Exciting News

My cousin-in-law, a.k.a. Princess & Johnsy, gave birth to Rosemary last night. I just love baby news, especially when it means my kids will have more wonderful playmates at family gatherings.

35 Going on 12

Today is my 35th birthday and I have mixed feelings about it. I obviously have no problem admitting my age. My 35th one reminds me of a goal I set. In my late 20s, I decided that if I didn’t have a husband when I turned 35, I would get pregnant and be a single mom. I mentioned this plan to my mom and to my surprise; she told me that out of all the women she knows I would be a great single mom. About six months later, I became friends with Steve. We talked about lots of things and I mentioned this goal to him. He responded by saying that I should look him up (as in he would be happy to “father” my child). Now that I am 35, we have two kids together and he isn’t interested in a third. Perhaps, I should remind him of the offer tonight when we all go out to dinner. At least I will get a laugh out of it.

Turning 35 doesn’t really bother me, but I wish it was happening in a few months, simply because I would like to look better. Who wants to be 15 lbs over weight (I went to the doctor)? On top of that, I got my hair cut and I am less than thrilled. It was just taking too long to blow dry, so I wanted it quite a bit shorter. I went to the salon & showed the stylist that I wanted it to be about an inch past my collar bone. I walked out with a really short bob that would be extra cute if I was 12 years old.

Thirty five is just another number and I am happy to be where I am in life, but I could do without the extra weight and the silly hair cut. Hopefully both of those will improve in the next few months & I can spend most of this year celebrating and not really feeling like I could actually be 35.

Starting A Play Group

Don't let the title of this post fool you, I am not starting a play group. We have been invited to join one that some ladies are starting. This morning, they had the first gathering. We had a potluck breakfast at someone's house and talked about what we'd like to do and when we'd like to meet. I guess we'll be having fun every Friday. As far as activities go, we will be doing a monthly brunch and a monthly field trip other than that we'll figure things out.

Sounds fun, right? While I know that these outings are exactly what all of us need (especially Lexi) I can't help but feel a tad bit guilty about having too much fun. My poor husband is slaving away at work while I am enjoying being a SAHM. Even on the worst days, I'd rather be home. The only things I really miss are the pay checks and contributing to my 401k. Shhhh, don't tell him how great it truly is.

Nursing It Along

In October, I wrote about my desire to give breast feeding a fair shot this time. This is my update post. To my amazement, it is actually working and it is true that it REALLY sucks (yes: pun intended) for a while, but it gets better. What I would like to know is why do lactation consultants say that if it hurts, the baby is not latching correctly? Fortunately, there were lots of great nurses at the hospital that knew better. They told me that I was doing it right, but that it just takes a few weeks to toughen up. Plus, I was told that fair skinned people are usually more sensitive (great – I have a higher chance of skin cancer & bf hurts more).

I would have to say that the first two and half weeks were quite hellish. Right about that time, I had serious thoughts of quitting. When I was about to pull my hair out, I decided to call the lactation consultant. She happened to be booked up for the day and then mentioned her prices, which had gone up significantly. She told me I could check out a few websites or we could schedule an appointment. I decided to go another day or two on my own. Suddenly, by the end of week 3, it was a LITTLE better (lots of emphasis on a little). I guess mainly the sore nipples were not as bad.

I guess I should mention how I managed to get that far. You would think that after all the pain of birth, that breast feeding could be a little easier on the mommas. Sore nipples and engorgement are nightmarish by themselves, but throw in a squirmy toddler who wants hugs that end up bumping the painful knockers and it is too much. For the nipples, I used lanolin and gel patches. One side hurt so badly, that I pumped & dumped for a few days so that it could heal a little. I was also switching between the cradle hold and the football hold. For engorgement, I started feeding him every 2 hours, which made doing anything else practically impossible. I think avoiding engorgement kept me going. For sanity, I pumped and gave him a bottle once or twice a day at 2.5 weeks (no problem with nipple confusion btw).

I kept all of that up and engorgement subsided around four and a half weeks. There was still some pain though, but I decided to keep going until 6 months. Now, I am at 6 weeks and I would have to say that everything is ok. I am certainly not ready to rave about it, but I no longer think about how happy I will be when I quit. I still pump and give him a bottle almost every day usually when we are going out. I am a little shy about doing it in public. When I haven’t brought a bottle, I have gone to Steve’s truck. I have fed him once at the park with a blanket over him, so hopefully I’ll get use to that soon.

The biggest advantage at this point is that breast feeding takes less planning. I know the list of positives is long, but less planning is my current motivation.

Working on Being Healthier & Happier

I am coming to the end of my first week of eating healthier and exercising. My goal is to exercise (long fast walk or exercise video) at least 4 times a week & I have done that this week. I am not even counting the calories burned by breast feeding & the million trips up and down our stairs every day. Those are just bonus calories. Actually, I am not really counting calories or restricting the quantity at this point. I am just making better choices.

Like most women, I want to lose weight. How much? We don't have a scale, so I can't say. I do know how much I weighed right before giving birth & I'll find out how much I lost when I go to the doctor for the 6 week post check-up. I also know what weight makes me feel like looking in the mirror rather than avoiding it.

To kick start my motivation, I got my non-maternity clothes out of the attic (I put them in there when we moved here instead of unpacking them). Now, everything old seems new again. By going through the clothes, I realized two things:

1- The pickins are slim. Apparently, I bought one pair of jeans right after I had Lexi (they are a little big on me), but must have worn workout clothes or been mostly naked for the sizes during maternity leave.

2- I am going to have to do some shopping when I get down to the size of most of my clothes because they are almost all summerish or businessish (9 years of living & working in Miami). Fortunately, shopping is another motivator for me.

This morning, I received an e-mail from a close friend that I have known for 20 years (yes, back in good old Jr High). She started a blog called Not So Skinny Me. Apparently, she is also on a quest to get back her girlish figure. BTW, I still think of her as a hottie, since we had many years of ballet & dance classes together. I know there are a lot of girls out there in our situation. Perhaps, we can all work to motivate each other. Check out her blog & join in with motivational comments.

Driving Away the Men

Being up several times a night (every 3 - 4 hours) means that I get a chance to watch a LOT of tv. Most of it is mind numbing, but I got a chuckle out of this story: Pretty in Pink. Apparently, men dislike the color pink so much that it is actually a deterrent for this county jail. After testing the new design for my blog, I remembered the story. Yes, it is a lot of stinky pink, but I also heard that pink makes you look younger & my birthday is approaching. I need to do something to minimize the dark circles under my eyes. So, deal with it!

Another New Year

We really enjoyed the holidays this year. Christmas brought lots of presents for Lexi, which she loved. Plus, I was spoiled with a mother’s ring with all of our birth stones from Steve. He even shocked me by saying we could add another birth stone if we have another baby. Anyone who has spoken to him over the last 9 months has heard him say that he is done having kids and that he is going to get a vasectomy. When I laughed about him mentioning another child, he just said “IF.” I guess this is a topic for another post.

December has flown by and here we are in the New Year. I can hardly believe it. My new baby is a month old and my little toddler is going to be 2 at the end of this month. Life sure goes by quickly.

Looking back, I realize that 2007 wasn’t the uneventful year I had been hoping for, but some wonderful things happened. At the beginning of the year, we were living on South Beach. Steve worked in downtown Miami. Lexi went to daycare and spoke more Spanish than English. I was working as a Marketing Manager at the same place I had been for the past five years. My work life revolved around going after a huge project. It was all I could think about day and night. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be due to blatant political corruption. My view of politics will forever be tainted. In the Spring, we went in with my brother on a cheap house in Montana. Our original plan was to flip it, but later opted to rent it out for a while. In May, I found out I was pregnant, which we had been “working on” since January. June brought another big change. We started a big job hunt for Steve and he flew to Houston for interviews. He accepted a great one and then the moving process began. We arrived at the end of July and I officially became a pregnant SAHM. Lexi and I have enjoyed our time together. In September, Lexi and I took a trip to Virginia for Steve’s Granny’s 90th birthday. After that, life was basically uneventful until Baby Jordan was born the beginning of December. He has brought amazing happiness to our family.

Looking ahead, I realize this year could hold many interesting surprises just like every year does. We would like to buy another house and we are planning to attend my family reunion in July at the Grand Canyon. Other than that, I guess anything goes except for my resolution which is to get in shape. Actually, calling it a resolution makes it sound like a wish. This is more of a MUST/WILL do thing. I am no longer pregnant or devoting most of my life to work, so the time is now. Lexi, Jordan and I will have fun eating healthy food, exercising, and doing outdoor activities. I am looking forward to it. We will also maximize our time with Steve, who has a lot going on at work, but still finds the energy to help out at home.

Merry Christmas

Christmas Morning

Falling Behind

Excuse me while I catch up on life. So far, being a mom to a toddler and a new born isn’t that hard (at least emotionally). In fact, it is easier than being very pregnant and taking care of a toddler. At least I have more energy and my body is not screaming about being uncomfortable all the time. The main problem is that there are just not enough hours in the day to deal with other things like sleep, catching up on e-mails, talking to friends, blogging, making birth announcements, sending out thank you cards, cleaning the house, baking lots of Christmas goodies, organizing my desk, etc. I did manage to finish wrapping gifts, make treats for Steve’s work, and buy a few more gifts. Not much, right?

Fortunately, help is coming tonight. My sister is flying in. I am looking forward to her entertaining Lexi and holding Jordan in order for me to rush around the house and catch up on a few things. Unfortunately, time will still be limited. The fact that I am nursing every 2 hours & it takes about 30 - 45 minutes each time pretty much leaves little time for life. No wonder I am falling behind.

That reminds me... today is the day that I was scheduled to be induced. Thankfully, that is all behind me. I guess I am not that behind. Some things were early & other things have been delayed & neglected. Perhaps, I'll find a balance soon.

Christmas Tag

I received this Christmas Meme by e-mail. It has been a long time since I have been tagged. This one was festively fun, so anyone interested can consider themselves tagged.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bag?

Wrapping paper

2. Real tree or artificial?

Real tree – I love the scent

3. When do you put up your tree?

the weekend after Thanksgiving or first weekend in Dec

4. When do you take down your tree?

New Year's Day

5. Do you like eggnog?

It is ok, but everyone knows I prefer HOT CHOCOLATE.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?

Nothing specific stands out

7. Do you have a nativity scene?

Sort of – last year my mom brought back a hand carved Joseph, Mary & the baby from Poland. I don’t have a whole scene though.

8. Hardest person to buy for?

My mom – she has everything she needs and can buy anything reasonable that she wants.

9. Easiest person to buy for?

I would have to say kids in general.

10. Worst Christmas gift you've ever received?

For several years after my parents divorced, my father bought Loews gift cards for me. There wasn't even one near me in Miami. He could have gone to the Target right by Loews.

11. Mail or email Christmas cards?

Mail of course

12. Favorite Christmas movie?

Christmas Vacation – I can recite the whole thing

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?

November

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?

No –shared a few though

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?

Do I have to choose one? I am a huge fan of all Christmas goodies. My diet starts in January.

16. White or colored lights?

White

17. Favorite Christmas songs?

Little Drummer Boy

18. Traveling for Christmas or stay home?

Home, but my sister & father-in-law are coming.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers?

Yes

20. Angel or Star on top of tree?

Actually a bow

21. Open presents Christmas Eve or Morning?

One on Christmas Eve that is always new pjs so that our morning pictures look cute. This is a family tradition that I love.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year?

Christmas parties for adults only – kids are one of the best parts of Christmas. I know lots of people that disagree though.

23. What I love most about Christmas?

Being with family and friends, giving gifts, building anticipation for Christmas morning, gobbling Christmas goodies