Hi ”“ I’m Leslie from And Her Little Dog Too and my little man, Brooks, is 4.5 months old. I’ve been working hard at crossing items from the Rookie Moms 52 Week Challenge off my list – Check out Part 1 of my Journey – And I’m back today to share more of how I’ve spent the last 4 months with my son!
13 – Hit on another Rookie Mom
I got lucky with this challenge because I live in a part of the city {of Philadelphia} that is full of young moms who are out and about all day long. I make it a point to get outside with Brooks a little bit each day – we take our dog, Jackson on {at least} 3 walks each day but now that Brooks is more active & alert {and the weather is nice!} we have been spending time scouting out playgrounds & meeting some new moms in the area. It’s so much fun to ask moms about their kids & it’s a great way to find out about other local {kid friendly!} happenings.
Side Note: Other fun mom spots I’ve found include coffee shops & grocery stores – all great locations to make some new mom friends!
23 – Build Muscles at Bootcamp
I recently found out about a local Stroller Strides group from a new mom’s group I am a part of. I had been on the hunt for exercise/fitness classes that are baby friendly and taking part in a Stroller Strides class was the perfect fit for me – since I love to workout & Brooks loves the fresh air & napping in the stroller – It’s a win, win for us both!
I love being able to do something for me while also including my little man. I’m still on the lookout for more baby-friendly fitness classes!
27 – Take Your Baby Swimming
I was so excited for this challenge – I had been looking forward to taking my little man swimming since the weather got warm! Luckily for us, we had a trip to Disney planned and then Summer was upon us which meant weekend trips to the beach {and the pool!} Brooks is totally a water {and beach!} baby – he has always loved bathtime and generally loves being in the water. The first time I took him in the pool he was more curious than anything else and he only recently has started “playing” in the water – meaning splashing & kicking & flailing about!
Side Note: My water baby is a bit of temperature snob. He prefers heated pools to chilly ocean water, but hey, can you really blame him?
41 – Test Drive Free Music & Movement Classes
This was checked off our list accidentally a few weeks ago – Brooks & I were running errands and went into one of my favorite local shops & there was a story & music time class going on – starting in 5 minutes! It was free & Brooks LOVED IT! He loves reading books & anything musical so it was a blast & we met a few new local moms too – This takes place once a month & we will be sure to come back for it, it was a great little outing for both my little man & myself! I can’t wait to check out more free {baby friendly} options in the area!
49 – Run or Walk Errands
This is an easy one for me because, as I mentioned in #13 above, we live in the city so we are always out and about. I love alternating between baby wearing & packing up the stroller so Brooks always has a different viewpoint. I have been packing him up & taking him out and about with me on errands since the first week he was born – so he’s used to it! Because it was such a cold winter {being pregnant during the Polar Vortex was no joke} I make a point to get out in the fresh air everyday.
50 – Launch Camp Grandma
While we haven’t had been away overnight from Brooks {Side Note: He just started sleeping through the night – Win!} we have launched a lighter version of Camp Grandma! My in-laws live close-by so we have started a weekly tradition where Grandma comes over every Thursday & I get 2-3 hours to get out of the house by myself, take a workout class, run errands sans baby & get things done. It’s been awesome to have a consistent time where I can plan my schedule around a few hours to myself. The time away goes by quick, since Brooks is exclusively breastfed, so I need to be back home before he starts to get hungry, but it’s been an awesome weekly treat!
51 – Meet Your Friends Out for Errands
This is another fun {and easy – for me!} challenge – since living in the city, packing up everything baby & throwing it in the stroller has become second nature to me, as it has for my other city moms. And with the gorgeous spring & summer weather, it’s been a joy to meet up with other moms to run errands, go out to lunch or just take a walk outside soaking up the sunshine!
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What Rookie Mom Challenge are YOU working on this week?
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[All photos by Leslie Brinkley, all rights reserved]
Find more baby activities with the 52 weekly rookie mom challenges.
If you’re already participating, use hashtag #rookiemoms on instagram or twitter so we can cheer each other on.
