Thursday, August 30, 2012

Tip Top Shape

Baby yoga - the hot new thing.
Eli's been in the gym - workin' on his fitness.  He's doing three-a-days.  What a stud.  Sometimes he gets annoyed when his mom lounges on the floor and critiques his form while he's working out, but the effort is paying off!  Here's a little video of his latest workout.


Mama has been in the gym too.  Daddy and Eli have man time about every other day while I relive the golden years working out at the K-State Rec.  Working out is much more entertaining when you can people-watch.  My favorites include the girls who bought their shorts in the toddler section, the freshmen who spend their entire 'workout' walking around in groups of four, and the guys who wear shirts that say 'Testosterone' in giant letters across their chest.  I can't make this stuff up people.  Ah, college students.

That leads me to story #1 - A few days ago, I was doing lunges in the back corner of the weight room (great place to do my people watching covertly).  Just so happened I was standing next to a squat bar that had not been emptied of the four 45 lb plates 'Mr. Testosterone' had apparently been squatting.  A kid walks up and asks if I'm almost done.  Almost done doing my lunges?  Uh, sure.  Then I realize, he's wanting to use the squat bar.  Oh, that?  Yes, I believe I'm done squatting my 225 pounds for the day.  It's all yours.  Ha!


E-man and I have also been lacing up our running shoes again.  What do you do when you get the 'all-clear' at your 6 week appointment?  You buy new running shoes!  These beauties are the Mizuno Inspire 8.  I started wearing these a long, long time ago.  Pretty sure I started with the Inspire 2 way back when.  Anywho, just so happens that the color this year is purple.  Go Cats!


The only 3 pairs that remain in order of demotion from right to left:  running, 'trail' running (aka running anywhere that will get my shoes dirty), and yard work playing in the mud.

So when planning my comeback, I decided I'd give the Couch to 5K training plan a try.  I've always heard great things about it, but honestly had never really been in a position where I needed to work up to a 5K.  Post-pregnancy, however?  That's exactly the position I'm in :)  And...I love it.  If you are thinking you want to get your booty out there and do some running, I'd strongly encourage it.  It's structured for you to do three 30 minute workouts per week.  Well, E and I have lots of time on our hands so we've been moving through the workouts a little quicker than that.  We usually do two at a time giving us an hour workout.  The plan starts out with short amounts of running interspersed with walking.  The first week has you jog 60 seconds, walk 90 seconds for the duration of your 30 minute workout.  I'm currently on Week 6 of the plan and the running portions have gotten significantly longer.  So we're still doing two workouts, but I've switched it up a little.  For the first 30 minutes I complete whichever workout I'm ready for (today was Week 6, Day 1).  For the second half of my workout I go back and do one of the early walk/run workouts.  This allows me to get some interval/speed work in along with the longer runs. Once I get my rear back in shape, I'm eager to check out the C210K app next.

My coach.  No slacking with this guy at the helm.

And that leads me to story #2 - Yesterday, Eli and I are running our usual route, traveling west down Marlatt.  As we approach the bridge that takes us toward home we notice a utility truck with a flashing light on top stopped near our bridge.  As I'm explaining to Eli what a utility worker does, he asks "Why does the utility worker have a net?"  Great question E-man.  That worker has a net because he's not from the utility company, he's from animal control.  Cue blood pressure spike.  At this point we have made it to the bridge and I cheerily ask the man "What are you trying to catch?"  The animal control officer, who looks more qualified to eat a donut than catch an animal, points to the field and says "A dog.  A smart dog."  Oh, I say quickly as I  make my 180 degree turn to scurry back where I came from.  "I wouldn't go over the bridge if I were you," he tells me.  "It's some kind of pit-bull mix and he seems pretty agitated and kind of aggressive."  " K, thanks" I holler over my shoulder as Eli and I make our desperate escape back down Marlatt.  And, for those of you who know me well, you will not be surprised that I cried as I ran until the utility worker, his truck, and his aggressive dog were well out of sight. 

You'll be glad to know Eli and I got up again this morning and laced up our kicks.  We weren't going to let one little puppy dog scare us.  We decided we'd try a new route, far far away from the Marlatt bridge. 

In 4 short days it will be time for E's 2 month post.  Where has time gone?!?  See ya next time.




Monday, August 20, 2012

Rainbows and Cupcakes

*Disclaimer - this post is not about food.  Sorry.

We are seven weeks in and I'm pretty sure I love being a mom.  I especially love being a mom to this guy...



and a parent with this guy...

Eli has the sweetest personality and is SO cuddly.  What more could parents ask for?  That being said, it hasn't all been easy.  R and I have learned that parenting (**spoiler alert**) is not always rainbows and cupcakes.  That's right folks.  Raising a child is a challenge and it challenges the predictability and control right out of your life. 

About two weeks ago our sweet, cute and perfect baby turned into Mr. Fussypants...at least after 3:00 pm.  Granted, he was not colicy or inconsolable, but his sweet demeanor that appeared every morning seemed to disappear every evening.  R and I trudged through about a week of this and I am happy to report we are on the other side.  Here's how we navigated the bumpy waters...

1.  Baby Boot Camp - As I've said before, R and I completely believe in letting our baby cry it out.  I am here to tell you it is much easier to believe in that method when your baby doesn't cry.  When your baby does start to cry, however, that's where the rubber meets the road.  Two weekends ago R spent three days letting/listening to Eli cry and scream and yell.  Of course we made sure he wasn't hungry, dirty, or have any other obvious issue.  Once we knew he was perfectly fine, we let him have at it.  About every 10 minutes or so, R would check on him and calm him down, letting him know we were still there, but we didn't pick him up.  R suffered through his entire weekend putting E through the ropes at Baby Boot Camp.  And come Monday morning?  I got to spend the day with an angel.  Seriously.  He was perfect.  R had taught him that he could, in fact, soothe himself and mama got to reap the benefits.  I'm not going to lie, I did feel a little bad that I got to enjoy the spoils of all of R's hard work, but Ryan definitely deserves the credit.  Way to go daddy!

2.  Operation Over-stimulation
Another major change in Eli's life occurred around this same time.  We got the go ahead from our pediatrician to stretch E's feedings out to 4 hours during the day and let him go as long as he could at night.  Well if you feed a baby for 30 minutes, play with a baby for 30 minutes and then let him nap for the remainder of the 4 hour cycle, that's a three hour nap.  Surely he's not supposed to sleep that long we thought!  Our biggest fear of letting Eli sleep so much during the day was that he would get his days and nights confused.  If there is one thing this kid has known how to do since day one, it is sleep at night.  And we weren't willing to compromise that for anything.  Thus began our attempt to keep Eli awake for longer periods:  we sang, we read, we danced.  We rattled, squeaked, and crunched every toy in the house.  And when he got fussy or fidgety, we tried harder.  Until I read a nifty little article about overstimulating babies.  The article stated that you know a baby is over-stimulated when he turns away from you (check), gets fidgety (check), arches his back (check), fusses (check), or shuts his eyes (check).  Turns out our attempt to entertain our fussy baby was just making him fussier.  As soon as mama and daddy backed off, gave him some space and let him sleep, E was just fine.  Once again, we learned the hard way that Eli usually knows what he needs if we just pay a little bit of attention. 

So here we are a week later.  Eli is still sleeping at night and is a much, much happier baby during the day.  Of course he still cries from time to time, but mama and daddy are getting much better at reading his cues.  So, now that we've got this figured out, what is the next curve ball you're going to throw little man?!? 

Who you callin' 'Mr. Fussypants'?!?

Friday, August 10, 2012

Mama Details


When I was pregnant (or any other time really) I loved reading about other people's experiences and 'must-knows' for being a mom.  So, for you mom types....or if you just have nothing better to do than read this blog, here are the 'mama' details...

Breastfeeding - Yes, we are doing it and it's going great.  We ran into a little technical difficulty (faulty equipment) around Day 5, but that issue was fixed with a $10 Medela purchase from Target and we're good to go.

Bottles - We just introduced E to his first bottle yesterday.  He really didn't seem to care that it wasn't a boob as long as it had what he wanted.  Question - how do we know how much to feed him?  We gave him a 4 ounce bottle and I think he would have eaten more if we would have let him.  However, later, he was spitting up as if to say...'I'm overflowing!'  Hmmm....

Sleep Training - Yes, we are doing it and it's going well ...for us.  This is definitely something that is a personal preference and it's not the only way to raise your baby.  I have a lot of friends who are the MOST wonderful moms and have very different philosophies that work amazingly well.  So, if you're a new/soon-to-be mom, find what works for you, not what works for someone else.

R and I both read Babywise and The Baby Sleep Solution....multiple times.  We are not hyper-scheduly type people, but we do agree with the philosophies...not just for sleeping, but for life in general.  (Having a 'plan' also greatly reduced the amount of parental anxiety we experienced.  We didn't know if it would work, but at least we had a plan!)  The basic purpose of these books is to help parents teach their babies how to establish a routine and how to become independent.  We want E to be able to self-soothe and calm himself down without being completely dependent on eating, on us, or on a certain piece of baby equipment.  The main rule we follow is to never let E fall asleep in our arms.  Yes, we cuddle him and yes, we rock him (plenty!) but as soon as he gets drowsy (or when mama decides she's hungry and wants to eat lunch) we put him down.  This way he has learned that he can fall asleep without us.  If he fusses when we put him down or if he wakes up in the middle of a nap, we follow the five minute rule...the "Limited Crying Solution" (sounds so official, doesn't it).  Essentially, we let him 'cry it out' for 3-5 minutes before going in to help soothe him.  This brings us to Rule #2 - Soothe the baby without picking him up.  We will  pat his tummy, give him his paci, shush him, or turn on his white noise, but we won't pick him up.  This will help him (eventually) learn that he can fall asleep without needing to be rocked, held or fed.  (Editor's note:  During the 3 days that mama ate the wrong food, these rules went out the window - when your baby's tummy hurts, you do what you have to do!)  Finally, we follow the Eat-Wake-Sleep cycle.  Eli eats, then we play for a good 20-30 minutes (or 2 hours if he's not feeling a nap) then he sleeps.  Again, this helps him establish a routine and it keeps him from falling asleep on the boob and becoming dependent on that.  Ok, enough of that.  If you're still reading this, more power to you :)

Time for a picture break?  I think so.
This was obviously an important day....Eli wore pants. 

- Stuff:  Now that we are a month into this and I'm clearly an expert (ha!!) here is my opinion on baby stuff.  Take it or leave it :)  (Note to new moms:  I have decided you will use exactly 10% of all the stuff you get when you have a baby...the rest of it will take up room in your closets :)  So, if I was running out of the house and could only grab 10 things, here's what they would be....

- Bouncy seat - ours is a hand-me-down and it is is our most used 'accessory.'  E loves it because it keeps him a little more upright which gives him a different view of the world and helps when his tummy doesn't feel real great.
- Halo sleep sack/swaddle - this is what they used in the hospital and we promptly sent Grandma to Babies R Us to purchase one for home.  He sleeps in it every night.
- 'Mam' pacifier - we have 3 different brands and this is the current winner.  We also like the Nuk, but it is too easy for the little man to grab the handle and pull it out of his mouth.
- Receiving blankets and burp clothes- In our house receiving blankets get used for warmth, binky blockers (Ryan has a great 'shoulder tuck' method to keep E from spitting out his binky), and carseat head rests.  Also, I quickly learned that having 25 burp clothes is not too many. 
- Books - We read.  A lot.  Our favorites include Goodnight Moon, Goodnight iPad, SkippyJohn Jones, I Love you Through and Through, I Love You Stinky Face, Mother Goose and Willie the Wildcat's ABCs.
- Diapers and Onesies-   And more diapers and onesies.  And then one more handful of diapers and onesies.  We bounced back and forth between Pampers Swaddlers and Huggies.  We had a lot of trouble with leakage....but we soon discovered it was an issue with mom and dad's diapering abilities, not the diapers.  However, we have chosen Pampers for the time being.  We'll see what happens as he grows.
- Nipple Shield - This was the remedy for the 'faulty equipment' mentioned above.  He is getting back in the swing of things eating without it, but for now it is like gold.
- Camera - R and I bought a 'good' one back in May.  All we had was our phones and decided our child deserved a little better than that.  We splurged and purchased a Canon T2i and we love it!  We've even learned how to shoot in manual mode.  We're not experts, but we're getting there.
- Boppy - Necessary?  Maybe not.  But such a wonderful convenience that it made the Top 10 list?  Definitely.  It will also serve many other purposes as he grows up.
- Quilt/Blanket - Eli was lucky enough to get two quilts made for him and he loves them both.  This is probably the most used item in our house and we can prove it by all of the spit-up and pee stains all over it (okay, just kidding about the stains, I wash it regularly.  But he really does use it all the time!)

Obviously we have lots of other 'stuff' that we use on a day-to-day basis, but this gives you a good idea.

Oh yeah, if you're a 'regular' - check the 1 month post again...the stats are updated :)

Friday, August 3, 2012

Baby Check: 1 Month

Has it been a month already?  In some ways, it seems like there is no way E is a month old and in other ways it seems like he's been a part of our family forever.  It's funny how hard it is to remember life without him.  It is definitely true, a baby takes your world and flips it upside down.  And, sweet Eli, we wouldn't trade this upside-down world for anything.  We love you so much.



During your first 10 days of life, Daddy and I kept wondering if all newborns were as good as you.  You ate well, slept well, never fussed, and were very alert.  I think you were just giving us some time to catch up on our sleep before you started seeing what we were made of.  Don't get me wrong, you are still all of those things, but you've also given us a few challenges along the way.  At about 10 days you decided you weren't so sure about napping.  You could take it or leave it.
You're still taking pictures?!!

It was also around this time that you started getting congested.  Apparently Daddy and I are going to be those parents...you know, the ones who call the pediatrician's office 3 times in the first 10 days.  Luckily, we have an 'in' with one of the labor and delivery nurses and also an amazing nurse practitioner in Overland Park.  We'll spread our questions among all our 'resources' so our pediatrician's office will keep taking our calls.
I said I don't want to!
Around 3 weeks mama learned that she can't eat 'gassy' vegetables or lots of garlic.  It only takes about an hour of a fussy, gassy baby to make you ward off any food, no matter how much you like it.
Fine, you can take my picture, but I don't have to smile.

During this first month you have also had lots and lots and lots of visitors.  We have had only a few days that didn't include a visitor and I've loved it.  Granted, it is a little challenging to get your baby in a routine when every day is different, but I love having the company during the day and E loves meeting all of his new friends and family!

This is how tummy time is done people.


 
At one month you...
- are a wonderful sleeper at night.  Our bedtime routine includes a few bedtime stories (or watching the Olympics) while you eat, a clean diaper, your 'chef' shirt, swaddle, kisses and you're out.  You sleep anywhere from 3-4.5 hours before waking mama up to eat.  When you're done eating daddy comes to change you, re-swaddle, give kisses and you're out again. The kid knows his parents need their sleep!
- hate having your arms swaddled.  No matter how tightly we wrap you, you can Houdini your way out of that thing so we have given up swaddling your arms at all.  You always sleep with your arms by your head or over your face.
- aren't so sure how you feel about naps.  For the first 10 days of life we could lay you anywhere at any time and you would fall asleep instantly.  Now you prefer your 'bouncy' and are much more awake and alert.  If you're tired enough, you will fall asleep.  You like to nap in your bouncy, in your crib, or sometimes on your tummy (with mom or dad watching of course).
Ahhh, ma - turn out the lights!

- love reading books (favorites are Goodnight Moon, Skippyjohn Jones, Little Blue Truck, I Love You Through and Through and Willie's ABCs) and singing songs (Jesus Loves Me, The Wheels on the Bus, I Like to Ride My Bicycle, Itsy Bitsy Spider, and the K-State Fight Song)
- can hold your head up for about 45 seconds and can turn your head from side to side.  You usually like tummy time and are getting stronger every day!
Hi guys!

- have a pretty strong grip and have started 'supporting' your own weight and bouncing when daddy holds you up.  
- love your carseat.  Whether it's for a walk or for a drive, it doesn't take you long to hit dreamland in this thing.  Let's hope it stays that way :)
- eat like your father.  That is, you eat only when you want to eat and never an ounce more.  You eat every three hours during the day, but we usually have to wake you up to keep you on schedule.  Unfortunately, you are sometimes more interested in sleeping than eating.  Mama just loves it when you purse those lips together as if to say "make me, mom."  Ha.
- have started cooing and talking.  I especially love it when you 'talk' to the characters in your books.
- have rolled over three times.  Pretty sure they were all a fluke, but it was still fun to watch!
- smile and laugh....when you have gas.  No responsive smiles yet, but we're getting there :)
Got your tickets to the gun show?!?

- fart like it's your job.  If you have held our son while he's sharted in your arms, you know what I mean.  You were probably politely thinking to yourself 'this kid just pooped all over me, but he's tiny and he's cute so I'll just keep smiling and talking like nothing happened.'  So far, he's only blown out his diaper on mom and dad.  If I'm wrong about this, Eli says he's sorry :)
- seem to enjoy your baths...or at least tolerate them without crying.  You really seem to like getting your hair washed which is good because it won't be long before mama is dumping water over your head getting you ready for the swimming pool.
- are completely loved by your parents and completely spoiled by your aunts and grandparents.

Your stats:
Birth weight:  6 lb 1 oz
Weight at 1 week appointment: 6 lb 1 oz.  - Good Job!
Weight at 2 week appointment:  7 lbs.  - Holy cow...we've got an eater!

1 month appointment:
Weight:  9 lb. 6 oz - 31%
Length:  22.5 in - 60%
Head - 37.5 cm - 29%
You also got your 2nd round of Hep B vaccine.  You gave a pretty good holler when she stuck you, but you calmed down quickly.  Great job bubba!

We love you baby boy and think you're just about the best thing ever.