Our celebrity blogger Marla Sokoloff is a new mama!
Since audiences first got to know her at age 12 as Gia on Full House, Sokoloff has had many memorable TV roles — Jody on Party of Five, Lucy on The Practice, Claire on Desperate Housewives – as well as turns on the big screen in Whatever It Takes, Dude, Where’s My Car? and Sugar & Spice.
Sokoloff, 31, also sings and plays guitar and released an album, Grateful, in 2005.
She wed her husband, music composer Alec Puro, in Nov. 2009 and the couple — plus pup Coco Puro — make their home in Los Angeles.
You can find Marla, now mom to 5-week-old daughter Elliotte Anne, on Twitter.
At the hospital – Courtesy Marla Sokoloff
Greetings from baby land!
Sorry for the delay in updating you all — apparently, finding the time to write a pregnancy blog is way easier than finding the time to write a blog about your newborn!
As some of you may or may not know, my daughter Elliotte Anne Puro was born (after a brief 30 hours of labor) on February 8th at 8:05 p.m. weighing in at 7 pounds on the nose. Words cannot express my complete and utter love for her. I know every parent says this, but she’s absolutely perfect!
For nine months, I feared labor and delivery. The unknown of it all literally kept me up at night. Much like pregnancy, I was faced with another event that I had zero control over.
The worst part for me was waking up every morning wondering if today was the day. Towards the end, I felt like I was sitting around (because I was too uncomfortable to really go anywhere!) waiting for my entire life to change.
I’m happy to report that now that I’m on the other side — it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Yes, it was long and sometimes crazy painful — but once they placed my baby girl on my chest … it was all a distant(ish) memory.
To be honest, the whole experience felt like a fun adventure. Everything from watching the contractions rise and fall on the monitor to staring at my sweet husband sleep on a cot while I ate a cherry popsicle at four in the morning to curb my hunger.
I will never forget that surreal feeling of arriving to the hospital as a twosome and leaving a family. I will also never forget the “Holy moly!” feeling of arriving home with this new little person that wholeheartedly trusts you and assumes you know what the heck you are doing!
I’m slowly adjusting to the exhaustion that being a new parent brings. For the first two weeks I was running on adrenaline and hormones and now my body is starting to catch on to the fact that sleep is no longer a part of our daily regimen.
I’ve tried to sleep when she sleeps, but that’s easier said than done. I always feel like there’s so much emailing/phone call returning/cleaning up to do. (For example: I’m able to write this blog because she’s napping as I type this!) Although I must say, one of my favorite things in the universe is when we nap together and she falls asleep on my chest. Heaven!
Naptime! – Courtesy Marla Sokoloff
The only part of mothering that has truly been difficult for me (so far) is breastfeeding. I know this topic is something that many of you may find controversial but I want to talk about this because I know that I’m not the only mom out there who has wrestled with this issue.
We are now five weeks into Elliotte’s life and it’s something that I’m still really struggling with.
My milk production came in quite low and after weeks of trying to find our groove, most feedings end with both of us in tears. I’ve been taking milk producing herbs, drinking special tea and saying lots of prayers to will this to happen, but each day I simply do the best I can.
With the help of an amazing lactation consultant, we have designed a plan that combines breastfeeding with breast pumping as well as supplementing. This way I know exactly how much food she is getting. At the end of the day, she needs to eat and that’s what’s most important.
I had no idea that something as simple as feeding my daughter would cause both of us so much stress and heartache. I keep setting little goals for me and Elliotte. I know that since we made it to one month we can make it to three months and then to six … and so on!
The next goal I’m setting is to lose those pregnancy pounds I had oh so much fun putting on! (Rest in peace late night trips to Baskin-Robbins.)
I just signed up to receive delivered meals from Freshology so I don’t even have to think about eating healthy. It’s been so convenient having delicious healthy food in my fridge that I can quickly grab while Elliotte is napping.
Hopefully this will stop people from asking me how far along I am. (Yes, I’m looking at you lady at the mall. Not nice!)
Thank you for letting me share my mommy journey thus far! As usual, I would love to hear from you so leave a comment or send me a Tweet @marlasok.
– Marla Sokoloff
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