Kristy Maute

Celebrating Seven Months

If there is one thing I know about my child, it is that Chet is definitely his own individual person. Baby books? Throw them out the window. He hasn’t followed any of the recommended guidelines. He is hitting the baby milestones in all the wrong order.

This month has been a challenging month in our house. Chet desperately wants to move, but still loves to hang out on my hip all day long. Can he learn to crawl from my arms? He gets frustrated. A lot. I can tell he is sick of being stuck on his back and rolling his way around the house. Just the past few days, he has really started to army crawl across the floor. His back-end and front-end are both working hard to crawl, he just can’t get both going at the same time yet. He’s also working on sitting. He can stay up right for a second or two (sometimes five) before he tips over.

Sleep has been our other challenge. A “good” night of sleep is now defined by two wake-ups (one if I am really lucky!). A “bad” night of sleep is defined as 3 or 4 wakes. A “night nap” now defines a middle of the night play session. This month has had all three, and zero nights of sleeping through the night. Somehow my body has adjusted, and I’m still function on a few hours of broken sleep every day. I really think this sleep pattern goes hand in hand with all of his development. He’s on the verge of bigger and better. To get there, his brain and body need to grow. He needs all the nutrients while he is sleeping so he can grow. On the “night nap” nights, I do my best to remind myself of this. He is a baby for such a short period of time, I’m okay giving up some sleep. (and I also love that it is a way for me to sneak in some extra mama and baby bonding time).

Speaking of nutrients, Chet is still exclusively breast fed. We survived another month without having to introduce formula. (Fingers crossed. Knock on Wood.) I’m feeling slightly optimistic about my milk production. This month I now have 10 bags of milk in the freezer (up six bags from last month!). Introducing a meal at my mom’s house during the day has really helped. He’s eating oatmeal plus a veggie or bananas (the only fruit he will eat right now) for his mid day meal. He is also eating veggies at night for dinner. I haven’t found a veggie he won’t eat, but still can’t get him on board with fruit. I think this month, I am going to start introducing more finger foods. (We also haven’t had any more nursing strikes! big huge mama sigh of relief!)

Our talkative newborn has turned into a very talkative baby. He says Mamamamama all the time. Brababa (which decided means brother) comes out of his mouth all day long. He is very interested in his mouth and his tongue. He’s always hold his jaw, mouth and tongue in crazy positions as he tries to mimic everything we are doing.

Right now I am very happy to hold on to as much baby as I possibly can. I have a feeling our house is going to be turn upside down once this little guy becomes mobile.

We finally had to say goodbye to the elephant onesie. Chet’s finally wearing six month clothes at Carters.

Want to see how he has grown? Check out…

40 Day Goal Challenge – A Review

A few days late (or maybe a week), but that is what happens when you are busy living life. My last goal challenge wrapped up on July 27th.

So how did I do? To be honest, I wasn’t sure until I reviewed my goals. I haven’t lived by my goals this cycle. I put them on paper, I embraced them, and then I set out to live my life for 40 days keeping them in mind. It wouldn’t have hurt to go back to the piece of paper a few times to review, but so is life.

My objective for this set of goals:

This set of goals is following my theme of “Letting Go” this year. Letting go of external baggage, emotional baggage, preconceived ideas, and long lists of how-tos (and must dos) that I impose on myself. I’m trying to live each day as it is presented to me. I’m trying to live my life according to my life mission. I’m trying to be the parent my children need me to be and the wife Christian deserves. This set of goals is designed to help me stay present.

Even if everything isn’t check off the list below, I can proudly say that this is how I’m living my life. It’s becoming natural. It’s becoming instinctual. I feel like this weekend was my final exam for this goal cycle. With the objective in mind, I give myself a big fat A+. When faced with both physical and emotional challenges, I didn’t resort back to old behaviors. I didn’t shy away from the world. I didn’t push away the people who love me. I didn’t run away from the things I love. THAT IS HUGE for me. Job well done Kristy!

1. Embrace a hands free lifestyle – play with my children when we are playing. Engage with my husband when we find a few precious moments together. Ditch the cell phone. Forget about the laptop. I want to just be with my family. If you call or text after 5pm, I might not respond until the boys are in bed. Sorry in advance. – BIG HUGE CHECK!

2. Cancel Cable – Who needs it? I’m sick of the background noise. I’m tired of it being an empty filler. There are games to play, puzzles to conquer, books to be read, and lots of miles to run. Because I don’t have enough time in my day, I’m choosing to not have time for television. – Almost. We have reduced our cable as much as possible. We held on to it for a few reasons – 1. The tour de France. I love watching it. 2. The Olympics. I wasn’t going to miss it. 3. It is cheaper to keep some cable than it is to get rid of it all together since we have internet service. I think we have done a good job of achieving the purpose of this goal (quit watching random television) without actually cutting it out of our life completely.

3. Get creative in the kitchen – Don’t waste our CSA box. – YES! and it’s been so much fun! I need to blog about everything we are cooking.

4. Take the time to sit down and write all the cards I’ve been meaning to mail – I need to share my appreciation of people with the people I appreciate instead of carrying it around inside of me. – I need to do better. I mailed ONE card. I have so much more inside me to share. I’m carrying this goal over to the next cycle.

5. CLOTH DIAPER! I’m done talking about it. I’m doing it! A diaper can sit in a land fill for 500 years before it decomposes – reason enough! – DONE! and I can’t believe I waited so long to get started.

6. Gently hold onto my training plan – stick to the plan but be flexible. – After a few mini-meltdowns, I’m learning to stay flexible. I just maxed out my long run trainings at 12 miles this weekend!

7. Create a summer contract for when Cole returns from his dad’s house. – Done. (but I forgot to share it with Cole. OOPS!) Good thing he got himself grounded. It’s really created a fun environment in our house.

8. Live Hands Free Mama’s challenge to be alive each week: YES! YES! YES! Every day I can feel the shift inside of me. I’m living my life. My emotions feel real. I’m dreaming big and going for it.

Say the things you’ve been wanting to say—even if it is only a whisper
Do the things you want to do—even if it is in your own backyard
Take one step toward your dream—even if it noticeable to no one but you
Hug the people that mean the most—even if your children give you weird looks
Let go of that which has been holding you back—even if it might seem scary
Disconnect from that which keeps you from truly connecting—even if you think can’t live without it

9. Plan a trip to the mountains – In Process. Looking at a house in Smith Mountain Lake for a long weekend. Also have planned a picnic weekend in the hills of Williamsburg with Heidi and her family.

10. Ride my bicycle – it has been over a year! Geesh! – Nope. But the bike is coming along on that family picnic weekend.

11. Learn to “blow bubbles” – step one to conquering my fear of swimming laps in a pool. I’m going to learn how to breathe appropriately while swimming. Baby Steps! – Nope. No excuses. Just didn’t happen.

Reward: A trip to the bookstore to wander around and buy a few I can’t put down

I cheated and got a head start on my book reward.

On to the next set of goals…..They are posted here!

Loving-Kindness

May I be filled with loving-kindness

May I be well

May I be peaceful and at ease

May I be happy

This weekend I tackled twelve long hot humid miles. I struggled through each mile. Each mile reminded me that this is the worst-case scenario for running in the summer – 94% humidity, sunny skies, and 80 degrees at 6am. If ever there was a time to test my physical and mental strength, Saturday was that day. When my watch beeped to signify the end of my 12th mile, I felt accomplished. I felt strong. If I can run 12 miles in that weather, I can tackle any race or training run between now and the end of the year.

561390_10150978829178240_343125578_n — One of my favorite moments each week – The 10 minute drive to the beach to run

May you be filled with loving-kindness.

May you be well.

May you be peaceful and at ease.

May you be happy.

Sunday morning started with a different challenge. I woke up to an email I never expected to see. It instantly took me back to high school. In that moment, I was the vulnerable 18-year-old who knew so little about life. I was the young 18-year-old whose life fell out beneath her who was grasping for anything that seemed stable.

I accepted every emotion as it found me. I felt them. I acknowledged them. And then I let them go. With one breath I felt my skin burning. I had tears in my eyes. My stomach felt sick.

And then I exhaled. And I was okay.

After I tucked my seven month old baby into bed for his morning nap, I unrolled my yoga mat. With each sun salutation, I found loving-kindness for myself. I found loving-kindness for my loved ones. I found loving-kindness for those whose who shaped my early adult years.

422182_10150979970913240_693362632_n — Watching the sunrise over the course of 12 miles

May you be happy.

May you be safe.

May you be well.

May you be peaceful.

After my morning meditation, peace found my heart. I found peace within myself, and I truly hope that everyone struggling to find their own personal peace can find the answers they need to get there.

This weekend was a great reminder that I am on the path that I’m meant to travel. Twelve miles reminded me that I am physically strong. Twelve hot miles reminded me that I’m mentally strong. Saluting the Sun reminded me that I am emotionally strong. Focused breathing – inhaling and exhaling – reminded me that I have found my peace in life.

May you be filled with loving-kindness.

May you be well.

May you be peaceful and at ease.

May you be happy.

“A Little Parentheisis in Eternity”

All great changes are preceded by chaos. ~Deepak Chopra

I knew 2012 was my year to learn the meaning of the words Let Go. I knew the moment I truly heard and embraced these words my life would change. I had a new focus. I wanted to be present in each and every moment so that my life, the life I’m supposed to be living, could find me – or I could find it – or if I got lucky it would show up waving a flag. If I chose to not be present, I will miss life.

I don’t live in either my past or my future. I’m interested only in the present. If you can concentrate always on the present, you’ll be a happy man. Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we’re living now. ~ Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

These life lessons on the importance of letting go keep finding me. They’ve been joyous moments. They have been a few seconds in a busy day that make my heart feel light – a squeal from Chet when I show up to pick him up, a request for a piggyback ride from Cole to carry him to bed that turned into a wonderful life conversation, sincere hugs from my husband (that I need to get better at accepting) when he knows I’m carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. They have all been joyous moments up until this weekend.

Calm before the Storm – 11 miles on Saturday morning

This weekend’s life lesson makes my heart hurt. Out of respect for my eight year old, I’m not comfortable sharing the details, but I can say that Cole made a very bad decision. As I’m trying to navigate through this very unfamiliar territory, I’m realizing how easy it is to let go when life is good. It is easy to stay present when the moments put a smile on your face. It is not easy to stay present when the moment makes your heart sad.

Instead it’s easy to look back to search for answers. It’s easy to look forward to a time when you hope it will all be gone. It is hard to stay present in a moment when you want to hide.

‘Why do we have to listen to our hearts?’ the boy asked.
‘Because, wherever your heart is, that is where you will find your treasure.’ ~ Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

Although this path is not how I intended to get to our destination, it is taking us there. It’s put us on fast forward. Our hands free lifestyle has become an extreme transition instead of a gradual change. Cole is no longer permitted to use anything that connects to the internet (until I feel he is mature enough to understand its magnitude). He is also grounded from all video games and television for a month. Cole is going hands free cold turkey.

It has been less than 48-hours since our peaceful home environment started to unravel. It’s been less than 48 hours since Cole has touched a video game or watched television. While I have heard I’m bored a few dozen times (an hour), the changes are already evident. Void of computers and technology, I’m finding peace within our house. Cole’s bad decision forced me to take a strong stance as a parent, and the outcome is making me smile. I know we have a long road ahead of us, but I’m glad we are on this path.

Instead of hiding behind a computer screen last night, I saw my son’s face. We played “hippie frisbee” for over an hour. He laughed at my inability to throw the frisbee at a target. He tried to be my teacher. I made it to 2nd grade each time before he demoted me back to Kindergarten. As a family we watched the Olympics. (yes. I’m allowing him to watch TV with us as a family.) We cheered on the USA. We laughed at men in speedos. He demonstrated his own diving moves off the couch. At bedtime, during gratitude, he provide Christian and I with one of the best belly laughs of the year.

This is the life I don’t want to miss. Even if I choose to give up technology, my journey has no purpose if those I share my life with don’t join me along the way.

Cole’s decision was wrong and can never be repeated again. It has created a lot of unnecessary stress in our household. Out of that chaos we are finding simplicity and true genuine happiness. Together. As a family. For that, I am very thankful.

We are travelers on a cosmic journey,stardust,swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share.This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity. ~ Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

Perfect Timing – I finished reading The Alchemist on the day I also discovered Cole’s bad decision. I’d highly recommend you add the book to your summer reading list if you haven’t read it before, or even if you have already read it – read it again. It’s that good!

Olympic Spirit

I love the Olympics. I love everything it represents – Faster. Higher. Stronger. I love the unification of countries. I love healthy competition. I love seeing people fulfill their Olympic dreams. Last night we celebrated by decorating, cooking, and watching the opening ceremonies.

Decorating – Inspired by One Perfect Day, Cole created Olympic rings for our house.

Cooking – Chet and I made cookies. Cole came home from playing with his cousins just in time to help decorate. We also made fish and chips for dinner (not pictures. I forgot!)

Even Chet’s feet got into the Olympic spirit. I’ve had a soft spot for England since visiting in high school and after I feel in love with British Literature in college.

Go USA!

Fun Fact: Both my baby boys were born during a summer Olympic year. I have great memories of watching the 2004 Olympics with Cole in my arms. I think 2012 will produce similar memories!