Trust Me I'm a (mom)(yogi) RD

Breastfeeding has by far been one of the most challenging, yet also rewarding, experiences of being a mom.  My son, Eli, is almost 8 months old and I am proud to say I have been able to continue breastfeeding this long.  When I say "proud" I am by no means shaming those who use formula (heck, I was formula fed)!  What I  AM saying is that I'm proud I've been able to stick with my original decision since day one, regardless of outside opinions.  The moment I became pregnant I knew I wanted to breastfeed for a number of different reasons; some were for baby, and some were selfishly for me.  For babies, breastfeeding pros include numerous health benefits, immune boosting and possibly reducing future health risks.  As far as pros for me, I not only give it [almost] all credit to the losing baby weight, but it's also FREE.   YES! Free!!  I am not ashamed to say this was probably the number one reason prior to Eli's arrival why I wanted to breastfeed.  I already

While full of stressful moments, and a heartbreaking tragedy out of Orlando, somehow this weekend was still able to provide me with a few beautiful memories I wanted to share. On Saturday we celebrated the wedding of two close college friends at a gorgeous country club in West Des Moines.  It was excruciatingly hot outside, but the ceremony, reception and food were phenomenal so it didn't matter!  I admit that portion control was NOT being followed by me...but hey, dietitians can enjoy a slice (or two!) of cake, every now and then :). Also, the beautiful centerpiece at our table kept grabbing my attention so I had to snap a quick photo. On Sunday the festivities continued as our son, Elijah, was baptized surrounded by friends and family.  I fought back tears as I watched my baby boy receive this church sacrament - who knew I'd be so emotional!!  In his usual style, Eli made the entire church giggle (more than a few times), which calmed both mom and dad who were nervous

*Registered Dietitian since 2013* **Yoga instructor certification in 2014** ***Blessed as a mom November 2015*** When I initially came up with the idea of starting a blog, I was told to focus on ONE interesting topic in my life; and stick to it.  But in all honesty I find that creatively inhibiting (not to mention boring)!  At the surface these separate parts of my life - nutrition, yoga, raising a son...just to name a few - may seem unrelated, but what they do have in common is they encompass ME; they make my life interesting. Something additional that I love to do, yet haven't put much focus on in recent years, is writing. Growing up I was so determined to become a writer or journalist, but gave that dream up when I learned how unreliable those jobs can be money-wise....and maybe, just maybe, my easily distracted personality and boxes of unfinished stories/poems are other indications why writing isn't my main career :) Luckily for me, I did find a profession I