dear internets, after 8 and 1/2 years and 606 posts, i’m leaving blogger and joining tumblr. in an effort to refresh my online self, i am going to start from scratch and post content more interesting than how just i feel about having a baby, though i’m sure there will be plenty of henry there. cooking, crafts, photos, who knows. friends, i hope i am able to introduce you something, inspire you, or otherwise occasionally entertain you.
i’m also going to quit twitter cold turkey, limiting my social media to tumblr and facebook so i can spend more time living my life and less time trying to update people about it. so many changes!
thanks for reading.
xoxo -emily
http://emilyberman.tumblr.com/
Feb 10, 2011
it's incredible to me how many of my friendships have been altered by having a baby, both positively and negatively. i knew dynamics would change, but the way the have has surprised me. as always, i'm saddened by the friends i'm drifting away from - i hate losing people. but it's putting things in perspective in a great way that i have never experienced before. really knowing who our good friends are and recognizing that there are people we are unintentionally letting go.
i've finally gotten a bit antsy about staying home, feeling a little bored and stuck in the house as temperatures remain low. i knew it would happen eventually, being indoors in our tiny little home day in and day out. henry and i try plan activities outside of the house at least a few times a week, visiting friends, running errands. we have playdates with his friend owen, 3 months his senior. we visit with sophie, 4 months his junior. but i'm looking forward to all of the fun things we'll do when the weather turns over and we can leave the house without bundling up quite so tight. when we can take the stroller out. when henry can stay awake long enough to enjoy the zoo and the nature museum and the lake shore.
but in the meantime i'm missing something. we read books and we sing songs and play with toys and henry sits in the highchair while momma cooks. we clean the house together, fold diapers, take lots of photos and videos and take a photobooth photo to email to poppa every day. and henry still takes 4 short naps a day. i guess now that we have a pretty good routine i have the luxury of getting bored with it. and since we converted our office/craft room to baby henry's room, my crafts are off limits while he's sleeping, which isn't working so well. i always think of something to create or to fiddle around with while he's sleeping, rather than planning and pulling out the necessary supplies before he goes down for his nap. i have made a few small things for him since he joined us, a pennant banner for his wall and...wait...i think that's it. i miss being creative, having the space and time to play with my crafts, fabrics, paints. my creative energy is itching to get out, i just haven't figured out how to make that happen yet.
at henry's last pediatrician visit, his doctor told us to start on solids at his 4 month adjusted age (from his due date rather than his birth date), and i'm reading up on baby led weaning. i am excited to introduce henry to real foods, and am even excited to start pureeing things, but letting him lead the way and experiment with textures right from the get go seems so natural to me. i don't know anyone who has done it this way, but i think i might like to give it a try. or at least do some combination of introducing foods, if possible.
in the meantime i'm trying to start experimenting in the kitchen more, trying new recipes, actually reading my cookbooks and cooking magazines that have been gathering dust for the last year. i've become so comfortable with my staple recipes that i've neglected searching for new options. but every time i make something new that we like, it ends up in our rotation, and the rotation is getting too big to allow for nights of experimentation. i'm going to have to retire a few things.
i remember a few staple foods from my childhood - taco night, meatloaf, grilled chicken and pork tenderloin, frozen succotash. i wonder what henry will remember - if i'll make the same dishes consistently enough for him to have his favorites that he'll ask for when he's home from college. i sort of hope not. i hope he just misses his momma's cooking in general.
i've finally gotten a bit antsy about staying home, feeling a little bored and stuck in the house as temperatures remain low. i knew it would happen eventually, being indoors in our tiny little home day in and day out. henry and i try plan activities outside of the house at least a few times a week, visiting friends, running errands. we have playdates with his friend owen, 3 months his senior. we visit with sophie, 4 months his junior. but i'm looking forward to all of the fun things we'll do when the weather turns over and we can leave the house without bundling up quite so tight. when we can take the stroller out. when henry can stay awake long enough to enjoy the zoo and the nature museum and the lake shore.
but in the meantime i'm missing something. we read books and we sing songs and play with toys and henry sits in the highchair while momma cooks. we clean the house together, fold diapers, take lots of photos and videos and take a photobooth photo to email to poppa every day. and henry still takes 4 short naps a day. i guess now that we have a pretty good routine i have the luxury of getting bored with it. and since we converted our office/craft room to baby henry's room, my crafts are off limits while he's sleeping, which isn't working so well. i always think of something to create or to fiddle around with while he's sleeping, rather than planning and pulling out the necessary supplies before he goes down for his nap. i have made a few small things for him since he joined us, a pennant banner for his wall and...wait...i think that's it. i miss being creative, having the space and time to play with my crafts, fabrics, paints. my creative energy is itching to get out, i just haven't figured out how to make that happen yet.
at henry's last pediatrician visit, his doctor told us to start on solids at his 4 month adjusted age (from his due date rather than his birth date), and i'm reading up on baby led weaning. i am excited to introduce henry to real foods, and am even excited to start pureeing things, but letting him lead the way and experiment with textures right from the get go seems so natural to me. i don't know anyone who has done it this way, but i think i might like to give it a try. or at least do some combination of introducing foods, if possible.
in the meantime i'm trying to start experimenting in the kitchen more, trying new recipes, actually reading my cookbooks and cooking magazines that have been gathering dust for the last year. i've become so comfortable with my staple recipes that i've neglected searching for new options. but every time i make something new that we like, it ends up in our rotation, and the rotation is getting too big to allow for nights of experimentation. i'm going to have to retire a few things.
i remember a few staple foods from my childhood - taco night, meatloaf, grilled chicken and pork tenderloin, frozen succotash. i wonder what henry will remember - if i'll make the same dishes consistently enough for him to have his favorites that he'll ask for when he's home from college. i sort of hope not. i hope he just misses his momma's cooking in general.
Dec 30, 2010
year in review, 2010.
i worked in a kitchen all year, both helping to manage it and cooking in it for both myself and others. i put myself in difficult situations, i learned to work within budgets and constraints and without proper kitchen equipment. i learned more about my capacity as a chef, what i do and don't want for my future career. i learned a lot of new recipes. and i learned that i need to find a way to keep better track of them.
i did a lot of resting in 2010. i worked part time the entire year, having days off that i'd never had before. i became one of those people who do liesurely lunches with friends on weekdays. i explored selfish hobbies with my time off, doing a lot of reading, a lot of canning, a lot of planning for my future. and a lot of napping.
but still, 2010 was a challenge. and i was pregnant for the majority of it. and then i had a baby! anything else i accomplished in 2010 pales in comparison. it still seems so unreal to me that this perfect little creature belongs to us. henry is amazing and beautiful and more perfect than i could have hoped for. and motherhood has been so incredible, i've acclimated to it like it was always meant to be, and for the most part i always knew that. 2010 was the year my son was born. 2010 a year i will never, ever forget.
my hopes for 2011 rest mainly on my child's growth and happiness. to be a good mom, to raise a happy and well adjusted baby. 2010 was incredible, but i have no doubt that 2011 will be even better.
i worked in a kitchen all year, both helping to manage it and cooking in it for both myself and others. i put myself in difficult situations, i learned to work within budgets and constraints and without proper kitchen equipment. i learned more about my capacity as a chef, what i do and don't want for my future career. i learned a lot of new recipes. and i learned that i need to find a way to keep better track of them.
i did a lot of resting in 2010. i worked part time the entire year, having days off that i'd never had before. i became one of those people who do liesurely lunches with friends on weekdays. i explored selfish hobbies with my time off, doing a lot of reading, a lot of canning, a lot of planning for my future. and a lot of napping.
but still, 2010 was a challenge. and i was pregnant for the majority of it. and then i had a baby! anything else i accomplished in 2010 pales in comparison. it still seems so unreal to me that this perfect little creature belongs to us. henry is amazing and beautiful and more perfect than i could have hoped for. and motherhood has been so incredible, i've acclimated to it like it was always meant to be, and for the most part i always knew that. 2010 was the year my son was born. 2010 a year i will never, ever forget.
my hopes for 2011 rest mainly on my child's growth and happiness. to be a good mom, to raise a happy and well adjusted baby. 2010 was incredible, but i have no doubt that 2011 will be even better.
Nov 23, 2010
i was just thinking i hadn't written here in a while, and then i see that it's been 6 weeks. time flies when you're preoccupied with your infant. i've been prioritizing.
i'm going to take a break from here for a while, see how it goes. i've been keeping this blog for too many years to give it up entirely, though i'm not sure many people read it anyway. it's stubbornness on my part, i hate giving up.
henry is so great and i love being a mom. staying at home has been wonderful but also challenging as i don't have many other stay at home mom friends to share my days with. i've felt totally on the outside as most of my friends have gone back to work or are hiring nannys, staying at home isn't the norm. i get mixed responses from people about my decision to stay home, from "that's great" and huge smiles, to "oh, really?" and confused crinkled foreheads from people i least expect. it was a decision i'm happy we made, one we made before i was even pregnant, and one that has definitely come with some amount of hardship, but for me, i couldn't imagine anything else. for our family it just made sense. i miss the extra income, the adult interaction, the professional fulfillment, but i'll get that all back some day.
so many things make so much sense to me now that i'm a mom. i understand the hardship of caring for an infant and trying to maintain an identity, to keep some sense of self and not get lost in motherhood. i understand unconditional love more than i ever thought i could. i understand why so many women stop breastfeeding (it's hard!). and how large families happen (i already miss the first few weeks of infancy and dream of having another baby just to experience it again).
i also know that this is both the hardest and easiest thing i have ever done. hardest with the sleep deprivation, the length of time it's taking to get a handle on breastfeeding, the responsibility and fear related to raising this child right. easiest in that it is all coming naturally to me, and i've never been so happy, fulfilled and calm. i'm surprising myself every day.
we'll be updating henryberman.com with photos, videos and tidbits from our henry's little life, and i'll probably post here every once in a while. after i get a bit more settled i might start a cooking project i've been kicking around for a while, but i am going to distance myself from the internet a bit and spend more time with my flesh and blood and less time with my laptop.
xoxo
i'm going to take a break from here for a while, see how it goes. i've been keeping this blog for too many years to give it up entirely, though i'm not sure many people read it anyway. it's stubbornness on my part, i hate giving up.
henry is so great and i love being a mom. staying at home has been wonderful but also challenging as i don't have many other stay at home mom friends to share my days with. i've felt totally on the outside as most of my friends have gone back to work or are hiring nannys, staying at home isn't the norm. i get mixed responses from people about my decision to stay home, from "that's great" and huge smiles, to "oh, really?" and confused crinkled foreheads from people i least expect. it was a decision i'm happy we made, one we made before i was even pregnant, and one that has definitely come with some amount of hardship, but for me, i couldn't imagine anything else. for our family it just made sense. i miss the extra income, the adult interaction, the professional fulfillment, but i'll get that all back some day.
so many things make so much sense to me now that i'm a mom. i understand the hardship of caring for an infant and trying to maintain an identity, to keep some sense of self and not get lost in motherhood. i understand unconditional love more than i ever thought i could. i understand why so many women stop breastfeeding (it's hard!). and how large families happen (i already miss the first few weeks of infancy and dream of having another baby just to experience it again).
i also know that this is both the hardest and easiest thing i have ever done. hardest with the sleep deprivation, the length of time it's taking to get a handle on breastfeeding, the responsibility and fear related to raising this child right. easiest in that it is all coming naturally to me, and i've never been so happy, fulfilled and calm. i'm surprising myself every day.
we'll be updating henryberman.com with photos, videos and tidbits from our henry's little life, and i'll probably post here every once in a while. after i get a bit more settled i might start a cooking project i've been kicking around for a while, but i am going to distance myself from the internet a bit and spend more time with my flesh and blood and less time with my laptop.
xoxo
Oct 10, 2010
mr henry allen berman was born sunday, october 03, 2010 at 12:00 am on the dot, surprising us almost 4 full weeks before his expected due date. he weighed 6 lbs 2 oz and measured 19 inches in length, pretty good for technically being a preemie!
labor and delivery were fast and furious and everything i could have asked for, with a healthy baby and everyone recovering quickly. henry is now one week old, and craig and i are amazed at how amazing our life is with our little boy. i couldn't be more happy right now with my little family.
henry's uncle brett set up a website for us to keep our out of town family updated on his cuteness - henryberman.com. we'll be posting photos and videos there, mostly for the grandparents, but feel free to check in to see what he's been up to.
Sep 24, 2010
autumn has always been my favorite season, hands down. perhaps it's my tendency towards layering my clothes, my love for squashes of all sizes and colors, warm comforting braised dishes, and my late october birthday. perhaps it's the transition from wild hot summer fun to chilly holiday hibernation. either way, this autumn is sure to be the most memorable with the upcoming birth of my son.
my favorite things about autumn:
- scarves, cardigans and boots
- apple cider and maple syrup and butternut squash
- braised meats
- the changing leaves, however short the transition lasts
- caramel apples!
- brussel sprouts and bacon
- tights and light jackets and flannel
- the chill in the air that makes your nose cold but doesn't yet touch your core
- colors like brown and grey and mustard and rust
- pumpkins, pumpkin pies, pumpkin seeds, even the smell of smashed pumpkins on the streets
- candles and fires in the fireplace
- celebrating getting another year older, and from now on sharing that joy with my child
i'm so glad we are having a baby in the fall, before the snow and cold sets in, giving us two good reasons to settle in for the winter months.
my favorite things about autumn:
- scarves, cardigans and boots
- apple cider and maple syrup and butternut squash
- braised meats
- the changing leaves, however short the transition lasts
- caramel apples!
- brussel sprouts and bacon
- tights and light jackets and flannel
- the chill in the air that makes your nose cold but doesn't yet touch your core
- colors like brown and grey and mustard and rust
- pumpkins, pumpkin pies, pumpkin seeds, even the smell of smashed pumpkins on the streets
- candles and fires in the fireplace
- celebrating getting another year older, and from now on sharing that joy with my child
i'm so glad we are having a baby in the fall, before the snow and cold sets in, giving us two good reasons to settle in for the winter months.
Sep 22, 2010
i'm almost 35 weeks pregnant now, which means just about a month to go. i'm starting to get a touch nervous, not for the actual birth but for the changes our lives will suddenly as we turn into parents next month. one day we can be selfish and go to bed when we want and run out to dinner on a whim and the next day we have a little helpless baby who needs us to devote our entire selves, day in and day out, to him. with the overwhelming love i already feel for this little guy in my belly i'm more than happy to do it, i'm just nervous that even with our library of preparatory reading and talking to other parents we don't really totally know what we're in for.
i also had a realization recently about my wardrobe. i've been dreaming of getting my waist back (which i know will take some time) and fitting into my old clothes again (along with some new ones). in the meantime i've also been stocking up on nursing items and planning for breastfeeding, and i've realized that many of my old clothes aren't going to work so well for a stay at home breastfeeding mom. cute dresses and fitted tops are 100% impractical if i'm going to be trying to breastfeed anywhere i can't disrobe completely, not to mention that i'll be spending my days on the sofa and the floor with my little one (and my two cats - i have a serious thing against pet hair on my clothes...yuck!) so comfort and accessibility will be top priority over cuteness and fashion. how do i keep my style during this transition into motherhood?
i have finished all of my birthing books and am practicing stretching and relaxation techniques in preparation for the unmedicated birth that i'm planning for. we've taken the classes and i'm mentally and physically gearing up for the marathon experience. i'm actually really looking forward to it, and i've been able to let go of any fear i had of the pain and discomfort i will be going through. my only fear is in my ability to let go of control, to let the organic process take charge. i like to be in control - if you know me at all you are nodding your head right now - and though i'm controlling the parts that i can (my care provider, my labor support person, the knowledge i'm coming into this with), i know that things can go a different way than i have planned and i am not sure how to prepare for that. i guess accepting the fact that things can go differently is the first step.
i'm also preparing myself for the helplessness i will feel after birth, for letting friends and family in to take care of us and help us through the first few weeks. i'm a stubborn self sufficient person, so letting my mom cook for me and do laundry and help with the baby will be difficult for me. not to mention when my in laws and my other parents arrive - i'm a hostess and not being on my game is going to be a mental challenge for me. i know i'll have probably the only good excuse i'll ever have to not have a fully stocked fridge and a perfectly clean house, but it's still going to be tough to let go of who i am (hostess, entertainer) in order to concentrate on the more important person who i have become (mom).
i apologize that this has turned into my pregnancy therapy blog of sorts! it's easy to say a thing like pregnancy won't take over your life but the simple fact is that it does. becoming a parent is the biggest change most of us will ever go through in life, it's hard not to think about it day in and day out. there is so much planning that goes into these 40 weeks, new priorities, new experiences, new goals. this is the biggest part of who i am now.
i also had a realization recently about my wardrobe. i've been dreaming of getting my waist back (which i know will take some time) and fitting into my old clothes again (along with some new ones). in the meantime i've also been stocking up on nursing items and planning for breastfeeding, and i've realized that many of my old clothes aren't going to work so well for a stay at home breastfeeding mom. cute dresses and fitted tops are 100% impractical if i'm going to be trying to breastfeed anywhere i can't disrobe completely, not to mention that i'll be spending my days on the sofa and the floor with my little one (and my two cats - i have a serious thing against pet hair on my clothes...yuck!) so comfort and accessibility will be top priority over cuteness and fashion. how do i keep my style during this transition into motherhood?
i have finished all of my birthing books and am practicing stretching and relaxation techniques in preparation for the unmedicated birth that i'm planning for. we've taken the classes and i'm mentally and physically gearing up for the marathon experience. i'm actually really looking forward to it, and i've been able to let go of any fear i had of the pain and discomfort i will be going through. my only fear is in my ability to let go of control, to let the organic process take charge. i like to be in control - if you know me at all you are nodding your head right now - and though i'm controlling the parts that i can (my care provider, my labor support person, the knowledge i'm coming into this with), i know that things can go a different way than i have planned and i am not sure how to prepare for that. i guess accepting the fact that things can go differently is the first step.
i'm also preparing myself for the helplessness i will feel after birth, for letting friends and family in to take care of us and help us through the first few weeks. i'm a stubborn self sufficient person, so letting my mom cook for me and do laundry and help with the baby will be difficult for me. not to mention when my in laws and my other parents arrive - i'm a hostess and not being on my game is going to be a mental challenge for me. i know i'll have probably the only good excuse i'll ever have to not have a fully stocked fridge and a perfectly clean house, but it's still going to be tough to let go of who i am (hostess, entertainer) in order to concentrate on the more important person who i have become (mom).
i apologize that this has turned into my pregnancy therapy blog of sorts! it's easy to say a thing like pregnancy won't take over your life but the simple fact is that it does. becoming a parent is the biggest change most of us will ever go through in life, it's hard not to think about it day in and day out. there is so much planning that goes into these 40 weeks, new priorities, new experiences, new goals. this is the biggest part of who i am now.
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