Some of you may remember this post about mindfulness that I made a few months ago. At that time, I was living in the Bush, free from most distractions, with few responsibilities, and I was also very pregnant with my first child. I talked a lot about how I use my Commit30 Planner to stay on top of things in my life. I thought that now, after my life has changed so drastically, it might be a fun topic to revisit.

I am happy to report that after the first month, I was able to adjust back to using my planner regularly. That first month was really just about survival and focusing solely on baby, especially her health. Cody and I’s parents visited and helped us take care of moving and everything else. However, finally the last two weekends I have sat down, while Annika plays or naps, and have written out some goals and plans for the week. I’m not always doing it on Sundays anymore because frankly I’m not always sure what day it is (haha), but I am trying to get to it at some point over the weekend – Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Luckily, I have been blessed with a pretty happy baby and she does let me get things done occasionally.

Some of my goals have changed and are much smaller. For example, cleaning the house was kind of a given before having a baby. Now, I write, “do dishes and laundry,” into my schedule every day to remind myself that those two things at least have to get completed because we need bottles, dishes, and clothes to wear. I’m also trying to schedule activities, like going for a walk, making a fun dinner, taking the baby out of the house, and etc. Taking the baby out has probably been the scariest because I’m still pretty nervous about getting out with her. I’ve found it improves everyone’s mood to get a little fresh air and change of scenery though. This week we’ve driven up to Hatcher’s Pass, gone grocery shopping, gone for a walk in downtown Palmer, gone to the library and gotten library cards, and today we are going to the Friday Fling in downtown Palmer.

So, mindfulness does look a bit different now. I’m sure it will continue to evolve as we move into different stages of babyhood and as I transition back to work later this summer. Until then, mindfulness is pretty much about staying on top of things around the house and spending as much time as possible savoring time with my newborn daughter.