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Let’s make memories…

Let’s make memories…

Let's Make (1)

Here’s to a well deserved vacation for the three of us – mom, dad and toddler – yeah!

Better last minute than not at all!

We booked very very last-minute but who said that you cannot be spontaneous with a child?

Sure you can!

Crete – a sunny summer destination

So our next trip will bring us to the island of Crete. Any tips are welcome, we are ready to explore.

I’ve been to Greece before but Crete is completely new to me. My husband hasn’t been there as well but maybe by coincidence we found out that the southern part of Greece is facing the Libyan sea 🙂

In general my Libyan husband seems not to be too wrong on that island, the climate is close to what he knows very well from Libya. Which brings me to myself, puuuh, I may discover the Cretan nights if the sun is too hot during daytime. As our son is a little night owl this would work out as well.

Anyway, whatever the weather will be, it will be an experience!

Spontaneous trips or planned schedules – an in-between

I’m not planning, just checking a bit before we leave. That’s the German part of our family, I want to know at least a bit before I travel to a new place. But in the end, all we need is a place to stay (we booked that), food (I’m sure there is plenty of wonderful Greek food available) and us!

Everything else will be discovered while strolling around. Our son is the professional here as he sees many things we would not realize without him. Ants, puddles (even the tiniest), insects in general, holes where he can stick his fingers in, ice cream cones (the new favorite) and many more interesting things. The word boredom is not in his vocabulary yet. Means I’m sure we won’t be bored.

Just now when I’m almost ready to leave my job for three weeks I find the time to write a short update here.

It’s a shame! Why do we always push the things we love aside instead of  giving us space for them?

A bit “Me”-time

One of my small goals for this vacation is to free myself from nonsense and focus on the things I love and which inspire me. Re-discover the happiness!

If you miss something but cannot find the time for it, breaking through these vicious circles isn’t always easy.

I miss my Yoga, really, as if I’m missing a good old friend! And this is not because I forget about it but because I’m often too busy in the mornings, too occupied during the day by my job and then my child (which is his right!) and too tired in the evenings. Finding time is often not easy but it’s not impossible! We can adjust, plan, move, what is holding us back?

Let’s make some changes.

Change is needed – I will try to take a few minutes each day just for myself. Yoga and a time-out (and when I find some more time I promise I will write!).

Focusing on new things is ahead, if not during a vacation, when then?

Until then I say goodbye to get ready for our first flight as family and for a serene and relaxing vacation on Crete.

Cheers

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Tossing and turning

Tossing and turning

Tossing and turning

That’s our recent bed time routine.

A while ago it was nursing and then he turned away a slept.

Now he turns away and starts to turn and roll and sit up and lay down – I’m happy that I haven’t bruises in my face yet or a knocked out tooth because changing positions is often very spontaneous and energetic.

He’s growing so fast that I often wonder when this will end.

I love our family bed – is there something more cuts than a tiny hand that searches for you at night and a little sigh of relief when it touches you.

Mommy is here, sleep tight!

I know that these days will go by sooner or later and therefore I try especially during nights which are not only relaxed but sleepless to remember that.

One day I will miss these nights, even the sleepless ones when I was hit without warning by an arm or a leg. One day I would wish that this tiny hand would rest on my arm.

I always try to live in the moment and to enjoy and see the positive in every situation but as a mother this now is another dimension – all of a sudden I realise the reason why it is so important.

We build memories with every single ‘now’ moment which cannot be captured by pictures or words, only our heart and soul are able to treasure these nows.

Build as many memories as you can, these are the important things in life!

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Balanced Mom or how to relax with a toddler

Balanced Mom or how to relax with a toddler

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Who said motherhood is easy-going?

It isn’t!

Or better said, it isn’t always!

I was practicing Yoga before pregnancy, almost until the very end of my pregnancy and I started about six weeks after birth again to roll out my mat and loved it but what happened then?

My baby started to move around. I think that was the point when I began to let go.

You prepare the place and it looks so inviting and before you start he wakes up after a 5 minutes nap that should have been a 2 hour nap.

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And for sure you want your baby to grow and move and explore the world but not just at that moment when you are on your mat.

But that’s life – babies don’t care at all what you want and it is their right!

I’m always saying myself that I wanted him so much and that he deserves my attention. Life without him is unimaginable so what am I complaining about? But still, there’s a tiny voice inside of me saying that I deserve also some time for myself so I just started to check where to find this time because my yoga mat was invaded now by a toddler.

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In general letting go is something wonderful, letting go old nasty habits, letting go people who stress you, letting go old wounds, letting go bad memories BUT why should I let go my personal realm?

I didn’t want to let it go, it just happened and I was too weak to scream STAY.

There were these endless nights of no sleep and days without one free arm, hours and hours of carrying a baby followed by hours and hours of breastfeeding. And then you see these super-fit moms on Instagram who breastfeed their babies while being in a state of complete relaxation while standing upside down – yes, this is what I needed to be more frustrated even.

I love Jen Pastiloff’s No Bullshit Motherhood because that’s the truth!

We struggle more often than you can even imagine and all of a sudden the baby is asleep and then we worry if he or she is fine instead of using the time to relax, we think we need to be perfect but hey – we DON’T NEED to be perfect – we need to survive this crazy journey of being a mom to be there as we promised our babies in the very first second after birth.

“I’ll be there for you until the end of my life and beyond, my love for you will never die!”

My son is now 14 months and have no idea where all this love is coming from but I love him more each day although I thought it cannot be bigger than when we first met. BUT I am also tired on some days and stressed on others and sometimes both.

My Yoga practice is, let me call it, slightly irregular but I found out that I need less time to relax than before I was a mom. Less time because I know that I need to grab every second as this will be better than nothing so I relax while folding clothes, I relax while having a shower, I relax while being out for a walk when he sleeps, I relax these 5 minutes on the playground when he’s happily eating the sand again (it will improve his immune system, that’s what I tell myself because I cannot stop him anyway).

Today I had really time for yoga, my husband and my son had an afternoon nap and finally I rolled out my mat (to realize that I’m stiff like a wooden stick but who cares) and yes, it felt so so so good.

But more often the truth is that I try to squeeze in 5 minutes with a messy bun on my head just to have the feeling I haven’t lost my yoga at all.

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I know that this is just a phase and that things change, until then I will embrace this motherhood exactly the way it is! Mostly the best ever and sometimes just beyond my strengths.

Stay strong dear moms out there because you know what – WE ROCK (no men can even imagine what we are capable of and we should be proud of ourselves!)

Standing on the mat for a few deep breaths is sometimes all we manage but that’s fine because we feel alive and know that one day these few deep breaths are just the start of a whole new yoga practice because our children grew up and we miss them on our mats so deeply.

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I am thankful that I am experiencing all of this, even if it’s not easy from time to time, I just see my son and know it all is so worth it and everything happens for a reason!

Namaste ॐ Yogamamas