My running buddies get a break, while I keep truckin’.
Disclaimer: Some links on this blog are affiliate links; when you use those links you help support my family, at no additional cost to you. Thank you!
running
Baby Summary Weeks 35-36
Max hit the 37 week mark yesterday, so this is a post for the last two weeks of his life.
To say Max ha started eating is an understatement. The boy is devouring finger foods. Everything from dried blueberries and apples to sausage and sauerkraut! He ate the sauerkraut like it was running away from him! This weekend he enjoyed my cucumber and tomato salad in oil and vinegar … with garlic! We still do pureed foods just because sometimes I don’t have a meal made that doesn’t have dairy in it, but he is eating a LOT more finger foods. I can’t wait for him to try watermelon and cantaloupe this summer.
We still only have two teeth, but I think he is working on the top two. They’re a little white but not puffy yet. He has been napping great! Most days are 2 1.5 hour naps, sometimes a cat nap at 4:30 if he is really tired. But we usually just do early bedtime at 6:30pm instead.
Crawling … well, he is moving about 2 feet at a time before he falls on his belly and decides to roll over. So yes, he is crawling, but not for long distances. He rolls and scoots around a LOT more than he does crawl. **EDIT: he crawled all the way across the living room floor today! I know, it’s a 37 week update, but had to add it! YAY MAX!**
He enjoys being outside, and playing in the water. We have had beautiful, warm weather as of late. So Mama has been laying out while the kids play. He sits in the baby blow up bath tub and Lexie plays in her kiddie pool. Speaking of which, they are finishing our fence! Woo hoo! I am so excited. It should be complete tomorrow morning. They did most of it today. Lexie is so excited, she has been waiting on her fence for a very long 3 months.
 |
| Helping mama make the salad …
|
Last weekend was Mother’s day; we went to church at the Methodist church (which I liked a lot, surprisingly, coming from a full gospel girl. It was really homey). JTom got me a bread maker for Mother’s day- woo hoo! We have already used it several times and LOVE it. way better than doing it by hand, any day.
This past weekend we stayed home and worked around the house. JTom and Lexie got the garden in and JTom got the sprinklers set up in the flower bed. He cut into the sprinkler system and put little sprayers in the flower beds. They’re really cute. Our garden this year is just: tomatoes (roma, big beef, early girl, burly boys, and cherry), red and green bell peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, and butternut squash. We put the bed in on the south side of the house, where they dug out for flower beds. It’s the perfect spot, and J.Tom may cut in some sprayers for the garden as well. I sure hope so.
I got some petunias for the back porch and filled the hanging baskets for the front, like I do every year. Lexie and I planted some giant impatience in a big pot for the front porch; they smell SO good. (I love having a front door that we use to come into the house)
JTom also got some new burners for the inside of his grill, so we can get back to grilling again soon.
Overall it has been a low key couple of weeks. Some how things have seemed really busy, but in all honesty we haven’t been super busy.
How have you spent your last few weeks? Anything exciting happening?
 |
| water play |
 |
| she couldn’t resist; we didn’t have a kiddie pool yet |
 |
| Mmm blueberries |
 |
| Our record heat one day last week- 100 degrees here in lil ole York (we had snow on the ground the week before …) |
 |
| Daddy and Mister |
 |
| Reading a gymnastics books while waiting on class to start. |
 |
| My morning Yoga |
 |
| Mmmm Cucumber! |
 |
| My Mister’s curls |
 |
| wearing Daddy’s hat and looking like my cousin Wesley’s twin when he was this age. Like, if she didn’t have on the lace night gown, she would look exactly like him. |
 |
| wearing daddy’s hat |
Comparing schedules
Ive been going back and looking over my blogs from when L was Mister’s age. Turns out they are so much alike it’s unreal. On my Nov 12th post, when Lady was 2.5 months old, she was sleeping exactly as long as Mister is, about the same size, and eating about the same amount. The biggest difference is with her, I didn’t start meds for her reflux, and I didn’t have her napping quite as well as M does. I think that just has to do with A) him being no meds and B) me knowing what to look for as far as him being sleepy.
However, I’m worried his Zantac isn’t working anymore … The last two days have been horrible. He’s been in a lot of pain and only naps well in his swing. I’m not sure exactly what’s going on but I’m going to give it the weekend before I call the dr about upping dosage (for weight increase) or changing meds; he has started pulling off while nursing again, and after eating he will cry out and then gulp/choke/gasp for breath. So I know the reflux is hurting him; and I don’t think the rice is helping. I can’t make it any thicker and it go through the nipple, so I’d have to spoon feed it to him, and I think he’s just too young for all that. Anyway, after the weekend we will see. The Coliccalm doesn’t seem to be doing anything for the reflux, not sure about his gas?
My days now are a bit more structured, mainly because I understand what baby whisperer and baby wise are saying and also because I have a 2 year old smack dab in the middle of her terrible-ness. At that time, I had L on a great routine, but looking back she was definitely way over tired by the time I was putting her down for naps, and therefore wasn’t napping well. But she always had good night time sleep (thank goodness!). So that was an okay trade off!
But, at almost 8 weeks old, here is what Mister’s routine looks like:
- 5:00-6:00- Wakes, Zantac, small feed, goe back to sleep (either in crib or with Mama in chair)
- 7:00- wake for the day, regular feeding, nurse then 3-4oz bottle
- 8:05- Down for nap- rests on and off depending on gas/reflux until
- 10:00- Eat, nurse 3-4 oz
- 11:05- down for nap- rests on and off depending on gas/reflux until
- 1:00pm- Eat
- 2:05- down for nap (however he usually has not slept well at this mid morning nap, and therefore goes to sleep closer to 1:30pm, sleeping until about 3:30 in the swing if necessary)
- 4:00 Eat
- 5:30pm Cluster feed
- 7:00pm last feeding of day
- 7:35 asleep in crib
SO, that is typically what our routine looks like, but with him being so young and having the reflux and gas, it tends to be more flexible in the naps department. Eating, however is always the same. After his 10:00 feeding, we usually go for a walk and/or play outside. If it is a day we plan to go grocery shopping or run errands, we do this about 8:30, home by 10:00 for him to eat and L to have a snack. At 25 months, her routine looks like this:
- 6:40-7:00- wake, daddy gets her from crib, she demands milk
- then snuggle time with Mommy and “my Max” while mommy nurses and daddy gets ready for work
- 7:30- breakfast (yogurt, toast, oatmeal, fruit, etc)
- play time
- 11:30-12:00- lunch depending on am wake time
- 12:00-12:30- down for nap depending on am wake time (here is when she usually poopies in her pullup (this whole potty training thing has us all out of whack), I have to go change her, then put her back down for nap… but because this interrupts her getting ready for sleep, I’ve been going back in at the hour mark and rocking her to sleep.)
- 2:30- if she didn’t nap I get her out of bed at the 2 hour mark
- 3:00- if he napped, she is awake by 3:00
- play outside, crafts, etc if napped… relax and keep it low key if she didn’t
- 5:45pm- dinner
- 6:30-7:00- bedtime depending on morning wake time
Right now, L needs a total of about 12 hours of sleep. Her naps are usually 1.5 hours, which leaves 11.5 hours of night sleep on days she naps. If she does’t nap, she has a very early bed time to prevent over tiredness the next day. It’s all a numbers game..
So, big plans for the next few weeks. This weekend we are going to a family reunion in LA. Then next weekend my dad comes to visit, the next weekend my mom comes, then a few weeks later we have Thanksgiving! ALREADY! That’s insane. I think we are going to Memphis for Thanksgiving… that should be a fun challenge. Our first overnight trip wrangling two! Fun Fun! Of course halloween is this coming week. Ew. I’m not a fan of halloween, and until my kids are old enough to stay up late enough, we aren’t celebrating. And yes, I will be one of the moms that takes the candy and exchanges it for something cool, a toy or new clothes, etc… like the tooth fairy only for crappy, overpriced junk food. =)
OK, well I am going to bed now. It;s 9:17pm, that’s about 20 minutes past my bed time!
Thanksgiving and Such
…. is less than a week away! I am excited that we are heading to Memphis this year for my Granny’s famous Thanksgiving Dinner. We were going to leave Tuesday, but …. I have now signed up for a 4 mile race at Shelby Farms. The race is Wednesday morning, but packet pick up is Tuesday morning. You can always pick up the morning of race day, but that lessens your chances for a t shirt. 😉 The t-shirt looks like a super cool long sleeve technical-t, and let’s face it,m we only run races for the cool t shirts! Okay, okay, I am just kidding. But it totally stinks when you register early and get gypped out of your t shirt.
So, back to the point of my post. We will probably leave for Memphis Tuesday morning. My car is at the dealership getting a million dollar tune up the oil changed, tires rotated, transmission checked up, all that 4wheel drive stuff … it’s so dang expensive but necessary if I don’t want a car note anytime soon.
—-
My 10K Saturday went well, really well actually! I had no cramps, felt good the whole time, sweated LOTS, which was a good thing. I really wasn’t sure I was hydrated enough, but turned out I was. My final time was 77 minutes 9 seconds. Not the best, well actually it was one of the worst overall times. But since my personal preliminary goal was 74 minutes, and I knew a month before the race I wouldn’t hit that time, 77 is okay. My time was better than my original time on this race of 80 minutes. =/ I guess I have something to work towards for next year. =) 74 will be my goal for sure!
The worst part, which was the beginning, turned out to not be so bad. I really lost the pack when it came to the first incline on the mountain. Those that were better prepared or more fit made it right over that first incline much faster than I did. Had I been able to run that part better, I think I would have been in the main mix of the group. Oh well, lessons learned. The most important thing is to NOT STOP now that I have that mileage under my belt. My next goal is a half marathon, and luckily I have some running friends with the same goal! As soon as we pick out a race, we will begin our training. In the mean time, we are continuing to run with the Pacers a few times a week, and because I have a wonderful husband, I am able to do it without pushing a toddler in a stroller. =)
Speaking of that toddler …
 |
| ready to go in my hat and boots! |
 |
| silly girl |
 |
| first bath in big tub! |
 |
| baby greenish/blues! |
 |
| hi! |
 |
| smile! |
 |
| on a mission for the camera! |
 |
| sweet baby |
 |
| coloring left handed |
 |
| nope, I think I will try right handed … |
 |
| “tip me over, and poor me out” |
 |
| Mama’s girl!!! |
 |
| playing with her farm |
 |
| getting ready for church |
 |
| thinking … |
 |
| the curls .. |
Running update, pictures, and videos
Sadly I did not meet my goal of 72 minutes on the 10K course. It was closer to 77 minutes. =/
And while that isn’t as terrible as the first time I ran the race 2 years ago, it is not nearly as good as I’d hoped. But, I can say it was a terrible run. We went to eat after church and I did not realize it was 12:30 when we left- I had to run at 1:30! So I had an immensely full stomach, I was sore from the run Thursday (or maybe Tuesday’s mountain run?) and I was dehydrated … so overall I was not prepared for the run Sunday afternoon. I also experienced theses stupid side-stitches in the first 2.5 miles. I don’t know what’s going on there, but for the last 2 weeks in the first half of my run, the cramps are so bad they takes my breath away. And what sucks, is if it weren’t for the cramps, I’d have no problem running! The cramps are caused by not exhailing enough of the CO2 out, so you’re supposed to breathe into the cramp and exhale as much out as you can. And I do that. Or I try to do it, and yet the cramps are so terrible. But after I get over the first incline on the mountain and get to go down hill for a few minutes, they usually go away and stay gone until the end. I wish I could just avoid them all together, since I have the hardest time in the beginning anyways.
I do think this year I will warm up before the race, just a jog around the parking lot or something, so my muscles aren’t dying that first mile; the first mile is always the worst. After that my body feels pretty good and I can keep going okay. I am hoping that since I had a hard time and walked a TON on the practice run Sunday, that on my real run I can shave off a few minutes, maybe even 4 minutes. We will see…
So there is that update. On to what you really want to see and read about ….
———-
Yes. Yes. This is a video of Lou. It was a video of Lou, but it says it is too long. So, there is no video today. Sorry. =( I know, she’s cute. And luckily, about two days after her daddy was home from his trip, the tantrum stopped and she became my sweet girl again! YAY
Let’s see … updates on Lexie. Oh yes! She ate her first grilled cheese sandwich today. Of course she loved it! Which surprised me a bit, since she doesn’t like maccaroni and cheese? But anyhow, she liked it. She also said “Thank you” without me saying it first! AND, she drank out of a straw (finally!). So, when we went to Walmart, I got her a sippie cup w a straw to drink her milk from-she loves it! Now we need more, because only one will not get us through the day. Oh, and she pointed in her book and said “frog,” and when I asked what a bird says, she said “tweet tweet!” haha So dang cute.
For my newest sewing projects I am making her a bib, and sleep sacks. I still need to get her a new sleep sack w a zipper, but I found a tutorial to make them from men’s shirts! So, like I used one of my brother’s dress shirts, cut out the sleep sack shape and sewed it together- tada! Instant sleep sack. Only problem is it’s not quite big enough for her now .. it would probably have fit about 3-4 months ago. So I am going to save it for the next baby. And I’m not sure that JTom has any bigger shirts that are old/worn enough for me to cut up into a sleep sack. We gave most of them away when we cleaned out the house for Lexie’s arrival, and then again when we were going to move …
Oh, that reminds me. We aren’t moving! YAY- I mean, one day, yes we will build on our lot. Or at least a lot. But right now, we are staying put. And this makes me happy, because I LOVE our location, our home, and our yard. I mean, it is an older home and we do have a lot of work to put into it, but I am looking forward to it. JTom has already put new shelves in my pantry- WOO HOO (I will post pics later)- and the fireplace is ready for its first fire.
Oh yea … the fireplace. Well, that is another story. It’s old (duh) and needed some fixin’. It needed a new chimney cap on the roof, and it just so happens that our chimney, of course, is an odd shape. So you can’t find a chimney cap for it just anywhere … for a decent price. So JTom rigged one. We hope it doesn’t blow off during a storm. =) Then, we needed glass doors to A) keep it warm in the house when the fire goes out, and B) protect babies from fires. So, those are ordered and on their way. We also had to get a rack for the wood inside the fireplace. Whew- yes, it all added up to a whopping $500+ dollars (thank you cleaning business) and I just really, really hope it pays for itself in utilities over the next five years .. because it was my bright idea.
And since it was my bright idea, I get to man the fire. FYI: I know nothing about building and keeping fires burning in chimneys. I still need fireplace tools, like that poker thing and a shovel, I guess? And we need a big bucket to keep the wood in, I suppose. I know they have those at TJ, my favorite store of all time. Guess those will top our Christmas list. I’m not sure what else you need for a fireplace, but any tips or ideas are welcome. I really know nothing about fires in chimneys. I know lots about bonfires. =) Fuel, matches, and pallets … pick up trucks and beer. Wala, you’re done! But I don’t think chimneys work like that …
After our doors get here and this project is complete, I will start saving for the bigger project. That would be the kitchen wall. We are taking out the wall between the kitchen and living room/dining area. I cannot wait! The biggest part about that is we will have to redo all of the kitchen walls when we open that section up. This wouldn’t be a problem except there is old wall paper that’s been painted over. Actually, I think it’s just been primed over; I don’t think the problem will be taking the paper off … I believe the problem will lie in taking the sheet rock off with the paper. =/ And if that happens, we will either texture the walls, or just put up new sheet rock. We will see.
The good thing about redoing the walls is that I can finally make the kitchen OURS. It’s the only room in the house that has never been touched. After we complete the walls, I will start saving for the floors, we desperately need new floors in there and the entry way. But I am thinking there is original hardwoods under the linoleum, and I would LOVE to refinish them, even if they don’t match the rest of the house perfectly; I think it would be neat and add character. =) I don’t want to redo the counters- I mean, I do … but I don’t want granite. I clean granite in houses and condos every week. The glare and speckles drive. me. nuts. I have a hard time seeing with glares anyway because I have a stigmatism in both eyes … and I know that seems silly, but when you can’t see to clean your own counters, it will drive you bat shit crazy. So not granite for this girl. EVER. But I wouldn’t mind eventually having some new counter tops. But I really don’t mind the blue too much, even if it is dated.
Actually, before we do the floors, I will probably tackle the cabinets. I’m going to start small in my bathroom so if I mess up it’s not a huge deal. but I want to paint them an antique white and then distress them. I have been looking up how to do it, but I’m really confused. It’s one of those things I need to see someone else do in front of me step by step before I can do it myself. But I think that would TOTALLY change our kitchen and make our house the chic little cottage I am going for … bit by bit I will get there.
And this brings me to the other topic, last one i promise. BABIES. Some of you know we were going to start trying for a new baby in September and… we’re going to wait. =) Not what you were hoping to read (family), I know. But since we aren’t moving any time soon, we want to get the house remodeled/updated a bit more before we have a new baby. We can work during those 9 months, but I don’t want all that pressure and then have a house that isn’t complete. Plus, if we get it done now, when we decide to move, it’s DONE and we don’t have to deal with it ANY MORE! So … that’s that. A month worth of updates in 6 paragraphs or so.
Now, here’s your favorite part: a few pics of the baby from this week. Some are pretty hilarious.
 |
| yes, that’s her leg. She finally passed out for her morning nap. |
 |
| sweet girly face |
 |
| those curls … |
 |
| “duck” |
 |
| “hi!” |
 |
| silly face |
 |
| pretty face- I promise I did not do this to her hair. |
 |
| “help, please, mama” |
 |
| playing with her farm |
Running …
The Hot Springs Spa 5/10K is quickly approaching. Like many in town, and throughout the state, I have been hard at work preparing to run the 6.2 miles of which the first 4 are all up hill. Did I mention it goes over the mountain? Oh, well, yes. There is a mountain involved. Here, “involved” means torturing the runners attempting to conquer it.
I began the journey of training for the 10K in September. The Spa Pacers, the running club here in town, puts on a clinic to help members of the community train for the race. I have been a member of the Pacers since 2008, when I started my running journey. They are the most wonderful group of people and give so much back to our community.
For the first 6 weeks or so of training, I cannot for the life of me figure out why I always return to running. But then, the 7th or 8th week rolls around and ah. There it is. The whole reason I love running- the people, the ease of moving, the challenge, the fulfillment of accomplishment. Knowing that you have accomplished something because you pushed yourself to do so is a wonderful feeling. It is a feeling that keeps you coming back for more. Truly, the runner’s high. And while mine is a delayed gratification, it is still fulfilling, none the less.
My first 10K was in 2009, this same race, and I completed it in 80 minutes at just under a 13 minute mile (in other words: S-L-O-W-L-Y). That’s an hour and ten minutes of running/walking. Last year I was 3 weeks postpartum when training began, so I ran the 5K. This year I want to complete the 10K in under 75 minutes. We will know tomorrow if that goal is attainable, since we are running the route for practice. Thursday we completed 5 miles in 57 minutes, so add another another 15 minutes to that … and I am thinking I can complete it in 72 minutes. Geesh. I sure hope so. That will be awfully hard for me, though. I am a slow runner. After this race I hope to prepare for a half marathon, which is 13 some odd miles …
Here is a map of the route:
I will update on the practice run tomorrow night.
Wish me luck!
-Meg
Busy as a …. (Queen) Bee: Freecycle
It has been a few days, and what have I done with my time rather than FB? Well, I’m not sure..
I do know that at night, rather than sit down to read updates and leave comments, click links and research other’s topics, which then leads me to playing on pintrest for hours, I have been knitting. I am almost done with Lexie’s first scarf =) I like the colors, but they don’t match her winter coat, so I will have to make her another one. I have the yarn already, and I am thinking I have enough for a scarf and a hat, and quite possibly a pair of mittens! You know why people knit mittens v gloves? Because gloves are hard. Well, the mitten pattern did not look easy, but it definitely read easier than the glove pattern.
Today I: vacuumed (twice), ran to the village (30 minute drive) to drop off business cards at the real estate companies, went to party city and old navy, met J.Tom for lunch, came home and finished decorations for Lexie’s Very Hungry Caterpillar First Birthday party, did a bit of laundry, washed and folded diapers, and made Lexie some pears. Oh, then I knitted for a bit tonight.
You’re probably thinking one of two things: wow, she did a lot today (and) OR why did she just tell us what she did today? I got so much done because Lexie was at school. It is Tuesday and she has school on Tuesdays and Thursdays; it’s easier to get things done when you don’t have a 12 month old following you everywhere 😉 Which I actually miss on days she is not there; but appreciate the time. I told you everything I did because I felt like I accomplished more today than in the last month. But really, Monday I accomplished the most because I got almost all my cleaning done-WITH an 11 month & 3 week old daughter tagging along totting around. Minus the bathrooms. I did not get that far..
But the bummer part is I wish I’d had a cleaning job rather than my own chores today. I need to fill my Tuesdays with regular customers.. I’m putting out the effort through networking and following up on leads from friends, putting out my cards and talking to people. It’s just not happening yet. Maybe soon.
Despite all I HAVE accomplished, there are some things I’ve not accomplished. The bathrooms, for one thing! haha But the main one is running. I have not ran in two weeks. Grrr I really need to get my butt in gear.. I think I may set my alarm for the morning but I never get up. How do you get yourself out of bed at 5:00 in the morning when you don’t HAVE to? I did it most days for quite some time when I was in school. When I had 8:00 AM classes in Arkadelphia, I had to wake up, get ready, and maybe finish some work by 5:00 so I could leave the house by about 6:45 to get to class (and get a decent parking spot). And most nights I was up WELL after 12:00-1:00. And I ran with my group in the afternoons, and I didn’t feel too worn out.
What has happened?!
Maybe it was because I ran and exercised that I was able to keep that schedule. Actually, I am pretty certain that is why. OK, so I am running in the morning… 😉 Really, I would have to get up before 5:00, because JTom has been leaving the house about 5:30, WALKING to work, then walking back about 7:00 so he can get Lexie up and play with us until he has to leave again about 7:45. Oh, ehum. Yes you heard read me correctly- walking.
My husband has started walking to work. I am so proud of him! For those of you who do not know-we have hills. And mountains. I didn’t really know those land forms existed as a kid; I thought they were just fairy take things teachers forced us to make from Playdoh so they had something to teach us in geography… Well, guess what? There really are mountains and BIG hills. We have them in Hot Springs. You cannot walk, run, drive, skip, or cart wheel for a mile in the Spa City without going up a pretty steep incline at some point. I think that is why I like running here; I hate running on flat surfaces, it’s causes too much impact. Hills are much easier on my body. (I say “run” like I have really been running.. but you know what I mean.) Anyways, so I am very proud of J.Tom for his efforts.
But this brings me to my most favorite part of this blog- FREECYCLE! woo hoo
My brother loved freecycle. Whenever I would ask him if he had extra computer speakers, CDs, an ink pen, a cigarette lighter, heck anything- he would reply “check freecycle.” So finally I wised up, and I did!
Now you know my whole “trying to live more simply, save money, live on less because it CAN be done” lifestyle change I am working on? Well, freecycle helps…. and it can hurt a weeeee little bit. =) See, you post on the group if you have something free to offer; this post shows up in all the group members email inboxes. You can also post if you are in need of something. If you’re lucky, someone may have what you are looking for and be willing to give it to you. This helps the earth and our pocket books by keeping lots and lots things out of the landfills and while families receive second hand goods vs buying.
So tomorrow, I am calling a lady tomorrow about picking up in response to her post for …. wait for it ….
A TREADMILL! Yes ladies and gents you heard me correctly. She posted her grandma’s rarely used treadmill on the group for FREE. Who do you think the first person to respond was? That would be M E!!! She was finally able to get back to me today; she asked that I call her in regards to picking it ALL up. “All up? But Meghan, you said you were just getting a treadmill?” Yes, yes dear reader I did. But I ALSO happen to be getting a 2 drawer metal filing cabinet, a diaper pail, and sippy cups! This lady posted half of my wishlist on freecycle in a matter of minutes. Now how stinkin-freakin awesome is that?
“But Meghan, nothing nice in life is free…” Oh yes, that fine print. Hrm. Well, see what had happened was… *ehum* A side story: I posted Monday that I was looking for a small, nice printer in good working condition just to print coupons. Nothing fancy. People are all the time posting printers on the group. So this old lady responds, everything sounds great, I head out to her house. The printer is an AWESOME printer. The problem? It smells so badly of cat pee that I was afraid to put it in the back of my car. I DID, but it wasn’t fun.. and then when I got home, I put it in the trash. In between, I disinfected my hands about 10 times. Not only did I throw away the printer, but I will be calling animal services after a few days (so she doesn’t know it was me). The stinch emanating from her trailer was so horrible I wanted to run in and save all the animals that I could hear crying. What stopped me, you wonder? A) Lexie was in my arms and B) I pictured all those episodes of Hoarders where the old people take in the stray dogs and cats and they multiply so quickly they don’t even know there are like 1000 dead ones buried under everything. I imagine that is what her home looked like; it is certainly what it smelled like. Granted, she was old and kind… but that’s not healthy for anyone.
So, is there a catch to freecycle? There can be, yes. Do I know what “good condition” means to someone else? No… hence the free-ness. But you can always say “no thank you, that’s not what I had imagined or what I am looking for.” But I do know that people offer really great, like new items all the time. So I am hoping that these items we pick up tomorrow will be in great condition. I want the treadmill for obvious reasons and also for JTom to walk on so he can get exercise for his back. The sippy cups I’d like because those suckers are anywhere from 5-10 dollars and now that Lexie likes hers we need a few more. The filing cabinet has been on my wish list since my nesting days while pregnant with Lou. We need a secure place for my family filing system. And the diaper pail- “But Meg, you mostly cloth diaper.. why do you need a diaper pail?” Because I can get a diaper pail liner like this one: http://planetwiseinc.com/Planet_Wise_Diaper_Pail_Liner_38_cat.html and have a place to put stinky diapers until it is time to wash. I have a hanging wet bag, but when it is in the wash with the diapers, I have no smell-locking place to put the other dirty diapers. I have friends that use plastic bags, which I could do.. but this is just as easy, maybe easier and the pail part is free! Can’t beat that. I can prob find the liner for nearly free on my diaperswappers. Frugal doesn’t have to mean doing without. =) It just means doing with less using less.
I will post pics on the items after I pick them up. Let’s hope the treadmill is at least in good condition; those are hard to come by on the group and even harder to get first dibs on! I almost got a stair stepper a while back but wasn’t fast enough. Dog-nabbit.
So you see how this amazing FreeCycle could make de-cluttering, simple living harder? Like all things, it is to be used in moderation. If you are going to buy something regardless, it’s a good place to get it for free if you can wait a while for it to be posted. But it is NOT a good thing if you’re someone who can “always use one of those..” haha Fortunately, I’m not of that personality. I don’t think.. well, not yet anyways. =)
May 2011- Eighth Month of Life and more…
Lou Bug is officially 8 months old! =( I know it is a good thing but it is sad too. She has learned several new things since 7 months; she is now: waving, clapping, bouncing to get where she wants to go, sliding around to get places (but not necessarily to meet a specific destination yet) and is cutting TWO top teeth. Poor baby, no wonder she hasn’t felt good lately. She is also trying to bounce from her bottom onto her knees, ans she CAN but once she gets there they slip out from under her. She plays better on her belly than she used to though, so that is good. She is still trying to pull up on EVERYTHING! It is really funny, because most things are still too tall and she gets very frustrated.
A week and a half ago, we started sleep training. I knew i needed to begin, but was so afraid. After talking to a few friends, I decided it would be okay. Lexie has always been a great sleeper, although not a good napper. At night she would take her bottle, talk a bit, snuggle, and then I would give her the paci and I would hold her while she fought sleep for about 5 minutes. At this point she always spit the paci out and I would take it away, put her in her crib and she would sleep all night. I knew paci would be a challenge,but didn’t know how much of a challenge…
Sleep training is NOT a new concept, it has been around since like the 1890s or something like that. It is basically getting your baby to sleep on their own so they can learn to self soothe. This allows them to go BACK to sleep each time they wake at the end of a sleep cycle, which is about 45 minutes-1.5hours, depending on the baby. Lexie’s is exactly 45 minutes. She has never had a problem putting her self back to sleep at night, she just did it. But getting herself to sleep was another issue. Some parents decide to use tools similar to a sleep training app to better track how their baby is adjusting but everyone has their own approach.
So, back to my reasoning behind this: I DO NOT want a baby who has to sleep in the bed with me when she is 18 months old because she doesn’t know how to go to sleep on her own because I was not willing to let her TRY to get to sleep on her own. Maybe Lexie will become this type of baby anyways, but at least I can say we tried and at some point succeeded. My second reason for doing this is because there is absolutely NO WAY in this world I could sleep train her when she is able to stand in the crib, arms outstretched over the sides, crying “mamamama, dadadada.” There is just no way. So I decided to begin now, before she can literally talk me into picking her up and holding her to sleep.
It was the hardest thing I have done, second to leaving her at daycare and going to work for free (aka internship). But it went surprisingly well. From day one I have kept a log of each nap and bed time-what time I put her in the crib, what time she stopped fussing/crying, and what time she woke. It started with about 15 minutes of fussing at night; this was something she always did, even when I held her, only it was about 5-7 minutes when I held her. At naps… well naps are a different story. They were harder. I would allow her to cry 6 minutes, then I went in her room, picked her up, loved her, calmed her, and placed her back down. I would usually have to do this one more time and then she would be asleep. The first time she slept for over an hour at a nap-this is a record nap for Lexie! So, in this process I took away Paci. =/
Evil, I know right? But the thing is, if I allowed her to have it in the crib it fell out and she was too tired when she woke at the end of a sleep cycle to realize it was right there, grab it, and put it back in. So rather than me going in non stop to replace it until she was weaned from it, we just stopped all together. At first she would look for it, root around as if to nurse but wanting anything she could use to sooth herself-that lasted about 5 days. Then she was done. She no longer looks for paci or roots to nurse for comfort.
The last 2 or 3 days there has been no crying when I put her in the crib to sleep. She just rustles around some and finally gets comfy and is asleep in no time! It is truly amazing. She also seems just as happy as when I held her to sleep with a paci. I believe this is because I created a new routine for her sleep as well. After bath time, we now go to her room and rock while she takes her bottle and I read a story (or 3). Then I hold her for a few minutes, burp her (which isn’t really necessary anymore) and we say our prayers. Then I squeeze her tight and place her in the crib. She realizes now this is the new routine, and she has adapted to it.
At her nap this afternoon, I put her down and she literally did not make one noise. So, while it was terribly hard for me to let her fuss and cry sometimes (because she didn’t really cry every time, just mainly at naps) it is amazing that she can now put herself to sleep peacefully. Many people begin sleep training when babies are like 8 weeks old-I just couldn’t. Before she was so dependent on nursing and mommy for comfort I could not deny her the holding she needed and craved. But as she has gotten a little bigger she is not that dependent on me for everything.. I just thought it was a good time to start, and it turns out it was.
Now, my next challenges are: extending her schedule from a 3 to 4 hour routine and making her baby food.
I use schedule in the place of routine-Lexie does not do the exact same thing every day. But she is very predictable. She sleeps after being awake about 2 hours, eats about every 3, and naps about an hour 3xs a day. I am hoping to extend the times between each of these things by about an hour-we will see how it goes. She is old enough to drop the afternoon nap, but I don’t know if she is quite ready. I think she will let me know when she is.
—-
For a Mommy update- I AM DONE WITH SCHOOL FOREEEEEVVVVEEEERRRR!!!! Really, I cannot imagine ever torturing myself again with school, although I know eventually I will get my Masters and would LOVE to get my doctorate and teach at a University one day. But that is too far ahead to think about. Right now I am basking in the glow of achievement and loving every minute of it! Now, if I can get a job for the fall and get my Praxis III over with, then I will really be done and completely certified! I graduate next Friday, the 13th (<--- GO FIGURE!) and I have to go get my cap and gown sometime this week before graduation. Tonight, my poor husband is getting his first complete, home cooked meal in like 2 weeks. I have been so swamped with finishing up school stuff I have not been cooking. We have had a lot of snacks and sandwiches for dinners.
Tomorrow is my Women Can Run Arkansas 5K. We will see how this goes. I expect it will be a slow 5K for me, but Lexie will be running with me, so that is exciting-her first 5K! =) Wish us luck.