Wednesday, August 20, 2014

WIAW: Mostly Wordless

 
 
Breakfast:
Toast with butter and jelly, cantaloupe, coffee
 

Snack: Unpictured pretzels
 

Lunch:
 
2-egg omlette with low-fat mozzarella cheese, pretzels, and a diet pepsi

 
Dinner:
Turned this--

Into this--
 Spicy sriracha zucchini and shrimp (from this recipe). YUM.

 
Dessert:  
x 10


Monday, August 18, 2014

Weekly Workout Recap: 8/10-8/16

Weekly Workout Recap: 8/10-8/16

 
Sunday, 8/10: 5 mile run & 7 mile walk (split into 2 walks)
Monday, 8/11: 8MA8MA & 2.5 mile walk
Tuesday, 8/12: 20-Minute Made Up Home Circuit
Wednesday, 8/13: 33-Minute Made Up Home Workout & 6 mile walk (split into 2 walks)
Thursday, 8/14: None
Friday, 8/15: "Workout One on One Training with Jackie" DVD - 20 minute arm workout & 4.5 mile walk
Saturday, 8/16: None 


Starting the week off with a run was great! I was really hoping to get 1-2 more runs in, but it just didn't happen. Win some, lose some.



Friday, August 15, 2014

Bailey's 9 Month Stats

Bailey's 9 Month Stats
(totally selfish post, so I don't forget)
 
Weight: 16 pounds, 3 ounce - 10th percentile
Height: 26.75 inches - 24th percentile
Head Circum: 42.9 cm - 21st percentile
Diapers: Size 2
Clothes: 3-6 month
 
 
 
 
Happy Friday!
 

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Made Up Home Circtuit Workout

My love affairs for Jillian Michael and Bob Harper are well known. But, I'll admit it-- I'm getting a bit burnt out on Jillian's 30 Day Shred and I haven't been to the library for 2 weeks to get a new Bob DVD (don't worry- I'm going today). And, I love me some good ol' 80's classic 8-Minute Abs/8-Minute Arms. I mean, the outfits alone rock my socks. But, there's only so many times you can hear "like you're hugging a barrel" before you want to find a barrel to chuck at the TV.

I could use that as an excuse and not workout. I can hear myself now: "But, you did Jillian like 3 times last week and 8 Minute Abs/Arms yesterday! Boooooring. Just take a rest day!!" In fact, I was thiiiiiis close to calling it.

But, I didn't. I decided to just make up something and do it on my own. So, I sat down and wrote down a plan:

Here's what I did:
 
Do each for 1 minute (unless otherwise noted) and then repeat whole circuit:
-Jumping Jacks
-Walking lunges
-Plank (30 sec. on elbows, then 30 sec. on hands)
-Sumo squats holding weights
-Rest (30 seconds)
-Bicycle crunches (30 seconds)
-High knees
-Deadlift with should press
-Row while holding squat
-Leg lifts (whatever kind you want)
-Bicep curl with single leg extensions


I was sweating buckets and the time FLEW by. It was only 20 minutes, but it was a great workout and left my muscles feeling tired and it was exactly what I needed.



Turns out, being bored isn't really a great excuse to not workout. Glad I didn't let myself fall back on it this time. Will I be bored again (probably tomorrow)? Sure. Will I use that as an excuse and skip the workout? I'm sure I will now and then. But, I'm glad I didn't this time!

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

5 Miles! 5 Miles!

Wow. I almost don't even recognize myself. Since when do I get SO EXCITED for a little, short 5-mile run? Oh yeah. Since I had a baby!

Yep! You read right- I ran! This past Sunday morning, I ran FIVE miles! Farthest I've run in.... well, a long time. Yeah, I ran a half a few months ago, but I don't think I ran 5 consecutive miles without walking during that, so I'm calling this better.

Anyway, I ran 5 miles! WAHOO! GO me!!

I woke up Sunday morning at 6:30am, like every morning, to feed Bailey and start our day. We nursed and ate breakfast. She was due to go down for a nap at 8am and when the Hubs woke up at about 7:45am, I knew this was my shot. It was just about as perfect weather for the summer as you can ask-- 70* and overcast. I knew if I didn't get out there for at least a few miles I'd regret it all day.

So, I put Bailey down for her nap, laced up the Brooks, grabbed my Garmin and iPhone, told the Hubs I was going for 3 or 4 miles and took off.

 
Truth? I hated the first mile. It was hotter than I like (Note: see how quickly "perfect" weather turned into too hot? I'm so whiney.) and HELLA humid. I was running sloooow (for me... well, for old me) and my legs felt heavy. About half a mile in, I had to make the decision to keep going straight where I could turn around at any point or head to a trail that would give me 3.5 mile loop. I decided there was NO WAY I'd do 3.5 unless I kinda had to, so I hit the trail, hating every step. 
 
Mile 1: 11:00ish  

Before I knew it, I was through the loop and feeling ok.

Mile 2: 10:30ish
Mile 3: 10:00ish

In fact, I was feeling pretty good. My legs felt loose and I felt like I was running effortless. Crazy how just a few short miles can turn things around so fast. I decided to keep going.

Mile 4: 9:50ish
Mile 5: 9:30ish (big hill for a fast finish, for the win!)

 
My Garmin about died, but hung on juuut long enough. I finished the 5 miles in 51:40. Best time ever? Ha. Not even close. Easy run? Nope. I'd love to say each run is feeling easier, but I'm not really there yet either. I will say they all feel better as the run goes on. It's taking me longer to warm up than it used to. But, I am warming up. While the first part of the runs sucks and I spend every step talking myself into continuing and not stopping, the second part of the runs are kinda rocking and reminding me that I love, love, loooove to run. 
 
Like I could ever forget I love to run! But, hey- the reminder is pretty nice.
 
I'm hoping to get out 1 or 2 more times this week. If I could get a double digit mileage week (Ha! Remember when double digit mile runs were the norm?? We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto.), that'd be pretty sweet.
 
When I finished the run, I was on a pretty sweet runner's high. I finished 5 miles! And felt pretty good! I was a sweaty mess, but I got to come home to the Hubs, Sadie, and this face.
 


What more could a girl ask for? :)

Wanna know what I didn't ask for, though?


Yep. My first chaffing in MONTHS and MONTHS. In a sick way, I suppose I'm kinda proud of it. However, I definitely could do without it, especially as it's on both boobs and having a nursing baby trying to grab and touch it is NOT FUN. Just trust me on that one.

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Bailey - 9 Month Update

Age: I say it every month and I'll say it again. NO WAY!! It is just not possible that little girl is NINE months. NO WAY. How? How is time moving this fast? She's growing up so fast!! SLOW DOWN!! 
 
 
 
Size: We have her 9-month check up tomorrow. I really have no idea where she'll clock in... though I do know girl feels SOLID to me. We'll see! She's still in 3-6 month clothes and size 2 diapers.



Sleep: I'm calling it! We're officially sleeping through the night! YAAAAY! I think after a month of almost no MOTN wake-ups, we can call it official, right? WAHOO! Bailey goes down for the night at about 7:15pm (we nurse at 7 & she does down right after that), I do a nursing dream feed at about 9:45pm (used to be the Hubs giving her a bottle, but now that we cut the MOTN feed, I do this one), and then she's up for the day at about 6:30am. She's doing really well!! Of course, we have our bad nights, but those are definitely the exception, not the norm. I'm going to work on cutting the dream feed soon, but I'm not in a big rush. I don't think she NEEDS it, as she only nurses for about 3 minutes per side during this feed, but I don't want to F-up the STTN, so I'm going to give it another month-ish, I think.



We're still on a solid 3-ish hour schedule and she also still takes 2 solid naps each day-- 8-9:30am and 2-4pm. The last week she's been napping pretty poorly-- fighting going down and waking early. Ugh. But, before that, it was like clockwork. I think she's ready to move to a 4-hour schedule so she gets more wake-time between feeds and naps. Hopefully switching to this will get her back to good naps. We'll see. Wish me luck! 



Nursing & Solids: Life is good here. 9 months and going strong! I have to say-- I'm pretty proud of that! Nursing is hard and time consuming. I'm really happy with how things have gone in this area and am pretty confident we'll make it to a year minimum pretty easily from here.

We're still doing 3 meals of solids a day. She's a pretty good eater. She loves bananas, guacamole (though hates plan avocado... weirdo), puffs, yogurt melts, ground beef, blueberries, cantaloupe, green/red/yellow peppers, broccoli, and more. She'll try just about anything and the only food she pretty much refuses to eat and will just spit back out are eggs and avocado, weirdo. Some days she eats better than others, but overall she does well with meals and eating.



Likes: Sadie. A thousand times over. SADIE, SADIE, SADIE. Girl is OBSESSED with the dog lately. It's the most adorable thing ever. Now that she can pull herself up to standing, poor Sadie isn't even safe on the couch. They're BFFs for life.
This is the a normal scene around these parts... aka, Bailey refusing to let go of a toy (or a sock in this place) and trying to accost Sadie at the same time and then Sadie bolting. Love, love, love.


She's also all about Mommy lately. I am her favorite toy, jungle gym, cuddler, and everything in between. She tries to hang on me anytime I am anywhere near her. I kinda love it, though I'm sure it won't last. I'll be old news any day now.

 
She also loves her kitchen, blankets and pillows, shoes, throwing her food on the floor, and pulling herself up & crawling (or really anyway she can be moving).
 
 
Dislikes: Same. Still. Ugh. The stinking car seat. I do not know what it is. Girl HATES it. She's gotten a bit better with the stroller, so that's good. Progress, perhaps? I just keep hoping and hoping the car seat thing is a phase and we're going to be over it any day now. Fingers crossed.
 
 
Weirdly, towards the end of this month, she also started hating dinner. This sounds nutso, I know. It's the same food. Same seat. Same bib. Same pretty much everything (except that the Hubs is there.... which I guess could be it, but whhhhy??), but she gets SO fussy at dinner. I really hope this is a phase because it's a pain in the ass and just plain annoying. We don't get her out of her seat because we know nothing is wrong and we don't want her to learn "scream at dinner and get what you want!". We don't make her eat, but we don't get her out of her seat til we're done with the meal. Makes for some reallllly fun family dinner time. Ugh.
 
 

New This Month/Special Moments/Milestones:
-2 teeth! Both bottom and right next to each other. They came in one right after the other, too. That was a fun week in this household. Ugh. Teething BLOWS. But, omg-- the teeth! They are SO cute!! And sharp. OMG. She's accidently bitten me a few times either just playing around or while nursing... omg-- oooooouch. NOT fun. I can't even imagine when the top teeth start coming in.
 
-Lots and lots of squaks and squeals. Perhaps this isn't new, but the quanity and crazy loud volume is at new levels this month.
 
-Again, maybe it's not new-- but, girl is on the move and has some serious speed! She's got this crawling and pulling herself up thing DOWN. I'm still calling it-- girl will be walking by 10 months. She's constantly on the move. Constantly.
 


Looking forward to: Is saying everything too cheesy to stomach? Because OMG-- everything. Don't get me wrong - I'm enjoying each and every moment today and living in the present, but I am so excited for everything coming up. Walking! OMG!! I can't wait. First words! The little clumsy baby run! Hearing her say "Mama"! Just everything. EVERYTHING.

Monday, August 11, 2014

Weekly Workout Recap: 8/3-8/9

Weekly Workout Recap: 8/3-8/9

 
Sunday, 8/3: 6 mile walk (split into 2 walks)
Monday, 8/4: None
Tuesday, 8/5: JM30DS
Wednesday, 8/6: JM30DS
Thursday, 8/7: 8MA8MA & 5 mile walk
Friday, 8/8: 6 mile walk (split into 2 walks)
Saturday, 8/9: 3.5 mile walk


Nothing exciting to report. Kinda a quiet week. No news is good news, right?

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Weekly Workout Recap: 7/7-8/2

Weekly Workout Recap: 7/27-8/2

Sunday, 7/27: Jillian Michaels "Shape Up Front" DVD & 5 mile walk (split into 2 walks)
Monday, 7/28: Jillian Michaels "Shape Up Front" DVD 
Tuesday, 7/29: 3.5 mile walk
Wednesday, 7/30: JM30DS & 2.5 mile walk
Thursday, 7/31: JM30DS & 4 mile walk & 3 mile run
Friday, 8/1: 2.5 mile walk
Saturday, 8/2: None



Well, hello there, August! When and HOW did that happen??? Cannot believe it's already AUGUST. Crazy, crazy, crazy. Anyway- decent week. Lots going on, so I'm just glad I got a few workouts in.

Oh, and I rented a non-Bob/non-Jillian workout DVD from the library. MISTAKE. The person leading it was just so annoying. And, they try to get WAY to complicated and fancy with all these combination moves and stuff. I'm far too uncoordinated for that. I mean, I fall while walking in dry weather in flats. Come on now. I'll stick w/ Bob and/or Jillian for a while, I think.
 

Friday, August 1, 2014

Sleep Training

Sleep training a baby is one of the most controversial parenting topics out there.
I have no relevant pictures, so enjoy some newborn shots of her SLEEPING! :)

And, before we go any further, I suppose it's important to remind you that the Hubs and I are kinda inbetween parents. We don't do attachment parenting, where everything is 100% baby-directed and baby decides pretty much everything. But, we did (& still do) nurse, baby wear, and believe in natural birth, all very attachment-parenting-esque. We also don't 100% do parent-directed parenting. We did work hard to get on a schedule, but don't follow 100% of it's belief's and practices either. We're in the middle. That said, if anyone on the child-directed side heard I did sleep training, I'd be ousted. The parent world is a tough one and many people feel VERY strongly about what is right or wrong. I can't really say what's right or wrong for anyone else. All I can say is what we felt was right and did/do for us. Simple as that.

Before having Bailey, I really had no idea what we'd do in terms of sleep training or not. I didn't really even know the options. I guess I just sorta stuck my head in the sand and hoped Bailey would be a good sleeper.


Yeaaaaaah. No dice. Bailey is not one of those ILOVETOSLEEP babies. Not even a little. That's not to say she's a bad baby. She's not. She's a great baby. She's just a mover, not a sleeper. Girl is go, go, go, goooooooooooooooo all. the. time. Wonder where she gets that from? While I LOVE to sleep, I'm much more go-go-go all the time, so I can't be too mad that my daughter is similar. Like mother, like daughter.



So, when it came to sleep-- let's just say I got used to not sleeping through the night. Now, I will say she was never a TERRIBLE sleeper. She RARELY woke more than once in the middle of the night (MOTN) and naps were so-so. She wasn't one of those 4-wake-ups-just-needing-to-be-re-paci-ed babies. Generally, she woke once in the MOTN around 3am, nursed quickly, and went right back down. Even as young as a few months, she was in this routine. Nothing really to complain about. Of course there were off nights, especially when she and I were solo when the Hubs started his new job, but those were always the exception, not the norm. Naps were also so-so. She was in daycare, so they varied on time and length a lot.

We kept up the one MOTN wake up and so-so naps until we moved for the Hubs new job. After that move and I was staying home with B all the time and decided it was time to start really working on getting naps consistent and down.



I started consistently putting her down in the same, quiet place (her crib) at the same time, everyday. Awake, so she'd learn to put herself to sleep. So, we'd nurse, play, and then it was nap time. Everyday. Was it easy? Nope. Was it restrictive on what and when we could do things? Yep. Was it worth it? YES. A thousand times, yes. After a few weeks of this, she is a pretty darn great napper. When we first started, she'd fuss for sometimes up to 20 minutes before falling asleep. Now, max 5 minutes of not even FUSSING-- just like coo-ing to herself- and girl is OUT. Now, if it were up to her, she still wouldn't nap and she'd be goooo goooo gooooooooo until she was so beyond overtired. But, it's not up to her. When it comes to nap and sleep-- I go parent directed. It's up to me. So, she naps. Everyday. 8-9:30am and 2-4pm. Like clockwork. Sometimes there's even a little catnap in the middle of the day around 11:30am. 

Once we got naps down, I wanted to focus on MOTN. I really didn't mind the one wake-up. It was snuggle time and it felt like nothing in the whole world existed except us. It was special. But, she was 7 months old and it was time. I firmly believe babies NEED sleep. It helps them grow and develop and is very, very important for them. I wanted her to have 8ish hours of uninterrupted sleep.  I also KNEW Bailey could physically handle 8 hours of sleep without eating. She isn't 4 weeks old and 5 pounds. She had randomly STTN a few times, as well. I firmly believed (and still believe) she was simply waking out of habit and we just needed to break the MOTN snack habit. I knew she could and just needed a little push. 


And, of course, the idea of ME getting to FINALLY STTN again was also appealing.

 
So, the Hubs and I decided (and, yes- WE decided. While I'm staying at home with Bailey right now so of course I have more of a all-day role with the B-related decisions, WE are her parents and WE make all the major decisions together. Always.) over the 4th of July weekend, since he had an extra day off and we had no plans, we'd do it. Sleep train. The oh-so-dreded Cry It Out (CIO). I was not looking forward to it AT ALL. I know my child and I know girl can CRY. None of this "oh she cried for 10 minutes and then went out." No, no. Girl can CRRRRY. But, it was time. I'd tried other techniques (limiting time at the breast during MOTN feed, changing time of MOTN feed, etc) and nothing worked. CIO was our last resort. It was time.

The first night, Bailey woke up at about 2am. I went in, told her I loved her and patted her for a few seconds and then walked out without turning on lights and without picking her up. SO HARD. Walking away from YOUR baby while she's crying is SO HARD. And, the crying continued. I went in every so often to reminder her we loved her and tell her to go to sleep (never turning on the light or picking her up). And, she kept crying. And crying. I watched her on the video monitor and continued to go in every 20 minuets. It was awful. I hated every second of it. 5 minutes felt like 5 hours. 5am rolled around and she had been crying for 3 hours straight.

 
And, I then committed the #1 CIO cardinal sin. I broke. I couldn't take it. I went in and picked her up and she fell immediately asleep. I tried to set her back down, but she woke back up. So, I held her while she slept til 6:30am and we started our day. While I felt like I failed, I was proud that I did not nurse her. So, small win.

That night, I prepared for battle. I got headphones and my iPad all ready to watch Netflix all night, while having the video monitor up on my phone. I was ready. I went to sleep. Imagine my surprise when I woke up at 2am to nothing. Silent. Fell back asleep and woke back up at 3something & 4something and both times-- silence. 6am came and she finally woke up. SUCCESS!!! She slept through the night!!!!

The next night, same. And the next. We're going on about a month now. Sure, we've had a random night here or there with a quick wake up in the MOTN where she fusses for 5 or 10 minutes, but always goes right back down, on her own.

WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Again, I can't say it's the right move for anyone else. But, it worked for us. It's HARD. CIO is SO hard. I think we got very lucky that it only took 1 night and it still felt like an eternity and I have no idea how I would have taken it any longer. But, it worked for us.

And, she's happy and healthy. And sleeping.

Which makes me very, very happy. :)