Happy New Year! It seemed like a good time to make a few little changes to these monthly posts, including what they’re called. What I’m Into came from an old blog linkup that ended years ago (I’m probably the only one still doing it). Month in Review feels better and more concise to me, so that’ll be the name going forward. I may also continue to experiment with categories and their names. Let me know if there’s a new topic you’d like to hear about regularly!
I don’t write this post in December, so January’s edition is always a little supersized. Let’s get into it.
Events
We had a few rounds of mild winter weather in January. I was a little late on the uptake, but C3 is now outfitted with a winter coat, hats, and mittens for the cold. He and Rufus were both skeptical about the snow. Rufus pleaded to come out and see it, then sprinted back inside the moment his paws touched the ground.
We spent another pandemic New Year’s Eve at home, which was fine by me. I ordered myself a feast from my favorite Asian restaurant and made a few lists while we watched Miley and Pete’s New Year’s Eve Party.
My grandma has been in town, staying with my parents, since before Christmas. She has dementia but is still with it enough to enjoy her great-grandchildren and know who they are. We’ve had about a six-week visit with her. I’m glad she’s gotten to spend some time here and meet C3.
Reading
Arriving Well: Stories about identity, belonging, and rediscovering home after living abroad, ed. Kate Brubaker (3 stars) I always enjoy hearing about expat experiences, but it turned out this book is aimed at expats returning to their home countries, so I wasn’t exactly the target audience.
We Are the Baby-Sitters Club: Essays and Artwork from Grown-Up Readers, ed. Marissa Crawford (4 stars) I purchased this book minutes after I found out it existed. BSC for life!
The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo (3 stars) A well-written but sad story about two outcast kids in north Florida. Too bleak for me at this time.
Somebody’s Daughter by Ashley C. Ford (4 stars) I’ve followed Ashley on Twitter for years. This is a compelling memoir about her relationship with dad, who’s been incarcerated for most of her life.
The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry (3.5 stars) I liked this magical-realism/time-travel YA, but by the end, the mechanics made my head hurt a little.
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones (4 stars) Read for book club: a novel about a Black married couple after the husband is wrongfully accused and given a 12-year sentence.
How Lucky by Will Leitch (4.5 stars) I LOVED this novel about a handicapped man with a beautiful soul who solves a mystery in Athens, Georgia.
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami (3 stars) Any runner can relate to (and laugh with) the thoughts and experiences shared here. His often self-satisfied tone sometimes grated on me, though.
Watching
In an effort to remember what I’ve watched and what I want to watch across platforms, I am now using the TV Time app. It’s not perfect, but it gets the job done. The only drawback is my increased awareness of how behind I am on entertainment. January is a basketball-dense month, so it’s been hard to catch up on anything. We started Station Eleven in December and still have a few episodes left. Also watched since my last update: Encanto (LOVED IT), Don’t Look Up (really good but sobering), The Inventor (maybe now I’ll stop having Avengers confusion when someone talks about Theranos), and Beanie Mania.
As a huge Matrix fan, I kept waiting for an opportunity to watch Matrix Resurrections straight through like a real movie experience. In the end, I had to watch it hurriedly the last night it was available on HBO Max, and stop several times to tend to the baby. The movie wasn’t quite what I expected, but I liked it.
Listening
I’ll spare everyone a link to WE DON’T TALK ABOUT BRUNO, but rest assured it’s in my head at all times.
Now that I’m driving C3 to his babysitter in the morning AND have new AirPods to use at home, I’m listening to more podcasts again! Some episodes I appreciated this month:
- We Can Do Hard Things: How Do We Make–and Keep–Good Friends? I could not relate to this more. At Taylor’s encouragement, I literally made a list on New Year’s Eve entitled “Who Are My Friends?” because… who are your friends when you haven’t been able to see anyone regularly for two years?
- Pantsuit Politics: Living Through Transformative Times – this comforted me on a high-anxiety morning
- Happy as a Mother Podcast: Baby Blues vs. Postpartum Depression – aka How Did I Ever Doubt That I Had PPD?
- The Daily: We Need to Talk About Covid, Part 1 – discussion of a new poll of American attitudes about Covid, with eye-opening (or “remarkable” as the guy said 25 times) results
Around Town
I stopped attending basketball games or church (my only pandemic activities) when Omicron hit, but now that local numbers are down 45%, I’m starting to venture out again. This weekend my BIL treated us to really good seats at the Grizzlies (who are #3 in the West if you haven’t heard!!)! I felt genuinely fluttery being so close to Ja Morant. My parents kept C3 overnight, so not only did I get to go to a great game WITH my husband (we usually alternate), I also got my second full night of sleep since C3 was born. I was equally excited about these events.
I gave my mom Hamilton tickets for Christmas – she’s been waiting and waiting to go. We went on December 30 and had a great time! I cried at the end as always.
I got my hands on a few Bluff Cakes cookies while my sister was in town earlier this month! (Both of us follow Chloe obsessively on TikTok.) We got Cookie Monster, lemon, and sprinkles, and cut them into slices so we could all sample. Worth the wait.
My mom, grandma, and I took C3 to the zoo on a nice Sunday afternoon. The rhinos gave us a show!
At Home
Christmas brought some exciting kitchen upgrades. I got a long-awaited rice cooker – I’m hopeless at cooking rice on a stove, and this is already expanding my horizons. My BIL and SIL surprised me with a DeLonghi espresso machine!! At this point I can brew espresso and steam milk, but I’m not even confident I’m doing that right. I need a full education on this machine and what’s actually involved in different drinks. A barista friend offered to teach me over Zoom. I should probably take her up on it.
Right before the holidays, I finally finished my home office refresh! I commissioned a second desk and display table from the same person who built my original desk. Very happy with my space. I even have a hanging plant, something I’ve always wanted.
I indulged in a few new things for C3’s room, including a backrest pillow (for sitting support) and this adorable sun pillow.
After a scary incident with a thin-slice apple cutter, I decided it was a good idea to have a complete first aid kit that we can grab quickly if needed, instead of random items scattered across the house. I ordered this case from Amazon, and it holds all our bandages, gauze, etc. with room for larger things like hydrogen peroxide!
Eating
Some new recipes I’ve cooked and enjoyed recently: lighter broccoli cheddar soup (so healthy and good!); chicken banh mi sandwiches; Salty Chocolate Chunk Rye Banana Bread. I’ve also gotten into buying frozen wontons and making a quick soup with beef or chicken broth plus bok choy or spinach. Trader Joe’s chicken and cilantro wontons are amaaaazing for this. I’ve been eating a lot of dinners out of my new pasta/salad bowls that my MIL gave me for Christmas. They’re simple but make everything feel fancy!
At 7 months, C3 is now eating solid food daily. I make his food by pureeing different fruits and veggies, then freezing them in ice trays and storing the cubes in freezer bags. I use both fresh and frozen produce. It’s easy, saves a TON of money, and I like knowing there’s nothing added to his food! So far his favorites are sweet potato and cauliflower.
Wearing
For Christmas, my mom gave me a sweater dress and long cardigan coat from my SIL’s boutique in Wyoming. (They don’t do online orders, so these links were found elsewhere.) I watch their Instagram stories every day and was able to describe exactly what I wanted when she was there visiting! She also got me a Dagne Dover phone sling that I’ve been eyeing for a long time. It’s sturdy and holds the basics – cards, keys, phone, and mask. I can wear it alone (crossbody) or throw it in C3’s diaper bag. It will never cause me any security headaches at FedEx Forum. Perfect for this time in the world and in my life!
I’ve also done some thrifting, and taken advantage of online holiday sales. From the Gap, I got a v-neck sweater (seen above when my sister and I both realized we were wearing the Mom Uniform) and what Gee Thanks, Just Bought It fans know as The Holiday Bra. It lives up to the hype.
I had the theoretical “return to the office” discussion with my boss, and whenever that occurs, I will only have to go to the office one day a week!! Basically my dream life! Now that that’s settled, I want to do a major overhaul of my wardrobe. We had a formal-ish dress code in the beforetimes, and all that stuff has been waiting in my closet for almost two years. Now I can assess what makes sense for me going forward as a new mom working from home most of the time.
Beauty
Posting a 10-year challenge on Instagram filled me with nostalgia for my shorter 2012 haircut. After some discussion with my faithful stylist Susan, I went for it and am SO glad I did. I was starting to feel smothered by my longer hair. It was hard to deal with and C3 yanked it all the time. This is much easier and feels light and cute!
During the holiday sales, I indulged in a Tatcha gift pack with full-sized Rice Wash, mini moisturizer, and a cleansing oil. I have a hard time removing eye makeup and was interested in the oil cleansing step. I don’t always remember to do it, but when I do, it works! In hair news, I also got the LUS Love Your Curls pack with shampoo, conditioner, and styler after a friend sent me a discount code. Unfortunately, after giving it a solid chance, it hasn’t really done anything for me. I’m passing it along to my fellow curly sister and nieces.
Lip color has always been a struggle for me. I’m one of those people for whom no “longwear” or “no budge” product will stay on – and I’ve tried them all, including many liquid lipsticks. Last month my Ipsy bag included a Sugar Matte as Hell crayon lipstick. I absolutely love the way this crayon applies and feel like it would fade evenly, instead of leaving me with the old ring around the lips. It also feels great, not tacky or drying. It was the push I needed to purge all the failed liquid lipsticks from my stash. From now on, crayons, balms, or classic lipsticks only.
Wellness
Taylor surprised me with a Peloton for Christmas, and unlike the woman in the infamous commercial, I was thrilled! Our elliptical had just been put out to pasture and I was hoping for this upgrade. The only apprehension I felt was uncertainty about stationary biking – not my fave in the past. It turns out what I didn’t like was boring pedaling on a recumbent bike. The interactive nature of the Peloton is what makes it good. Although there’s been a few stressful moments, I’ve really taken to it and am happy with my progress and experience in my first month. I’m on week 5 of the Mastering the Basics program and have also done multiple yoga classes, a barre class, and a strength class. So far my favorite instructors are Ben Alldis, Christine D’Ercole, and Tunde for cycling, and Chelsea Jackson Roberts for yoga. I generally do not thrive on tough-love, boot-camp instruction, especially when I’m postpartum and not in peak form. So I’ve gravitated toward instructors with a calmer vibe. Am I any skinnier at the end of month 1? No. Am I stronger and more comfortable in my body? YES.
On that note, I started pelvic floor therapy this month. I’ve had persistent hip and lower back pain and just wanted to see if it could help. I go weekly, and my treatment plan is basically learning how to relax. My body has felt like a big, tight knot since the moment of C3’s birth. Turns out that wasn’t my imagination. They also give me gentle exercises to do and tips on how to move when I pick up the baby, get in and out of the car, etc. It’s helping. I recommend it for all new moms even if you aren’t sure you “need” it. I’ve also started enjoying some heating pad time every night when I get in bed. I used to only turn it on when I was really in pain. Now I’ve decided I don’t have to be in agony to get some comfort.
Baby Update
C3 is almost 8 months old, and doing new things almost every day! He’s mastered sitting and rolling over both ways, but seems to be taking a break before tackling crawling. He is more interactive and playing more independently. He has one tooth. He’s been going through some kind of sleep regression, which has been rough, but appears to be returning to a more sustainable rhythm (fingers crossed). He’s a very loving baby and, I suspect, an extrovert. He dislikes having his feet covered, and loves to take off his socks and booties in the car. His favorite things are cats, hands (his own and others’), and ceiling fans.
Since our last update, he’s taken several trips to the park near my parents’ house and had a blast on the baby swings. He’s also had some quality time with his close-in-age cousin, and went to his first kid party!
Your Monthly Rufus
Rufus has been taking C3’s obsession with him fairly well. I continue to work with the baby on proper cat handling, because while Rufus has tolerated more than I expected, if C3 keeps grabbing and twisting his fur it’s not going to end well. Anyway, they’re cute.
Lately Rufus has been dividing his days between a Boppy Lounger in the sunny butler pantry, and his favorite cat bed that we recently moved to the upstairs hall. He will ignore this bed for months and then suddenly remember it exists.
On the Blog
I shared a little about my word for 2022, Renew, and my mantra for 2022, I Am Doing My Best.
Read This (We Have Questions Edition)
What’s Your Pro Tip? These comments are a joy to read.
What If We Just Stopped Being So Available?
The Internet is Failing Moms-to-Be
Have We Forgotten How to Read Critically?
Now, many Americans have spent years in a psychological space that Neal-Barnett, the Kent State professor, describes as “not knowing what’s going to happen next and believing that something awful is going to happen next.” TRUTH. How to heal our national exhaustion
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