Wednesday, June 3, 2009

nourished, nurtured


With the arrival of winter I've been feeling a little weary. Perhaps burnt-out would be a better term to use. My almost-two-year-old is still breastfeeding and it feels like he's taking all my stores. And so I've upped my iron intake and I'm taking twice-daily doses of liquid gold. If anything it's a reminder that I need to take good care of myself. This reminds me of something this inspiring lady once said. "Mothers constantly look after the people around them and far too often they forget about themselves. I realised when I was a mother of three young children that I had to start looking after myself otherwise I wouldn't be able to Mother". It was something along those lines. Inspiring all the same.



The weather has been gloomy of late, small snippets of sunshine poking through to tease us out from our homes. Yes winter is here but it's still not that cold. Just a little chilly. The ocean is still warm and nice to dip our toes in.

I'm enjoying the rhythm of the season. The slow days and the early nights. Also the wider eyes and faster feet of Ché. We explore together now. Wandering, digging, making peppermint and mud pies on the verandah. It's special. I think I'm finally adjusting to motherhood - looking after a family and a home. It's peaceful here right now. The little one quietly plays, the Dada hums to the music and I potter and bake. There's blooms on the table and beautiful scents filling the air. Despite the tiredness I feel nourished and nurtured. Life is just as it should be.

9 comments:

  1. When feeling tired, keep up the fluids.
    Milo is fantastic, in whatever milk you desire cow, goat, soy.
    Mia (now aged 3)was breastfed/comforted until a couple of months ago when I was diagnosed with a heart condition. The subsequent drugs I need to take necessitated a very abrupt wean.
    Shattering to me, as I had fed all my children (4) until 3 years of age.
    Change of seasons is always responsible for putting bodies out of wack combined with feeding a baby, it is bound to make you feel tired.
    Sorry to sound like an old mother hen, but your body is talking to you.
    Listen.

    Love your blog, and your very handsome little man.

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  2. Lovely post. I recently was told something similar by a fellow mother who's been there done that ... she too said "It's so easy for mother's to forget and take care of themselves but it's important, so do it often." She's right and I remind myself of it whenever I'm not feeling up to par.
    Through both my pregnancies and the past 3.5 years of nursing my children along with being a vegetarian ... I found that lots of kale, spinach and lentils keep up my energy. Never took vitamins etc. And never felt unusually tired. Just relaying what worked for me ...
    Che is getting so big!
    Much Peace.

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  3. Enjoy the slower pace of Winter. I love your little ons bedroom too!

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  4. hope you're on the up, jodi, I was wondering where you were. It's been so wet and miserable, we haven't been doing too much either. How does coffee next week sound? I have some little pants for che to try on.

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  5. well done for taking it easy and not pushing yourself too hard when feeling under par. sounds like a little winter hibernation happening. hope you feel back to full speed soon

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  6. i totally know how you feel! somedays after chasing emmett around, ill think, "did i even eat?" and by dinner, im starved! not a healthy diet for a nursing momma. winter a nice to nourish ~ arent little boys so much fun??
    xo,j

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  7. Sometimes the idea of never, ever getting a day off gets to me. I daydream of reading the paper over a big breakfast and then going back to bed for a long sleep... those days are over for a few more years, I think. For me, it's about remembering that the payoff is huge: the magic of mothering has such rewards. You gotta pay the piper somewhere!

    Hope the wheel turns and you feel on top again soon.

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  8. It is oh so nice to read your posts about motherhood. I am still breastfeeding my 16 month old son and it can be very draining. I am currently in desperate need of food, better log off and grab a bite while he is napping.

    Peace to you,
    Namaste,

    Lauren

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  9. I nursed my Lola until she was 2 and then we had a 'no more nurtsies' party, complete with cake! Good you are taking care of yourself. A B complex would probably be a good idea too

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