Blogging, Babies, Fitness and Personal Growth

I took E on a run tonight.  Something I haven't done in a while for a number of reasons ranging from getting ready for open houses, studying for graduate tests, holidays, family events, etc.  You see how things can get pretty busy.

Anyway, as I was finishing my run, I found myself reflecting on past posts.  There was a time when I could remember everything I thought about on a run and I'd document it.  That didn't happen today.  Most of my run time is consumed with thoughts about the days events or pushing towards a goal.  What did hit me during cool down is something I've never reflected on before.  How has blogging changed me?  What lessons have I learned?  Turns out there are some and I actually have changed, for the better.

Lesson 1 - I've learned that there are two things in my mean enough to me to keep telling you about them.  Family and Fitness.  Ok, so the family was a given but blogging about running, and training...well that was something that comes naturally and I love sharing my experiences and reading everyone else's.  It's motivational to say the least.  And serves as a reminder that no matter how crazy my day gets, I need to try make sure both of these things receive adequate time.  They make me happy.

Lesson 2 -  I've learned to pay attention to my emotions.  Life moves fast, we all know that but what I was doing was not letting myself take the time to experience it.  Whether the moment was good or bad,  before blogging, I would've just shrugged it off and moved on.  Now, if I feel like it's something that others might be dealing with and could benefit from or discuss.  I spends sometime thinking about it.  It's made me more attentive to myself but everyone around me as well.

Lesson 3 - I'm not alone.  When I started blogging, I did it as a way, as most of us, to keep family informed of whats going on.  What I found myself writing about however were my fears, trepidations and concerns about being pregnant and bringing a child into this world.  I'll let you in on a little secret...I wasn't sure I wanted children.  I liked my fast paced life.  I traveled a lot for work, trained hard and felt good about myself.  A baby would've thrown all that off, or at least I thought.  I found others who were able to show me the positives and make me realize that what I was doing was, in fact, life changing but in ways you won't appreciate till E had arrived.  Needless to say, I'm happier now than I've ever been.  There is a certain feeling, which I can't explain any other way then contentment mixed with anticipation, that I get all the time.  It's amazing.

So to sum it up, I get it.  I get why we blog, I get why we read each other's blogs for the camaraderie, and support.  To vent and comfort.  And to hopefully, at the end of the day, go to sleep knowing that you've said everything you wanted to say and done everything you wanted to do.

What does blogging mean to you? In the mean time, good night!

Wordless Wednesday - Weekend Recap ( A couple days late)

I'm Ok With That

I find myself scouring the Internet or reading book after book on how to get my child's sleep habits under control.  At 8 months, he's still waking up a couple times a night, sometimes only once.  Sometimes I gripe about having to get up with him, sometimes S tries to do it but when it comes down to it (don't tell anyone) but I secretly love it.

Yes I'm tired in the morning but that goes away.  What won't go away are the memories I have of cuddling and holding him in the wee hours of the morning.  I can't help but think ahead and realize there will come a time when he might not want to cuddle with his mom and then I'll wish I hadn't tried to make him grow up so fast because that's what the books told me to do.

So for now, I'll keep dreaming of the day when I get a full night sleep but live in the moment where one sleepy little boy still loves to curl up on his mom and fall asleep.

Good night!

We All Need Somebody To Lean On & A Great Top 10

So that song is what comes to mind when I think about the group of moms that make up the Moms Group that originated from the hospital we all delivered at.  We try to get together once a week for play dates (they get together because I can't get off work to go) and make special arrangements on the weekend with the entire family.  When we're not together, we're communicating through a message board which gives us the opportunity to share stories, vent or consult and comfort each other.  If you don't have a group like this, use the bloggosphere.  I'm always here to listen, support or comfort.  We mother's have to stick together.

We all love our husbands and our family support circle but sometimes is just nice to talk with someone going through the EXACT same thing you are.  They are a great group of women from all walks of life but in the end, we're all moms asking questions about sleeping, bathing, eating and nursing.  It is truly therapeutic. 

The latest string is about weening off breastfeeding.  Most know that I've been nursing and pumping since E was born 8 months ago.  I've been pretty dedicated to the cause, even having my milk shipped home from business trips.  Unfortunately, life is moving faster than I can manage and something has to give.  E is doing well on formula and is eating solids now so I know he's well nourished. I've been able to get him down to nursing once a day and pumping once a day but nighttime is still an issue.  He refuses to take a bottle from me at night and face plants into my chest every time he wakes up. 

We've been talking about our challenges and struggles with weaning on the message board and one girl came up with a pretty good "Top 10 Things I'm Looking Forward to Once I Wean" (Thanks Kim!)  What do you think?

Top 10 Things I'm Looking Forward To Once I Wean

10 - No more nursing bras. While very functional, they do very little for the ta-tas. Remember those bras that you used to wear and have been hibernating in the back of your drawer? Not the ones that you bought when your boobs swelled to three times their size during pregnancy, but the ones that you used to wear when you were driving the boob bus? Yup, you get to wear those again.


9 - No more being the first responder. When the baby wakes up early on the weekend, you no longer have to be the first person on the scene, boobs at the ready. That sleeping guy next to you in bed is just as capable of filling a sippy cup with milk as you are.

8 - No more hand washing pump parts and bottles. How much time will we get back in our day when we're not disassembling pump parts and bottles, washing them in hot water, letting them dry overnight, reassembling the next morning and repeating...every day? I can't even wait until our hand washing chore boils down to the sippy cups used at daycare.

7 - No more disrupting the work schedule to stop, find a pumping location, relax and sit still for 20 minutes. How much more productive will we be when we can work continuously throughout the day? We might even qualify for a promotion.

6 - No more of that smell. You know what I mean...on the pump parts at the end of the day, on the pumping wrap, on your breast pads, on the dirty bottles. The smell of breastmilk is pretty nauseous after a while. Good for baby, not so good for adults with developed olfactory senses.

5 - Getting to wear dresses again. Remember those cute summer dresses in your closet that you couldn't wear last year because you were 9 months pregnant and can't wear this year because getting naked to pump is not exactly your idea of a good time? Well, you get to bust them out again. And, you can store all of those "easy to nurse in" tops that you've worn to their last thread. No more worrying about button downs, shawls, etc. No more worrying about what will be easy to nurse in public. Whatever you want to wear.

4 - When you get sick, you can take whatever you want. Back to better living through pharmaceuticals. No more reading the labels, wondering what will transfer to the baby. Whatever you want. Even that blasted ibuprofen.

3 - Getting to eat whatever you want. For babies with allergies, we've been sacrificing some of our favorite foods. For me personally, I'm celebrating Linc's birthday by going to the Cheesecake Factory and getting a huge piece of Peanut Butter Cheesecake with real whipped cream. I would get two, but I'm no longer burning 500 calories a day so I can't get too crazy.

2 - Not lugging that blasted pump around. Can you imagine what it will be like to not have to carry your work bag, your purse, your pump and the insulated bag for the bottles to work every day? And I swear, I am going to be so happy to not hear snarky comments about the size of women's purses and what could I possibly be carrying in that thing. While very reliable and dependable, it will be a happy day when the pump goes down to the basement.

And drum roll please...the top thing that I'm looking forward to...



1 - The badge of pride I get to keep knowing that I helped make my baby who he is today. I get to look at Linc and know that I gave him the nutrition to grow into a toddler and that I gave him the antibodies needed to fend off illness. Whether you made it to 6 months, 9 months or a year, or if you have to supplement with formula, you made your baby who they are today...and you have free license to remind them of that as frequently as you want for the rest of their life (evidently, even if they’re 35 years old). And not a single person can take that away from you.

Quick Recap of Father's Day

Father's Day came and went so fast that I almost blinked and missed it but we did manage to help S celebrate his first Father's Day with family.

In the late morning, my family came by to have some lunch before they headed to a Cardinal Baseball Game.  It was a quick visit but it gave everyone enough time to present my dad with his Father's Day/Birthday Gift.  We've been trying to years to make him more technically advanced with gifts of GPS systems which still sit in the box, kindles which is collecting dust on his desk but we think this one will be different.  We got him an ipod nano which we thought he could use it on his morning walks or plug it in to his outdoor speakers.  We're optimistic but we'll see.

In the afternoon, S's family came over to have lunch.  While they were here, we were able to get a picture of 3 generations of dads.  Pretty amazing.

After everyone left, S decided that he wanted to take a nap.  Luckily it coincided with E's nap so I got to capture this sweet little moment. They might become buddies after all.

Later in the evening we went over to my parents apartment to have dinner and have some ice cream cake to celebrate my dad's birthday.  I feel terrible but I didn't get a picture of my father on his day but we did get pictures of E with his cousin and my mom.

When it was all said and done, E had had a pretty busy day.  We went to bed in his crib but early in the morning woke up and I couldn't get him back to sleep in his crib so he slept with us for a few hours.  When I got up to go to work, I blockaded him on the bed and got ready for work.  E didn't seem the least bit concerned with the fact that we had to get moving soon.  He was just chillin in bed.


OH, Did I mention this little monster is now 8 months old?  I can hardly believe how fast time is flying.  Pretty soon this little man will be walking and talking.

Can I add a little commentary here...Aren't those the chunkiest legs you've ever seen? 

Just For Laughs

I'm working on the Father's Day Recap Post but until then, here's a video to make you smile on a Monday Morning. 

A Couple Days Away Does A Body Good

So let me start by confessing something.  My running shoes never left my suitcase while we were away.  I had good intentions of running along the lake like I use to do when I was working in Chicago but we had about 48 hours and a lot crammed into our schedule and they just never made the cut.  For that I feel terrible.  BUT..

We did a lot of walking.  After getting in on Thursday afternoon, we promptly walked up to Michigan Ave to do a little shopping.  I bought a few things I wouldn't normally buy so we'll see if they ever make it out of my closet.  S always prompts me to push my boundaries a little so I gave in.  We're on vacation afterall. 

Thursday night, S and I went out with my cousin.  She showed us a great time.  And yes, I know, she's gorgeous.  3 bars later (2 rooftop), we were back to the hotel and in bed for what I would call pure bliss.  10 hours of uninterrupted sleep.  I'm estimating I haven't done that in well over a year and a half. 

Friday, when we finally did get out of bed at 10:30, and now you know why the running shoes didn't make it out, we headed down to Wrigley for a Cubs vs. Yankees game.  I was sure we'd pay tons of money for those tickets.  Turns out $32 will get you into the game.  Not bad.  Stayed for 8 innings, then had an early dinner at a place called DMK, a little burger bar around Wrigley.  Pretty good.  We took a cab down to Wrigley and as we passed the Trump Tower, I snapped this picture.  Turned out pretty well.

Friday night was the main event, TBS and Twix hosted a Just For Laughs Comedy Festival, we went to see Joel McHale, host of the Soup on E!.  He was great.  He talked a lot about his 2 sons which made me miss E even more. 

My family sent me some great photos of him having a blast while we were gone.  Good to know he was in good hands. 

After the Comedy event, we went to one of my favorite places...Bin 36 for a little wine.  Yumm!

Any now we're on our way home.  It really was great to reconnect with S.  We had a great weekend which reminded us why we are married.  We love each other and I don't see that changing anytime soon. 

Now it's time to get back to the other man in my life.  I miss him so!

First Product Review: YouBars

http://www.youbars.com/ discount code - "momslrb" to get 10% off your order

I've recently had the opportunity to do a product review for a company called YouBars, a company that allows you to design a custom energy bar perfectly tailored to your personal taste and nutritional needs.  First off, I have always loved this idea because so often, I have to compromise on a product that has almost all of the ingredeints I want but some I don't.  YouBars lets you get exact. 

When you pick up a bar, you realize just how packed with good stuff they are. These bars give you your moneys worth. They are full of ingredients, which, I should say, was something I had to get use to.  I'm usually someone that likes a lighter bar but then I'm always hungry.  They are somewhat dense and chewy, that first bite is a mouthful.  

 I got to taste a variety of bars with a variety of ingredients which was excellent because quite frankly some of the ingredients they offer, I had never even tasted before. What I found is that I liked quiet a bit of it. One thing that I think is important to note is that these bars are so full of healthy ingredients that you could use them as meal replacement options if you're on the run.

I liked that they used organic ingredients and that you can pronounce the name of every ingredient on the label.  They also give you the option to give the bars an extra boost with "infusions" of things such as vitamins and fiber.  Oh and did I mention, as you're building the bar, they calculate and show you the nutrition facts?  That's awesome!

And just in case you're not ready to committ to a custom blend, they give you some of the most popular bars to chose from.  My favorite combinations where the Cinnabar and Honey Cashew.

In addition to the nutrition bars, you can also make your own Shakes and Trail Mix.  I don't have to even give you a product review of the trail mix.  It was all great.  The protein mixes well and doesn't clump which is my biggest pet peeve with protein powder.  I really wanted to mix it into my smoothie but I drank it straight to get the taste and it was something I could take to the office or on the road to one business trips.  The fact that they are individually packages is also great for people like us who are always moving around.  When you do have time to make a shake or need one, this makes it super easy. 

And lastly, the trail mix is perfectly portioned.  It would make a great snack for kiddos or parents.  Great ingredients you can feel good about.

My final thoughts on YouBars.com is that they put healthy snacks and nutrition into easy to "grab and go" portions and they do it using only the finest ingredients. 

Want to give it a try?  Take 10% off your order when you use "momslrb" coupon code.  You can also follow them on Twitter at @youbars

Lost My Mojo

It's been a week since I ran or posted consistently and I'm feeling a little like I've lost my mojo.  This is one of those low peaks I suppose.  I'm finding it hard to get and stay motivated.  My mind is wondering to so many other things.

We're trying to sell our house so we can buy what we think is the most perfect house ever.  Needless to say ours isn't moving so we're about to lose our dream home.

Grad school starts in September but I have to take the GMAT in a little over a week and should be studying but my attention span is the same as that of a 5 year old.

Work is heating up.  I'm being given opportunities to challenge myself which is great but adds to the already busy work day.

S and I are getting ready to go to Chicago for a few days to relax and I'm stressing a little about that.  I'm nervous E's going to be a handful for his grandmother.  Zoey the dog is going to the other grandmother and I'm still feeling a little guilty about leaning on everyone so much. 

I've tried running and all I do is end up worrying about the things at home I need to do.  I started blog after blog but can't put my heart into it either.   I'm thinking this little vacay for S and I couldn't come at a better time.  I've just lost my mojo. 

Reading some of your blogs have helped spark my motivation but it's not sticking.  Any inspirational words? Do you ever find yourself in this sort of lul?

Need Some Help..

I don't ask very often for a little encouragement but tonight I'm needing some.  S and I are supposed to go to Chicago on Thursday for a little adult time which we need but I'm finding myself making excuses to stay.  What's really happening is that I don't want to leave E.  This isn't even the first time.  I've taken multiple business trips, which I seem to be able to rationalize.  This trip, being recreational, is making me feel selfish.  We are only going to be gone two days but it's bothering me.  

So remind me momma's that's it's ok.  That I need to do this for S who has yet to get out overnight since E was born.  I'm just a little bummed.

What's For Dinner...SUPER EASY AND HEALTHY MEAL

I don't consider myself a cook by ANY stretch of the imagination but what I do know is that in order to eat healthy you have to find ways to make it easy.  I'm not afraid to cut a couple corners where it makes sense to.  In an effort to help you with some ideas, I thought I'd tell you what I made last night (I'll do it every now and then). 

Last night I had a half hour to make and eat our meal before I had to get E to bed so this was what we did:

Lemon Pepper Chicken, Garlic and Olive Oil Couscous and Tomato and Cucumber Salad.  This is an EXTREMELY EASY MEAL TO MAKE.

First of, I buy the bags of chicken at Sam's or Costco so I don't have to buy it every week.  Then in the A.M., I take out two pieces to thaw. 

Last night I just used an "off the shelf" rub by Lawry's and broiled it for 20-25 minutes.

The Couscous was also off the shelf but very good.  It's by Near East and it's literally as easy as making rice (maybe easier).

While that was going, I made the salad, which was a recipe off All Recipes.

Description: This is a refreshing summer salad. Perfect for a picnic or barbecue. I usually serve it with a spicy flank steak and potatoes.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar

• 1 tablespoon white sugar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch slices

• 3 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped

• 2/3 cup chopped red onion

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine vinegar, sugar, and salt. Mix in cucumbers, and marinate 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Gently toss tomatoes, onion, mint, and olive oil with the marinated cucumbers. Season with salt and pepper


Enjoy!  Tonight is Ravioli.

Weekend in Pictures

What did you do this weekend?  If it's like ours, it went by WAY to fast.  Everytime I turn around E is getting bigger and bigger.  Always doing something new.  Here's a recap of our weekend...
Friday Night - Went to dinner with my Aunt and family who came into town for the Cubs/Cards baseball games.  It was so good to see them and introduce them to E.  They had never had the opportunity to meet. 

Saturday - S worked so E and I spent the day doing Mommy/Baby stuff.  We went to the gym, where I got to run and do some weights.  Then we relaxed in the hammock before taking a nap.

Sunday - Took a jog, went to the Pool, played, went to see Aunt's new place and ran into family (E's cousin). 

Father's Day Gift Ideas

Short back story...S and I met at the gym over about 8 years ago.  After 5 years of courtship we married two years ago and this year we're celebrating our first Mother's and Father's Day. 



I wish I could tell you that I have a great sentimental gift to give S but the truth is I don't. My ideas so far are: 

1. A Flag for everyone - HouseDividedFlag.com has the perfect solution to our family squabbles.  Which flag to fly.  Unfortunately, S is a Mizzou fan so anything with that big annoying "M" (I'm an Illinois Fan).  I've ordered a flag like this but with our colleges of choice.  It's great.  You pick the schools and they do the work.  I can't wait to get it.

2.Mizzou Apparel - The Mizzou bookstore is selling these t-shirts.  Proceeds from the sale of this tee will go to Heart of Missouri United Way – United For Joplin. Visit uwheartmo.org for more information or to make additional donations. You can buy the shirt at the Online Store.  Both S and my father in law are getting this shirt. 

3. Anything Cardinal - The other team that is near and dear to S's heart is the Cardinals.  We've both been Cardinal fans our entire lives so anything Cardinal is always a winner.  Unfortunately, I think I've bought everything they have that he could wear so I think I might get him this flag for the house:

4. Workout Gear - S loves his workout wardrobe as much as I do.  In the past I've gotten him so many hoodies I can't count them anymore.  I was thinking about getting him some new workout clothes.  Luckily, he's not picky.  Maybe I'll take him to Sports Authority to find some.

5. Recliner - I know this is cliche but he talks about wanting one.  You'd think he was 65 years old but that's what he wants.  Hopefully I can convince him to find one that's not such an eye sore, or so expensive.

6. For the techie at heart - Remember the Polaroid camera?  They're back.  I might have to get him one, so I can play with it too.

Happy National Running Day - I Celebrated Did You?

I have a confession to make, I didn't want to run yesterday.  I was tired.  It was hot. I  had a long day at work and E was being pretty clingy.  All I wanted to do is grab an adult beverage and enjoy the hammock in the back yard. 

BUT...

S was really wanting to go to the gym and I didn't want to let him down and not go with him so I sucked it up and went.  I told myself that I was only going to walk on the treadmill and do some abs but when I got there all the treadmills were full so I jumped on the stair machine for 10 minutes.

Once I was done, I was a little more energized but still pretty demotivated but a treadmill had opened up so I decided to play my favorite mental game..

Just One More

How it works...I get on the treadmill with a goal, usually to just run for 10 minutes and if I do 11 minutes, than I win.  If I do more than that, it's a bonus.  Once you hit the original predetermined goal, you start to challenge yourself...can I do just one more minute?  What about one more mile?  Can I increase my speed by just one more notch?  Before you know it, you're 30 minutes in, running faster than normal with no signs of stopping.  Yesterday turned into one of those days.  I ended up doing 10 minutes on the stair machine and then another 3.3 mile run.  I would've kept going but by then I had 20 minutes before the daycare closed and I wanted to get some weights in. 

When I did leave the gym, I had that feeling like I had just won.  I battled those feelings that can so often keep us from doing something and I won.  I hope I can remember that feeling the next time but for now I'm calling National Running Day a success.  What did you do? 

Cute Story

I have to tell a cute story real quick.  As I was getting ready for work this morning, my childhood teddy bear that sits on my headboard fell.  E squealed like he just saw a long lost friend.  When I handed it to him, he kissed it for a long time (and maybe chewed on his nose a little bit).  When we got ready to leave, I put the bear back on my headboard and E started crying. 

Long Story Short..Teedy Bear (yep, teedy bear) got to go to babysitters today with E.  Who knows if this relationship will stand the test of time but at the moment it's pretty cute.