, but just wide awake!!) So basically her sleep had regressed even more (is that possible??) from what I last described in her 5 month update. We checked with our pediatrician at our appt. on 11/8 to get the ok to start sleep training again and she said go for it. Then what do you know? That same night we put Clara to bed (fully expecting her to wake up at any moment and thus begin the craziness that is our nights) she slept, SOLID, for TEN hours IN HER CRIB. She never woke up. Not once. I may or may not have gone in twice to check to see if she was still breathing. We attributed this amazing night of sleep to the four shots she received at her appt. but of course were curious how the next night would go. Yep - totally the shots. :) Thus sleep training began again Friday night 11/9.  (Pedi said it was fine to start day after shots) 
We are using the Ferber method this time around. I had my doubts about this method the first go around but y'all its working!! We are seriously seeing progress. I'm actually in shock. 
I'll probably document some, or all, for the blog so that I can look back and remember b/c we all know my memory stinks. . . more to come. 

Schedule:
We are on a 4 hour schedule so it really hasn't changed any since 5 mo. 
7am - wake/eat/play
9am - nap
11am - wakeup/eat/play
1pm - nap
3pm - wakeup/eat/play
5pm - nap (short, maybe 1 hr tops)
After this nap she gets dinner, we play and then start bedtime routine 
(ours is bath, book, bottle, bed)
8pm - bedtime 

Development:
She has two bottom teeth that officially cut the gums!
Size 2 diapers, Size 3 overnight diapers
Size 6 mo clothes although some 3-6 mo still fit, depends on brand
We have been working on her social skills for a while - smiling, mimicking, laughing, eye contact, babbling, etc. More on this topic in the near future...

Adventures:
We went to Round Top, Texas with my mom, sisters, niece and sis in law for a fun girls weekend. Clara got her first experience antiquing! I think she liked it. :)
A few days after Round Top we flew up to CT to visit my aunt, uncle and cousins. Was such a fun few days. We love any time we are able to spend with our north east fam.
Not really an adventure but our church had their annual baby dedication last Sunday and it was such a special time. We feel so blessed to have such a great church home. 

I think that's all for now. We are looking forward to the holidays and so excited to have Clara this go round. We will be spending Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve with my family and Christmas Day with Brandon's family. Can't wait!!

In honor of my last post, I will not be rereading or editing this post at all, and thus not fixing any typos or mess ups. Thankyouverymuch. :)


Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Embracing the imperfect

I think there is one overwhelming theme in our society today. Well if I am honest there are many yet there is one that I am choosing to focus on today. One that has the ability to induce anxiety, stress and maybe even fear in our minds and hearts.

PERFECTIONISM. 

Just scrolling through Facebook, Pinterest and even various blogs can put off this theme of a perfect life, perfect home, perfect "stuff", perfect family, perfect kids, perfect marriage and a perfect job.

And that is just naming a few. You could easily add to the list.

All of these images floating around the web can easily keep one daydreaming about the perfect ____ (you fill in the blank) that is just around the corner.

It is no secret that by nature I am a Type A, obsessive compulsive, control freak, list making, perfection driven, everything must be in its place kind of girl. You didn't know that about me? Bless you.

Paper piles drive me bonkers. Let's be real, clutter in general drives me bonkers. If I lost my planner, which includes my daily/weekly goals and to do lists, I might just have a mild heart attack. I love a good organizational system and continually find myself tweaking our home in hopes to you know, make things as streamlined and functional (ok, as perfect) as possible. I think I have rearranged our "junk drawer" maybe fifteen times. Ironic much?

Anyways, I have been thinking a lot about the idea of perfectionism and the idea that life really will be ok if everything isn't always in tip top shape.

There is freedom when we choose to let go of unrealistic ideals.

Yes, even for a girl like me, who stresses when her pantry is out of sorts.

Here's what I know. . .

My house might not be perfect but it won't stop friends from coming over and enjoying our company.

My to do list might never be completely blank but there is always tomorrow. And that is ok.

My jeans might be a little snug but my body is strong and it helps me provide daily for my sweet baby.

That friend who always looks put together and whose life in general always looks put together is probably a lot less put together than I think.

You get the idea.

God didn't call us to be perfect. He calls us to be good stewards. He calls us to look upward instead of outward. He calls us to Him. Daily. Regardless of the status of all of our stuff.

So. . .

Today I am choosing to leave that pile of laundry on the floor. And not stress about it.

Today I am choosing to resist the urge to get frustrated when I realize how much I still need to get done.

Today I am choosing to embrace the extra cushion that comes with my post baby body.

Today I am choosing to be ok if dishes are left piled up, waiting to be scrubbed.

Today I am choosing not to compare myself and my baby to that other momma and her baby who, at five weeks old, is sleeping through the night, every single night.

Today I am choosing a new standard.

And it feels good.


Do you struggle with perfectionism? How do you combat societies never ending images that depict one having a perfect life? I'd love to hear!

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