Tales from my Tire Swing

Friday Fit Club: Completing a 5K

2011-05-06T10:00:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I 'ran' the Run For Your Heroes 5K sponsored by the Raleigh Policy Department. Although everyone seems to think I can run, I can verify (and past posts will back me up) that I am not a runner. However, I would love to be a runner and be able to just go out in the morning for a run. So, several weeks ago I joined a Couch to 5K program through the Cary YMCA. A group met every Tuesday with a running coach and several running mentors. Slowly but surely I was able to increase my distance until I was able to consistently 'run' a 5K for about 3 weeks straight and on race day I finished with my personal best time!

The run was not easy. It was hard to maintain my personal pace with everyone passing me. It was also hard to see little kids sprinting past me. But with my headphones in and my playlist going I slowed myself down until I got to the halfway mark. I then picked up my speed a bit trying to get a good time, but also trying to make sure I would not burn out too fast. When I turned the corner and saw the finish I began to sprint I was so excited... I quickly slowed my pace when I realized I could not maintain that through to the finish and then picked it up again when I was about 4 blocks away. Crossing the finish felt really great and I was able to pass people on my run to the finish, which sort of felt like redemption for the start of the race.

I need to disclose that I am a very slooooow runner, but at this point I am just happy to have completed the race. The next hurdle will be the Lawyers Have Heart 10K in Washington, D.C. The good news is that I 'ran' 4.5 miles earlier this week and felt great. I will also continue training at the YMCA on my own. My goal is to just finish the run without walking, which I have never done in the past and even though I know some of those 'fast walkers' will be passing me, I will just turn the headphones up and run my own race!

Fashion: Let's Update my Look

2011-05-03T11:30:00.000-07:00

I recently began receiving subscriptions to Cosmo and Elle magazines and I am following Rachel Zoe on twitter. These influences, along with the fact that I feel pretty good about myself these days has led me to want to update my look. The problem is that I have had a lot of trouble finding trendy clothes that look good, fit well and are age appropriate. Banana Republic, J-Crew and Ann Taylor can only do so much and are not as trendy as I would like. Express and Limited are ok, but in my head I am looking for the cover of Elle! So, in an attempt to expand my boring wardrobe I tried to shop at the department stores. The problem is that I am finally admitting to myself that I am too old to shop in the junior section (well, let’s be honest… those shorty-shorts really did the trick). So off to the ladies department where I found many older old ladies shopping for frumpy outfits. I then proceed to mope around the mall in the hopes that I will find something, anything that I sort of like. I did see a shirt on a mannequin outside of Hollister that I really liked. I entered fearing that I would be laughed at, but under cover of darkness I am not sure anyone could really tell my age. I quickly found the shirt and grabbed one two sizes up from normal (since there clothes are intended to fit Barbie, and not a girl the size of Barbie, actually Barbie). I proceeded to hold my breath and find my way to the register – victory… one shirt. Hasn’t everyone seen that 30 Rock episode, #true.

After declaring the mall a complete waste I felt defeated. I thought I would have to buy everything online and then deal with returning everything when it inevitably did not fit until… I decided to try out the local boutique. I pass Gigi’s Boutique every time I go to the grocery store. I always like the clothes in the window, but for some reason I always felt a bit scared of boutiques. I think I have been scared that I would not be able to afford the clothes or not be classy enough and the salesgirl would peer down at me like a child. But with the realization that I can no longer shop in the junior departments equally came the realization that I am no longer a child. I also realized that the department stores are not inexpressive! Encouraged by these thoughts I entered the boutique to find a very friendly salesgirl who helped me fill my dressing room. I tried on pretty much everything and left with several outfits. Mission accomplished!

If I want to buy relaxed or inexpensive clothes I will stick to the outlets or Old Navy, but for everything else I am going to skip the heartache of the mall and head straight to the boutiques. Hopefully I can hit these boutiques when traveling and build an ‘awesome’ wardrobe that Rachel Zoe would approve of (for me anyway).

Manic Mommy Monday: Traveling

2011-04-25T10:43:00.000-07:00

Traveling with a toddler... Ug. For the Easter holiday we traveled to Maryland from North Carolina to visit with family. For both legs of the trip I had tried to plan the driving around Mattingly's nap/ sleep schedule. Well, she did not want to sleep. I am not sure if she was just really interested in everything that was going on or what, but she only slept about an hour (right before we arrived) on the trip up and slept for another hour (as soon as we got in the car) on the way home. This was not what I planned and although she was a great in the car for the 6 hour drives, it was much harder to try to keep her occupied. I found myself turned around for most of the trip picking up dropped/thrown books and pacifiers. Overall she was a real trooper, but if she had slept for 3 hours each way as planned, it would have been much easier. I am not sure how people who do even longer trips manage!

Reviews: Buffett in Raleigh

2011-04-24T10:40:00.000-07:00

Jimmy Buffett came to Raleigh last week (Apr. 19) and like most local Parrotheads I took the day off work and ventured out to taligate and see the show. I have been to many many Buffett shows in various states and am pretty critical, especially after the poor tailgating experience in Raleigh a few years ago. I had originally planned to have my bestfriends come down from MD/VA for the show, but since it was on a Tuesday they could not make it. I then found out that my Aunt would be in town so Paul and I ended up going with my Mom and my Aunt. First rule of the parking lot, claim your tailgating spot! We did and ended up in one of the best tailgating spots that Walnut Creek has to offer (people were actually mad at us). Anyway, we made nice and handed out margarita and pina colada cupcakes. Soon our tailgate neighbors became our best friends. Paul and I went on the mandatory walk-about (adventure around the parking lot) and although it was nothing compared to the shows I have seen in VA and FL, everyone was a lot of fun and I even scored a new Lanshark Lager banner to display at the next tailgate. Overall the tailgate experience was fun... but not enough to continue writing about...

Onto the show. While Ilo opened I maneuvered my party through the crowds in the lawn until we were front and center. Then the show began and when Buffett opened with Wino and I Know, I knew it would be a good show! While most people sat during the 'ole stuff' and everyone stood during the 'yellow CD songs' I was the opposite. Screaming and yelling like a 12 year old at a Justin Bieber concert and sang to every song. Below is a list of my favorites...

The Wino and I Know
Off to See the Lizard (with new verse about falling off stage in Australia
Life is Just a Tire Swing
Great Filling Station Holdup
Lady I Can't Explain
School Boy Heart
Sending the Old Man Home
Chanson Pour Les Petits Enfants
Coast of Carolina
In the City (with Mac)
Survive

This is a list of a lot of really great songs and I can't believe how many more greats are out there. This show seemed more like a tribute to true fans than just catering to the Buffett fans for a day and I really appreciated that! This was reinforced by the few other die hards I could hear screaming in the crowds 'His best friend Magnus right by his side... once around Venus twice around Mars.' He did not play Drunk and Screw and I could not be happier! The weather could not have been more perfect! Now summer has officially begun and it will not end until the VA show in August.

Fins Up!

Manic Mommy Mondays: Just say "No"?

2011-04-18T10:23:00.000-07:00

Well, the early stages of the 'terrible twos' have begun... whether from us or the other kids at school, Mattingly has learned the word 'No.'

Do you want to get dressed? No.

Do you want to stay in your pajamas? No.

Do you want more food? No.

Are you all done? No.

Do you want to go outside? No.

Do you want to stay inside? No.

No, no, no... so frustrating. I have read that during this phase we need to be more careful and not phrase the things we want in the form of a question. We need to use more demanding language. This has actually worked. When I say 'put the blocks back on the shelf', she still says 'no' but precedes to follow the instruction. It is kind of unelievable. My guess is that she does not even know what 'no' means. Hopefully if we just ignore what she is saying she will just assume it has no effect and she will stop saying it.

Friday Fit Club: P90X Review

2011-04-15T19:08:00.000-07:00

P90X is a workout program from Beach Body which promises "In just 90 days, you can get back in shape, or build the body you've always wanted. All you need is a set of dumbbells or resistance bands, a pull-up bar, and about an hour a day. No gym membership required."

My husband and I borrowed the P90X program from my mother. We would put our daughter to bed and workout, every night. Chin ups, pull ups, lunges, jumps and crazy one handed and clap push ups. We were strict for 8 weeks, then we would miss a night or be too tired, but we continued and finished most of the last month. The results were great. I finally slimmed down my arms after the pregnancy and my legs and stomach were toned. I was in shape for the summer and we took a few months off, as suggested by the program.

We tried to start back up again early this spring, but not even the results from the 1st round could motivate me to put the necessary time into the program. The shortest workout is 52 minutes (not including the ab workout) and the longest is 90 minutes. One option is to wake up at 6:00 am to workout and still have time to shower, wake Mattingly and get her to school and us to work. We tried this for a bit, but I am NOT a morning person. The other option is to workout again after Mattingly goes to sleep. The problem with that is there are so many other things that need to happen, I can't focus. So, as Paul continues to wake up at 6:00am, I sleep.

My review - if you have all the time in the world, this is a great workout and provides great results. But if you are a mother who works full time and tries her best to take care of her husband and her house, this workout is just too time consuming.

Actors as Role Models?

2010-10-28T08:51:00.000-07:00

CNN recently shared a poll where many people thought that Charlie Sheen should be removed from his hit show because of his actions off the stage ... drunken craziness... This has also come up recently with Mel Gibson losing his job on the sequel to "The Hangover", the reprimand from parents associations about sexy photos of 17 year old Miley Cyrus and talks about whether Lindsey Lohan can resurrect her career after her rehab stint. I am not condoning any bad behavior, but these people are ACTORS!!! If their off stage antics does not effect their ability to do their job than why should any of us care? Most actors did not choose the career because they wanted to be role models to us all, they choose it because it would give them the Hollywood life that we all grew up envying (or maybe they like to act). Either way, they don't care about how there actions effect you and they shouldn't.

The ones who want to be role models participate in campaigns to help young children or causes they believe in. We can respect that, but we can't hold everyone in Hollywood to that standard. Are we so naive as to think that Cary Grant never got drunk and trashed a hotel room or that Judy Garland wasn't a drug addict who had been confined to a mental institution... oh wait, that happened. Is it that we have forgotten that even the icons in Hollywood were part of the Hollywood stigma, or is it just that TMZ was not there to catch the every mistake?

Get over it. We choose who our role models are and good role models effect our lives more than just on or off the screen. Role models should inspire us to be more and to acheieve great things. But even good role models may fail and hopefully we can learn from their mistakes and be better for it. Of course it would be nice if the people we see and sometimes idolize were perfect. but no one is perfect, we are just lucky that no one follows us around 24/7 with a camera.

Kissing my mommy guilt goodbye

2010-09-21T12:55:00.000-07:00

I recently read the article "Kiss Mommy Guilt Goodbye" from Parenting.com and it was very refreshing. As I talk to more and more mommies I have come to find that when giving a first impression we all want everyone to think that our lives are perfect. Our wonderful children eat anything, sleep well, don't have tantrums and know their multiplication tables by their 2nd birthday. We love them so much and want to spend every minute with them. We miss them when we are away and just love being mommies. I am sure that there are mommies out there who become teary eyed and miss their children when they go the bathroom, but not all of us, and trying to be the 'perfect mom' makes us feel guilty because we know inside that we need our Me Time.

I have been traveling to DC recently for work and other events and have been able to spend good time with my friends. I really enjoyed my time away was starting to feel guilty about having fun away from my daughter. I love being a mom, but I there is more to me than that and I really do not want to change. I have recently been trying to make friends in our 'new' (3 years now) town, so I joined a few meetup groups and a mommy group. My husband was reading an email we received which listed several activities including, book club, crafting club, cooking/meal planning, and a games nights. I asked if he thought beer pong would be included in game night. He looked at me and said 'I can't believe you are a mom'. Yeah, me too!

You can stop judging now... I did make my daughter christening gown from a pattern and made all of her food fresh until she was 1 (I still make her fruits). I know that I am a good mom, but that does not mean that my life must now be consumed by fingerpaints and puppets. It is about finding the right balance so that you do not lose who you are. Having a night or two out with my husband or friends is a good thing and I know that when I get home she will come running to give me a hug and I will appreciate that hug more than ever!

I am a "Woman Driver"

2010-03-08T11:53:00.000-08:00

Oh jeez... I always laughed at the stereotype of a 'woman driver', even contributing when I passed a 'woman driver' on the highway with their blinker on too long, or when they are swerving all over the place. Do having children make you a bad driver? I don't have the statistics about whether all those 'woman drivers' that I have made fun of have children, but that is the only logical explanation for my recent parking job.

I have always prided myself on my good driving. I always use my blinker (to an OCD level), I am courtesty and thoughful when it comes to other drivers and am pretty cautious. Although I tend to have a lead foot, I am a very safe driver. I used to curse drivers who would park over the line and prevent me from enjoying the full space that I thought was MINE. I took this picture of my parking job while dropping Mattie off at day care the other day. Really!

I don't know what my problem is but I have noticed that I have been parking poorly ever since she was born. Is bad driving hormonal, or do we just stop caring about every other driver because we have more important things to worry about? I am sure the mom or dad who parked next to me cursed me when they learned they could not have there child exit on the drivers side because I was taking up too much space! I am going to try to make it in the lines next times, but no promises. One day at a time...

I run like Homer Simpson!

2010-01-21T14:23:00.000-08:00

In order to be a happier Me, I need to get ‘back’ into shape. To be honest, I am not sure I ever really was ‘in’ shape, so ‘back’ may be a stretch. I have always been athletic, gymnastics, basketball, softball… but I could NEVER run. I always envied my roommate in college who would come back from runs, sweaty but refreshed. I wish I could just go out for a run, but it would always end up being a 5 minute jog followed by some huffing and puffing and ended with me looking ridiculous as I walked back home. I tried to run a 10K for the American Heart Association’s Lawyers Have Heart, but my friend was running circles around me trying to motivate me to push harder so that the little bus at the end would not force me to get on. I have been going to the gym and trying to run on the treadmill, but it is sooo hard. Twice the 80 year old guy was running 8 minute miles while I had to stop every .25 miles to walk and catch my breath… pretty embarrassing but I have to start somewhere. I have looked around on the internet and found some advice as to how to become a runner. First, I need to get over my ego and accept that I am NOT in shape. I need to walk/run/walk and not feel bad about it. My schedule is below. I consider myself in Week 1 now and Week 2 will start next week.

Week one: Walk for 6 minutes, then jog at an easy pace for 1 minute. Repeat 3 times. Aim for three sessions with that same sequence for week one.

Week two: Walk for 5 minutes, then jog for 2 minutes. Repeat 3 times. Aim to do three sessions in week two.

Week three: Walk for 3 minutes, then jog for 4 minutes. Repeat 4 times. Aim for four sessions in week three.

Week four: Walk for 2 minutes, then jog for 5 minutes. Repeat 4 times. Shoot for four of those sessions in week four.

Week five: Walk for 2 minutes, then jog for 8 minutes. Repeat 3 times. Do four of those sessions in week five.

Week six: Walk for 2 minutes, then jog for 9 minutes. Repeat 3 times. Try to do four sessions for week six.

Week seven: Walk for 1 minute, then jog for 11 minutes. Repeat 3 times. Do four sessions this week.

Week eight: Congratulations on making it to week eight! For your first run this week, try walking for 5 minutes to begin and end the workout, and run for 20 minutes in between. By the end of the week, try to run for 30 minutes without stopping.

This schedule is taken from About.com, which actually has a lot of good running advice. I few more tidbits I plan to incorporate into my routine are:

Land Midfoot - Don't be a toe runner or a heel-striker. If you land on your toes, your calves will get tight or fatigue quickly and you may develop shin pain. Landing on your heels means you have overstrided and you're braking, which wastes energy and may cause injury. Try to land on the middle of your foot, and then roll through to the front of your toes.

Fight the Mental Battle - Some beginner runners are actually physically fit enough to run a certain distance, but they don't have the confidence or mental strength to push themselves farther. In many cases, it's simply "mind over matter." Try to distract yourself by playing mind games, choosing new running routes, or running with other people.

Set Small Goals for Yourself - Having very short-term goals to work toward can also help with the mental challenges of running longer. Your goals can be as simple as, "Run to the next stop sign" (and then the next stop sign, and the one after that). As long as it keeps you moving, it doesn't matter how lame or uninspired your goal might seem.

Make running a priority - Schedule your runs and get your spouse on board so you get help with some of the child-care responsibilities. And get creative by taking advantage of opportunities to run. For example, if you're watching your kid's soccer game, run some laps around the field before or even during the game.

Here’s to staying motivated and meeting my weekly goals. Check back in to see how I am doing and of course your advice and support is welcome!

Finding that One Particular Harbor

2010-01-15T09:55:00.000-08:00

Those that know me well know that I can stress over little things and am slightly OCD about order around me. I can get frustrated easily and need an outlet for such frustration or it just bottles up. I always wanted to find 'peace within' but without actually escaping to the sand and surf that calms me best I just can't seem to focus. I thought yoga would be a good way to get centered and in shape at the same time, but I became bored after about 5 minutes and then just thought of all the things I still needed to get done and the fact that I could be doing those things right then.

I have not always been this on edge and long for the days where flip flops and a good song would take me to that "One Particular Harbor". It is just so hard to get there now! I was flipping through the latest edition of Carolina Parent Magazine and stumpled upon an article called "The Secret to Happiness: It's No Secret." It turns out that in my struggle to balance everything in my life, putting Me last is the worst thing I could do. The article suggests taking time for myself and for my husband in order to be happy all around. Of course I do not appreciate that the article points out that shopping is NOT a positive activity, but I did find the article very interesting.

One bit of advice that I plan to incorporate in my daily life is to appreciate the 'micro-moments' and stop focusing on the huge stressful decisions. For example, I am going to stop thinking about where to send my kid to school and be happy that my husband is going to bring me a Chipotle burrito for lunch! If I can be happy with the little things, I think this will help with my overall attitude. I am also going to try to schedule 1 thing for myself each day. Maybe a bubble bath, maybe 15 minutes with a book... it doesn't matter how small, but this can give me something to look forward to each day. Today I will try to file my nails, they are getting pretty ragged. I will start small and work up to larger events that require a sitter. I also need to remember that I have a great life and no matter what work or other commitments may bring nothing is really THAT bad. Especially in light of the earthquake disaster in Haiti I need to wake up every morning and sing 'Its a beautiful day' and truly appreciate my life.

Another bit of good advice is to lower expectations. I rely heavily on lists for everything that I do. In a way it helps free my mind because I know everything I need to do is on the list, but at the same time it causes great stress when everything has not been completed. I need to lower my expectations and set goals of completing 3 things on the list a day. Now if only I could get everyone else to lower their expectations of me!

Here are 10 Steps to Increase Happiness as provided in the article:

1. Put on your own oxygen mask first. (Or take care of yourself first.)

2. Build a village.

3. Expect effort and enjoyment, not perfection.

4. Choose gratitude, forgiveness and optimism.

5. Raise children’s emotional intelligence.

6. Form happiness habits.

7. Teach self-discipline.

8. Enjoy the present.

9. Rig the environment for happiness.

10. Eat dinner together.

Good luck making a happier you!

Blogging 101

2010-01-13T12:18:00.000-08:00

I am pretty sure the number 1 rule for writing an interesting blog is actually WRITING something and then hoping it is interesting to others. Well, the writing has been my problem. My excuse ... I don't have enough time. Really though it only takes a few minutes to write a blog, so my New Year's resolution is to contribute to my blog at least once a week. After spending hours trying to get this 'cool' new header added, I should at least write SOMETHING!

Thanks to My Messy Paradise for her "A Post About Blogging" which provided a lot of helpful links to keep me going!

Any other advice please comment.

Thank you note etiquette

2009-11-16T15:27:00.000-08:00

Before I begin please let me say that I am sincerely grateful for every gift that I and my family have ever received!

I understand that after a graduation party you should certainly send out thank you notes, especially to those who gave the gift you really wanted... money. I think of this as a right of passage into adulthood and a way to show respect to your elders (because let's face it, your friends who graduate with you aren't buying you a gift). I equally understand that after your wedding you must send thank you notes for all gifts received. I consider this a test of the husband and wife's ability to handle the tense situation of who will actually write the notes.

However, I must argue that once a child is brought into this world all bets should be off! I typically enjoy writing thank you notes and do my best to make them as personal as possible. For the gifts we received before Mattingly was born I was on the ball. I had written all thank yous, addressed them and stamped them. The day we got home from the hospital with our little girl, they were in the mail. Once the news that she was born circulated the cococnut telegraph, additional gifts began pouring in and of course I LOVED it. I loved opening little tiny dress shoes and cute outfits and toys, etc... but then I realized that I needed to write thank you notes, WHAT! When I go all day without going to the bathroom because she is a baby and needs to be taken care of, when exactly am I to write thank you notes? How am I suppose to personalize thank you notes to people I have never met, who just happen to be friends of our relatives. Of course I appreciate the thoughtfulness and I understand the fun of buying baby presents, even for someone you don't know but really? We even received a few presents without a card or a name and we had to track down who they were from. I have done my best to get them all out and I feel caught up but today, when I was going through our address list to make sure it is up to date for Christmas, it hit me like a mack truck that I sent thank you cards to one person twice, once for the gift they gave us and once for the gift someone else gave us. Yes, that means I missed one and I know it. When I thought it, but could not confirm I could sleep at night. Now I know that there is still one more to write and it is weighing on me.

Of course you may think... hey lazy idiot, you could be writing it now... yeah, I thought of that too!

I think I am just getting fed up with it. I still have hostile feelings from the wedding thank yous. We had them all out within the first two months, but we still had to hear "Aunt/Uncle so and so hasn't received a thank you note, of course she/he just wanted to make sure you got the gift, but you should probably send one soon" from our parents. Really, I mean really. Can we have a moment? It makes me wonder if that person gave us a gift just for the thank you note. Well guess what (no I won't go there).

Is this generational? I don't expect a thank you note for the gifts that I send. I send them because I want to send them. I have started to write "no thank you note necessary" on the message because I do not want to cause anyone any stress, especially those people I care enough about to give a gift to. Maybe I just need to start giving anonomously... well let's be real, I still want some recognition, I am not a saint! Maybe Mattingly's generation will be the ones who send everything anonomously, now wouldn't that be the true meaning of selfless giving.

Seven Minutes in Heaven

2009-11-03T11:53:00.000-08:00

I am not talking about what all of you (not me of course) did in high school... I am talking about taking a shower! With a baby in the house and daddy at work most of the day, I try to squeeze in a quick shower in the morning before Mattingly wakes up. I put the monitor on the sink so I can see if the little dots go up, meaning she is crying, and turn the heat up. This is probably the most relaxing time of my day. Sometimes I try to extend my time and just stand in the hot steaming shower and stare at the monitor praying that those little dots don't move. So, when daddy is home and can watch baby girl for me to take a shower in the evening, I am of course going to take my time and enjoy my shower. The other day however Paul decided that if Mattingly was crying, I should know about it. He brought her into the bathroom and proceeded to stand there, waiting for me to get out. I guess he thought that I would jump out and wrap a towel around myself and perform the miracle of making her calm down. Well... I did not jump out. I am in heaven for goodness sakes! But the crying, which echoed in the bathroom, did not make the experience very heavenly. I had to tell Paul to get the hell out of my heaven! Of course I did not use those words and tried to be as polite as possible, but that is what I wanted to yell. He apologized and left, but knowing that she was crying and that it was almost time to eat put a damper on my relaxation. So I got out, not as refreshed as possible, but at least I was clean - which is more than I can say for myself those first few weeks.

Poop - the lesser of the evils?

2009-09-28T12:05:00.000-07:00

Yes, poop, if I have to choose I choose poop!!! Let me give the scenario and your options...

It is 3:00am and you just finished a feeding, the burping went well and of course the little one has received their dose of Mylecon. You begin to sway the baby on their side, while swaddled and you continously shhh baby (yes 4/5 of the 5 Ss). Baby goes to sleep, limp in your arms in fact, so you slowly place baby into the bassinet/crib. Fingers always crossed that she will stay asleep, but knowing full well that as soon as your head hits the pillow one of three things will happen:

1. Eyes open and are as alert as ever

2. Hiccups begin

3. She poops

Well, I have to say that the eyes opening is the worst. I am tired at 3:00am and my patience is shot. Eyes opening has the potential of causes hours of further swaying and shhhing. Mattingly loves to be swaddled when she is asleep but absolutely HATES it if she is awake. I tried to lay on my pillow in the hopes that she will fall asleep on her own, but my little Hercules will kick and pull at her arms. I hear groans from the bassinet as if she is an olympic weightlifter and than the inevitable, the velcro on the swaddle begins to tear. I can't help but laugh at how ridiculous this is. Just go to sleep! But no, she either burts through the swaddle or realizes that she can't and begins to scream. I then must remove her from the swaddle and begin the Ss until she is asleep enough for a re-swaddle. This process can take hours so I would certainly say that eyes opening is the worst.

Hiccups frustrated me at first. They begin about 5 minutes after Mattingly is snug as a bug in her bassinet. They cause her to spit up a bit and of course they wake her up. The good news is that I have a 50% chance that she will fall back asleep on her own after the hiccups have run their course. But, I also have a 50% chance that these hiccups wake her up for good and I am back to square 1. So I lay in bed, listening to the hiccups and trying not to get to comfortable since I know full well that I may need to jump out of bed to avoid her screaming for too long and waking my husband who has to work in the morning. What I like about the hiccups is that 50% chance!

The last scenario is a big stinky poop. I was not sure what to do about this at first. Changing the diaper seems like the 'good parent' thing to do, but this involves unswaddling and a diaper change often wakes her up. Not changing her diaper seems like the 'bad parent' thing to do. Leaving your child sleep in their own poop and of course she could wake up screaming about the poop any minute did not seem like a good option. So, at first I changed her everytime, and then one night I was just too tired to deal with it. I think I sort of hoped that she would start screaming about the dirty diaper and wake up her dad and he could change her. Yes, this sounded like a good plan to me! Miraculously though she seems quite content to have a poopy diaper and did not wake up again for several hours, which was on schedule with her feeding time anyway. So now I leave her alone and have found that the pooping itself helps her tummy and helps her to sleep more soundly.

So I choose poop and I choose to leave my precious little girl with a poopy diaper until she directs me otherwise.

Feeding Fun

2009-09-05T12:07:00.000-07:00

The initial challenges of breastfeeding included the 'latching' concept and how to hold her for the best digestive angle. The we move onto keeping her latched and keeping her awake during each feeding. We finally got this all under control and thought we were down to just figuring out a schedule. Until yesterday... Miss fussy decided she wanted nothing to do with traditional feeding methods and instead she wanted to throw herself off of me and as the milk continued to flow from my body she would put her hands all through it so that her hands were covered in milk. She would then put her hands in her mouth as the way to get the milk. Well, this did not work very well and made quite a mess. It has been a challenge getting her back on track but today has gone well so far. Hopefully she does not get any new fun feeding ideas!

Stinky Diapers

2009-09-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

To breastfeed or not to breatfeed... that is the question asked by many expecting mothers and unless the decision is made for you due to medical reasons, most mothers begin by weighing the pros and cons. One of the many pros that everyone tells you is that the poop doesn't smell if you breastfeed. Well, I would like for everyone to clarify the word "smell". I am breastfeeding and I must say that those diapers are stinky! When I brought this up to someone who continued to mention how great it was that they don't smell her response scared me... just wait until she starts eating regular food!!! WHAT - apparantly the diaper is going to be 10 times as stinky as it is now and I am suppose to enjoy this 'mild smell' while it lasts. Jeez.

A Baby Story - The Birth of Mattingly

2009-08-26T18:33:00.000-07:00

In general my pregnancy was fantastic. In fact, a few weeks before my due date our doctor thought everything was going so well that they did not think I needed to come in for two more weeks (appointments were typically every week at that point). So we were off to the outerbanks for some sun and beach. Upon return, we had a follow up appointment and one of our midwifes told us that after 'feeling' the baby, that she was head down and ready to go. This was great news and we proceeded to believe that everything was going great all the way through the next appointment as well. At our 39 week appointment our favorite mid-wife performed the exam and disagreed with the previous exams and did not think that the head was down. After an ultrasound, she was able to confirm that our baby's head was up and she was in fact 'Frank Breech'.

The options were (1) try 'version' which is an attempt to turn the baby into the head down position which would be automatically followed by inducing labor to prevent the baby from turning back or getting caught in the umbilical cord; or (2) scheduling a C-Section asap to prevent me from going into labor with a breech baby, which could have all sorts of problems. We decided to try for a natural birth and scheduled the version for 9:30 on Saturday morning. We packed all of our bags and were prepared to have our baby on Saturday!

Upon arriving at the hospital, we were shown to our room and the prep work began. They attached the monitors which kept track of my heartbeat and any contractions, and the baby's heart rate. I was also hooked up to a blood pressure monitor, and probably several other contraptions which I have since forgotten. They then proceeded to insert the IV to which I had a terrible reaction. They called it a 'vagel' reaction (we called it a 'bagel' reaction), and it basically consisted of me getting very light headed and feeling like I was going to pass out, even though I was laying in bed. This reaction caused my blood pressure to plummet and in turn the baby's heart rate dropped. The nurse quickly rolled me on my side and everyone jumped in to get my blood pressure up to help the baby. Paul waved me with the vomit bowl that I had asked for, but did not use, and the extra air really helped. I pulled out of it, but it was extremely scary.

I rested for awhile as they confirmed that everything was ok with the baby and then the doctor and our mid-wife came in to begin the version. They made two attempts which lasted about 1 minute each and Paul coached me through the pain as if I was having contractions.... breathe 1...2...3... They had a game plan and pushed with all their might, but baby would not budge. We then had to begin to accept the fact that we would be having a C-Section. We were asked if we wanted to do it that day, or comes back at the beginning of the week. We decided that with my weak stomach for such procedures it would be best to just do it that day and prevent me from having too much time to think about everything. Also, we had gotten pretty excited to meet our little girl and really did not want to push it off if we didn't have too.

The doctor's then talked to the hospital about scheduling the C-Section, but they were not thrilled about scheduling an 'elective' operation for a weekend. She talked to the anesthesiologist and he agreed to allow the surgery, but it would have to wait until after his more urgent procedures. We were scheduled for 1 pm, but were then pushed back until after 4 pm due to a few other surgeries. However, when one of the nurses checked my monitors she informed me that I was having contractions! She then checked and sure enough I was 2 cm dilated and natural labor had begun. This moved us up in the priority line for the OR and off we went. Things were just happening too fast for me to get scared and I can’t imagine how Paul felt as he starred through the window as I was being prepped. I was told I had a sympathetic response to the epidural. I am not sure what that means, but I was still feeling most of the prick tests, which concerned me until I was unable to move either of my legs and then I knew it was only a matter of time before that feeling moved north. Paul was able to come in and be with me throughout the whole procedure and he actually watched our doctor pull her out by her foot.

We were both pretty excited to know that Mattingly Olivia had entered the world, but she still had a lot of amniotic fluid in her lungs and they had to use a respirator for about a half an hour. I was able to see her for a second, but then they whisked her away. Her APGAR score was 1 out of 10 initially but after they were able to suction some of the fluids she quickly jumped to an 8. They originally wanted to keep her in the nursery for 4 hours, but her condition improved so much that I was able to see her and hold her in my arms after only the minimum nursery time. The nurses were all wonderful and we had a great hospital stay. Mattie is doing fantastic and even more precious than we could ever imagine!!!

Off the Coast of Carolina...

2009-08-01T15:45:00.000-07:00

Paul and I were at Kill Devil Hills in OBX for a little rest and relaxation before our lives change forever. It was an interesting experience spending the week with five other families and several toddlers. The kids are very cute yet so destuctive! One minute they are cuddly and wanting to read a book, the next they are running, screaming and jumping on the furniture. We are certainly in for a shock to our lives. The beach was fantastic though. A little more crowded than ideal, but we could walk a very short distance to the beach (beachfront, just had to make it over the dunes), we had a pool and it was not even close to the crowds in OC Maryland. There was a wind that was disruptive to everyone's beach time, but to me it was a nice break from the hot weather... until the new beach umbrella died in true OBX fashion, completely broke apart! The ocean water was a bit chilly, but refreshing nonetheless. The pool water was perfect. Being in the pool also helped take the weight off my poor feet. When I got out of the pool though I feel just like when I get out of the ocean with diving gear on. The weight hits you all at once.

It was certainly nice to be away from the house. There always seems to be something more at home that we can do to prepare for the baby or just fixes to the house in general. Since we weren't able to do anything away we were actually able to relax and enjoy ourselves. The car ride there in the new car was great as well. It is such a smooth ride and the navigation system worked great. Now it is back to cleaning... painting... cleaning... and more prep for Baby A.

Cucumber Water

2009-07-26T16:13:00.000-07:00

With the pregnancy and the heat my poor feet have become increasingly swollen. At a recent doctor's appointment our mid-wife suggested drinking cucumber water to help with the swelling. I tried it... and love it! It does not completely reduce the swelling but it helps and it is very refreshing! I add 3-4 slices of cucumbers to my water each day and have 3-4 glasses and I feel great. In general cucumbers include many nutrients such as vitamin C and A (anti-oxidants), folate, manganese, molybdenum, potassium, silica, sulfur, and lesser amounts of vitamin B complex, sodium, calcium, phosphorus and chlorine. The nutrients in cucumbers provide the necessary electrolytes and restores hydration of the body cells, which reduces water retention.*

Paul has been drinking cucumber water as well. If you like cucumbers, the drink is quite tasty. Everywhere I go people ask me why I have cucumbers in my water and I enthusiastically explain the reasoning. I like it so much that I plan to continue to drink it after Baby A is born (and hopefully the swelling goes down anyway) and I wanted to share this little tidbit with whoever reads my tales. If you try it, let me know what you think.

* http://www.juicing-for-health.com/cucumber-benefits.html

Going Back to Work After Maternity Leave

2009-07-23T14:25:00.001-07:00

I can certainly understand why many new mothers do not go back to work following maternity leave. I keep having to tell myself, I like my job, I like my job... The problem is that it is hard to remember those times that I actually did like my job. With hormones raging, being uncomfortable ALL the time and being just plain irritable in general, I hate everything about my job! From the phone calls that I deem 'stupid', the big tasks that seem to take forever and the small tasks that seem meanlingless to the hateful paperclips that keep getting stuck together, it is becoming hard to understand why I like what I do. Who invented those idiotic paper clips anyway?!? If this bad taste is what I am left with when I head into maternity leave I will need a real push to come back. I am sure this will all pass and I will return as happy as ever, but I just cannot imagine that right now. Well, here's to hoping the computer does not go out the window before my leave begins!

"Oldies" but Goodies - Where did they go?

2009-06-23T06:35:00.000-07:00

It seems to be that everytime I fall in love with a particular food product it is removed from the shelves never to be sold again. First were my favorite pop tarts. At first I could not remember the name, but after searching the web... Chocolate Vanilla Cream! They had a chocolaty crust with creamy vanilla inside, with a vanilla frosting and choclate sprinkles to top it off. A couple of years ago I was able to find these pop tarts in Florida, and I think they had them in Belize when we were there, but I just can not find them anymore. I think that the 'Cookies and Cream' flavor is suppose to serve as a substitute, but you can NEVER substitute for the original goodness! According to Wikipedia, Kellogs discontinued this wonderful pop tart in January of 2009. Maybe I can find them somewhere and buy many many boxes to last me awhile! Then there is S'mores Crunch Cereal, made by General Mills; this was taken out of production several years ago. I have signed an online petition to bring this oh so good cereal back into my life but I do not think anyone is listening. If you desire the most perfect cereal ever made please sign the petition as well (maybe your signature will just push General Mills over the edge). I am signature 163 out of 569 so far. Kellogs tried to re create this cereal in Smorz Cereal, but they could not get the graham cracker just right and I think this has also been removed from the market. Most recently I have found that Rice Krispies Treat Cereal is no longer on my grocer's shelf. Oh and we musn't forget Klondike's Oreo Ice Cream Sandwiches... where are you!?!?!? Now... I am beginning to see Chocolate Chex disapper from the stores. Lowes (yes a grocery store in NC), Harris Teater and Krogers no longer seem to carry this fantastic cereal. I have done a web search and although I could (but won't) purchase the cereal from Ebay, it looks like Walmart may still carry it. Shhhh, I plan to go tonight and buy the whole crate ala Elaine and the sponge. Wish me luck!

What am I suppose to wear?!?

2009-06-10T19:27:00.000-07:00

My house is eating my stuff... My favorite pair of flip flops disappeared several months ago. I have looked high and low and the only explanation was that the underwear gnomes of yesteryear had moved on to flip flops. They are excalating again and apparantly desired the only skirt that fits me and the sweater that covers my sagging arms. I am going to my sister-in-laws' bridal shower this weekend in New York and have nothing to wear!!

Although I love Paul, he is not helping. He is 'entertaining' me with a fashion show of all the nice clothes that he intends to wear which fit him perfectly. So, we will be walking through Manhattan with Paul in his nice jeans and 'going out' jacket, and me in sweat shorts and a T-shirt.

I guess this is what I get for refusing to buy maternity clothes!

7 Months? Shopping... and of course some softball!

2009-06-07T06:06:00.001-07:00

So, the bump.com tells me I am 28 weeks pregnant with 84 days left to go... but the book we are reading says that at 28 weeks I should only have about 60 days to go. This is a significant difference, but since I got my shot this week in the place where the sun don't shine I am confident that we are at 28 weeks which, after my not so reliable math work, should put us at 7 months! Things are becoming a bit painful and poor Paul is not getting much sleep. I am waking up in the middle of the night with leg pains and calf and foot cramps, right about the time the Tylenol I take before bed to prevent this wears off. This causes me to twitch and kick and on the guest bed we are sleeping in he feels everything. I am going to try to stretch a bit more before bed and do some of those fancy yoga positions I learned in my prenatal yoga class and see if that helps.

Shopping for baby stuff is becoming increasingly fun! Especially since yesterday's adventures included a new car. We just began the search and hope to narrow it down in the next few weeks, but new cars are always fun and I can't wait to name the new nav system. I also purchased a diaper bag last night. After browsing at a boutique in town and falling in love with a diaper bag, which was expensive enough to make me think Paul would leave me even 7 months pregnant if I bought it, I went online and found a great bag! I ended up buying somewhat matching accessories by the desinger from the boutique to match the less expensive yet still classy looking bag. I can't wait for it to be delivered, but will be disappointed if at least 1 person does not comment about how amazing it is on a daily basis. Although my guess is that they will focus on Baby Girl Amisano and NOT my accessories, my hopes are still high! A good friend is also taking me to a local consignment shop today to browse around. I am told this is a very nice little shop that does not smell musty like my grandfather's basement, so I am excited to see what deals I can find. Oh yeah, we are having breakfast at La Farm first so this day should be just fabulous!

On the softball field... after months of conditioning and running the girls hard, we re-timed the girls sprints from home to first yesterday with drastic improvement. I am so proud! It was great to see how excited they were with their improvement too! I could see the changes over time, but to have the numbers in front of them really proved that they had improved. One player went from 4.3 secs to 3.55 secs. This is a huge deal because she wants to be a slapper and you can't do that without speed. If I can get her under 3 secs and work on the slap in the off season, we will have a real contender on our hands. I am looking forward to conditioning with the girls post baby belly and getting back into shape. It was 'funny' trying to do a push up at yesterday's practice. I was able to bend the arms down, but got stuck and could not get myself back up. It was like someone was sitting on my back (or in my belly :) ). Quite frustrating but I could not help but laugh. There is not much I can do with a 20lb weight lifting limit.

Blogging

2009-05-31T18:25:00.000-07:00

I have never been a blogger and I am still trying to get used to this site and its features. Some things seem easy and the next day I can't remember how I did something. It is frustrating, but I am sure I will get the hang of it before people actually start reading this, if they ever do. In general I hate new technology and rarely even use my cell phone. This blogging thing is really to get information to friends and family about our growing family. Check out the Amisano Family Blog for information on Baby Girl Amisano. I did however want to make sure I kept some remnant of my individuality as 'Angie' rather than just baby talk all the time (which is pretty much all anyone wants to talk about).

So... I am currently loving the College World Series for Softball. It is such an exciting game and I continue to learn and I hope I can pass everything on to the Storm (14- team I am helping to coach). I find myself tearing up when big plays happen. This is probably half hormones which cause me to cry about anything, half nostalgia wishing I was there and half jealousy wishing it were me. I know that is more than a full amount... those who know me know I am not good at math :/. The Storm had a tournament this weekend and overall did very well, 2 wins/2 losses. They are improving with each game I just wish I could teach them some intensity. Hopefully that will come with age. It was a hot weekend, but Paul came out on Saturday and manned the grill for everyone. I am glad he was able to watch the 2 games that they won. I should probably make him come more often.

Other than softball, our house is a disaster! We are in the middle of renovating our bathroom so we are currently living in our guest room and using the guest bathroom. For two days we suffered through NO water pressure in the shower. I asked our contractor about it and he gave a simple solution of removing the water saver. Such a difference!!! We have however had many guests stay with us over the last year and a half and no one has said anything. Even those that have stayed for a week said nothing. When I asked my mom she just laughed and said she would not say anything since she was a guest. We try so hard to make our guests comfortable and we just had no idea. So for anyone who had to use the low pressure shower, we apologize. It is fixed now, so feel free to visit again. Paul worked hard all weekend to stain the deck. I helped out when I got home today but he really is the hero of the weekend (well lets just say year because he does sooooo much). It looks great and all he has left is the railings. Hopefully in a few weeks we can sit back, relax and enjoy all the improvements around the house.

Off to toss and turn all night!