Notes from May

Running on little sleep and big dreams

I cannot even believe May is over?! Time really flies when you get no sleep. I am honestly shocked how the human body and brain can function on such little sleep. Before having Sophie (my little baby girl) I was in bed by 9pm. I’d have naps after work. I’d sleep in on the weekend. And I would have the AUDACITY to say I felt tired even after all that rest.

Well, now I’m functioning on 3, 4, maybe 5 hours of sleep (not all at once) and somehow the world keeps spinning. Somehow I keep showing up for this little human who needs me all the time. I am in awe of my own capabilities. Am I thrilled with this new sleeping arrangement? No. I hope one day I will sleep again. People keep saying I will. It feels like a lifetime away. But, I am surviving and figuring things out so that is a major win for me!

In the 2 months of being a mom I have realized how true the saying “if there is a will, there is a way” is. The things I have managed to get done despite the lack of free time, energy, and drive is eye opening.

Even though there are only 24 hours in the day and many things go left undone, I am proud that I have made the time for writing (yay Substack), workouts (cleared for normal life again!!!), and seeing friends and family. Because the keyword really is “made” time for it.

I can’t wait to see how I grow during this season of motherhood. I think it is going to make me so much stronger than I was before. Just a little thought I had while reflecting here.

Now, for the May recap…

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What has worked in May: Mid May I was cleared by my OB to start exercising again. Finally, 6 weeks post C-section and “normal” life could resume. I have started doing some home workouts (love YouTube workouts) and getting out for a good walk pretty much daily.

What has not worked in May: Eating well has been hard!! I have been struggling to find a routine that works for cooking/ meal prepping. I had plans to make green smoothies but never did (running a blender + sleeping baby = not good). I know things will get more routine in the coming months but I had thought by now I’d be back on track with my meals. I really need some quick and easy options that are healthy.

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Reading:

I finished The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst. I enjoyed it but something about it didn’t work for me. The ending redeemed my reading experience though! I also finished Sorrow and Starlight (Zodiac Academy 8). It took me forever to read this book… mainly because baby but also because it felt really long and tedious at times. I ended up really liking it though and started the next and last book in the Zodiac Academy series!!!

Pro tip: I have an e-reader (Kobo) but the Zodiac Academy books are only on Kindle Unlimited. With Sophie it has been hard to read a physical book because she wants to be held a lot. So I downloaded the Kindle app on my phone and got the Zodiac Academy books on Kindle Unlimited. It’s not the most ideal situation (reading on my phone) but I have been able to actually read the books instead of waiting for a tiny window of time when she doesn’t need me.

Watching:

Currently binging Brooklyn 99! It has been so much fun rewatching it and especially fun when I’m up at 3am feeding Sophie.

Eating:

Have been eating a lot of easy meals (pre-made things, freezer meals, etc). We made chicken in the crockpot which was amazing!!! Also, A&W has smash burgers now (didn’t know this). They are delicious!

Doing:

Lots of outside stuff. Walks, breweries, patios, etc. Basically anywhere that you can take a baby without too much disruption.

We went to a winery which was stressful lol. It was too quiet and relaxing. Felt like we had a ticking time bomb with us 🤪

Loving:

I am just loving the small pockets of quiet that I get throughout the day. I wish they were longer sometimes but I have been loving writing Substack articles and notes. I’ve been loving enjoying a snack and watching a show. I’ve been loving relaxing on the couch and reading my book.

As for things I’m loving… I got a photo album that is really nice! I wanted something with vertical photos since most of the photos I take are from my phone. I like this one because it’s neutral and matches the baby book I had already got. Perfect for Sophie’s photos!

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Something I am feeling excited about is my slow (but steady) growth here on Substack. I have tried to grow on basically every platform and I’ll be honest with you, nothing ever seems to work. I came to Substack hoping to just write and maybe create a small community who enjoys the writing. Somehow I have a little over 500 subscribers now. That is super exciting! Seeing that growth makes me want to create more, do more, grow more. Looking into the next few months, I have some ideas to continue to grow here and to keep up with this amazing community I am building. This is giving me purpose and motivation outside of being a mom. That is something I didn’t know I would need so early on but it’s the truth.

I am also looking forward to the summer with Sophie. Having picnics, going swimming, maybe even going to the beach. There are soooo many firsts coming up and I cannot wait!

Until next time,

Deanna

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👋🏼 P.S. you can also find me on: Life by Deanna, IG, Threads, + Facebook!

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