Pumpkin Patch

Today,we went to a pumpkin patch to select our Halloween pumpkins.  Here's Norah contemplating all the pumpkins:

If Caleb were looking, or even if his expression wasn't one of consternation, and if Norah were smiling, or if I weren't squinting...this would probably be our best family pic so far:

Norah loved the pumpkins.  We spent a long time, even after we'd selected our pumpkins, just playing with the pumpkins:

The farm we went to also had other "patch" features: hayrides, petting zoo, and a corn maze.  Here's Norah navigating the maze:

It was an overcast day, and it was super crowded, but we didn't get rained on and we had lots of "fall fun"!

Going "Long"

Since starting back to running in July, I have only stuck to 3 milers.  But, this weekend, I wanted to start slowly venturing out of that 3 miler comfort zone, so I broke the mold this morning and did...4 miles!  Adventuresome, aren't I?

My Garmin was still frozen (yes, I tried both soft and hard resets -- the 310 is not my first Garmin), but luckily, I'm the kind of girl who has a back-up Garmin: the 305!  Spoiled much?  Why yes, I am.

See, last year, for Christmas, my parents bought me the 305, not knowing that my 310 was only about 6 months old.  Instead of returning the 305, I figured I'd just hold onto it.  You know, in case of a Garmin-emergency.  I'm glad I did because it was nice to have that back-up waiting in the wings after the 310 froze up on me.

The 305 is bulkier than the 310, but since I'd worn the 205 for years, it didn't take long to adjust to the difference in size.  In fact, I think the 305's display is easier to read since it's a bit larger, so I really didn't mind the bulk.  Plus, I like the 305's reading of "current" pace instead of the 310's "average" pace. 

Anyhoo, the run itself was good, and I averaged 10:30/miles (see, I'm slower out on the road than I am on the treadmill) and finished the 4 miles in 42 minutes.  It felt good to go just a smidgen past my comfort zone, and by simply doing so, I was encouraged about gradually increasing my mileage for that 10K in a month.

Garmin Down!

My SIL is in town for a few days this week, so this morning, I planned to take advantage of her willingness to babysit one kid while I took the other on a morning run.  Typically, Norah wants to stay and play with her auntie, but she was continuing with her contrary mood from yesterday and insisted she go with me on the run.

She hasn't been on a run with me in several months since she typically doesn't want to ride in a stroller.  So, I told her she could go, but I had some ground rules:

• No asking to get out and walk.
• No asking to turn around and go home.
• No throwing items out of the stroller.

Essentially: Sit in there and like it!

She agreed, so we were on our way.  By the end of the first mile, she was already asking to go home, but I just ignored her, and a bit later, I peeked in at her and she'd fallen asleep.  I think she needed the sleep since she'd again awoken extra early this morning, but I hope she still takes a regular nap at school this afternoon!

The run was tough going.  Norah is a LOT heavier than Caleb; plus, I hadn't gotten out on the road until 8:30 am, and it was pretty sunny and warm by then.  Heat + pushing a heavy jogging stroller = a slower run.  But, I'll take it!  Any chance at a run is a good opportunity, so I can't complain.

About the running. 

But, I can complain about my Garmin: It froze up at mile 2!  Just froze.  I don't know what happened.  I tried several things once I got home, but it is still stuck.  This thing is barely more than a year old -- guess I'm gonna have to suck it up and call Garmin's customer service.

Wordy Wednesday

As most of you know by now, I stay at home with the kids part-time and work full-time.  So, I'm at home with the ankle-biters until midday, and by noon, I'm in my office at the college readying for my afternoon and evening classes. 

Some days, by the time I get to work, I feel pretty spent, as if I have already worked a full day.  Today was such a day.  My morning with the kidlets shook down like so:

• Both were up before 6 am.  Norah crawled into our bed at 5:45, and even though I tried telling her it was "still night time," she was up UP.  Either she woke Caleb up or he was just up on his own, but he too was up UP.
• By 6:15, I was fetching Norah's milk and getting her set up with Sesame Street when Scooter made his morning debut by puking in the dining room.  3 times.
• At 6:40, I sat down on the living room floor with Caleb and a cup of coffee and rolled him onto his tummy for some tummy time, and before my first sip of coffee, he rolled over!  First time!  I was so excited, so I flipped back onto his tummy again and he rolled over again!
• I go and wake Jerry up (we are kinda-sorta back to trading off mornings with the kids) and have him hurry out to the living room to see this GRAND FEAT.
• Caleb does not perform.
• Then, Jerry gets in the shower, and...two more rolls!  Milestone baby accomplishment!  But dad hasn't been able to witness it.
• At 8, I gave Caleb a bottle of formula* and 20 minutes later, the little bugger broke out in hives.  This week is his first test-run with formula, and at DC on Monday and on Tuesday, he seemingly had allergic reactions, but I wanted to see for myself to confirm that it's the formula causing the reaction.  Yuppers.  It's the formula.
• Most likely, he has an allergy, or sensitivity, to dairy (and probably has all along; it explains a lot, actually).  So, I nursed him before sending him off to DC with some Soy formula.  (At last report, they had given him the soy bottle -- he wasn't a fan -- and no reaction thus far.)
• At 9, Caleb went down for his morning nap, and Norah and I showered and had our breakfast.  She ate great!  She ate 2 eggs, a shitload of cantaloupe, and...this is where it gets interesting...a cup full of feta cheese.  It's what she requested.  She loves feta.  All by itself. 
• It was good she ate so well because it was one of the highlights of our morning; otherwise, she was very contrary (maybe getting up at 5:45 does that to a girl -- or to a mom!) and I felt a LOT of frustration in dealing with her.
• Then, in the car, on our way to DC, she says to me: "I like it you."  And I completely forgot the specifics of what she'd done throughout the morning that had frustrated me so much.

This afternoon, then, I'm talking with a book rep who asks me: "So, how are you handling it all?"  Umm, does it say anything that one minute I am thinking about shipping them off to the Artic and the next minute I just want to stay home and snuggle them all day long?

*I'm still nursing him as well, but we're in the process of transitioning to formula.  There's a lot that could be said on this subject, but I think I'll skip it today.  I've been wordy enough as it is!

Treadmill 5K

On the treadmill, I'm faster than I am in real life.  So, now that I can almost always bang out 3 miles in less than 30 minutes when I'm on there, I figured I should set some new goals for myself.  To start, I figured I'd see if I could do a 5K in sub-30.  It's just .1 farther than a regular ol' 3 miler, but somehow it seems just slightly more challenging.  And that's really all I'm after right now: Slight challenges.  Not real big ones.

And, I did it!  I clocked that 5K in 29:46.  If only I could do that on the road now.  Guess that's my next slight challenge!

Weekend Wrap Up

Saturday

Saturday morning, Jerry always goes to the grocery store with Norah.  It's their routine.  Usually, I try to get my Saturday morning run done before they leave, but it was rainy, so I delayed the run until I got a break in the rain, and then I got ready and got Caleb ready since he was going with.  Here we are before the run -- he's still jammied.

Here he is dressed and ready to run!  He seems pleased that I at least dressed him in blue since I stick him in a pick stroller.

The run was good -- we dodged the rain -- and it had another desirable effect: A sleeping baby!

He continued to sleep once I was home, and I was able to shower and dress, and he woke up right when Jerry and Norah got home.  Here's Norah helping her dad unload the groceries: She likes carrying things inside, and sometimes, it's impressive what she can handle.

Saturday Night
Jerry and I had a planned date night, and we'd initially planned to go to Miami to eat at the Miami Food Trucks.  But, it was still raining then and we weren't sure how fun it would be to stand on a street in Miami and scarf our food down in the rain.  So, we planned an alternative, and it worked out great!  We went to a nearby Vietnamese restaurant that turned out to be an awesome find, and we went to the movie "50/50" which turned out to be a good pic.  All in all, great date night!

Sunday
Caleb again joined me for a morning run, and we lucked out by again fitting it into a small window of the day where it wasn't raining (it rained all. weekend. long.).  For a bit, it drizzled enough to warrent me stopping to put on the weathershield, but after half a mile, it subsided so I stopped again and removed it.

It was good thing I got that run in because the rest of the day was pretty lazy.  I "watched" football:

And Norah and I made some Halloween cupcakes:

It was a fun weekend, as they always are, and just like they always do: It went TOO fast!

Feces Friday

This morning, Norah was playing on the back porch when she called to me: "Mama!  Norah poopy!"

I come out on the porch to discover that she'd pooped, then taken off her pull-up, and a loose turd had set itself free and was sitting on the tile.  Argh!

So, I take her inside, leaving that renegade piece of poop, and clean her up (for the record, it was the 2nd time today that I got poop on my arm -- Caleb had a poo-plosion earlier that was so unwieldy, I seriously thought of just cutting his onesie off him).  We go back out on the porch, armed with poop clean up materials, and find that there is no sign of the turd. 

Just a small brown dog licking his lips...

...yeah, how's that image for your Friday?!  My dog is a shit eater!

As Norah said, when I explained where the turd had disappeared to, "No eat poop, Scooter!  Yucky!"

"Yucky" for sure!

Flat Headed Baby: Update

This morning, Caleb had a follow-up appointment with the baby-head-specialist*. 

They re-scanned his skull and examined his x-rays, along with the phsyical examination.  In short, the good news is that there is nothing medically wrong with his head.  Which was a relief.  I knew it was unlikely (the condition where bones are fusing together incorrectly is pretty rare, so the chances were in his favor), but as a mom, it's my job to worry.

On the other hand, it looks inevitable that he's headed for Helmet Town.  He's still young for helmet therapy (they wouldn't even start that until he's 6 months old), so they're going to continue to monitor it monthly, but it looks as though my attempts to re-shape his head with my good thoughts has been mostly fruitless -- and dangit, it's hard work trying to control things with my mind!  There has been some improvement in the flat spot, but the dr.** said we should be "thoroughly considering" a helmet when it's time.  Shoot.  Apparently, crossing your fingers and hoping to avoid something doesn't work!  Who knew?

The choice for a helmet is, ultimately, ours to make, but after speaking to the teachers at daycare***, it seems that, anecdotally, the helmet is dang effect in rounding out those unruly baby skulls.  And what's a few months in a helmet compared to a lifetime of a flat head?  I don't want to be blamed when he can't find a suitable hat or wear sunglasses; he'll have plenty to blame me for, I'm sure; may as well not be a slanty-head.

But, as of right now, he's young enough that it's still a wait-and-see issue.  It just looks as though we're waiting to see when he'll get his helmet assignment...in the meantime, Jerry has already mentally sketched out several "designs" for Caleb's potential helmet.  Let's just say that everything from flames to skulls/cross bones to mock-boxing-helmet designs have been tossed around.  In the end, this thing could be a work of art!

*Let me just take a moment to note something about this specialist's office: Apparently, this dude's office is THE baby-head-specialist office in Ft. Lauderdale.  Which is good because parents report a high rate of satisfaction from this doctor's approach and his results.  But, it's also kind of pretentious because it's so damn prestigious.  The office itself isn't that bad (it's location is, though: downtown), but the fellow patients' parents are a bit exhausting.  Everybody is rolling into the parking lot in their Escalades and BMWs, and they are strollering their kids into the waiting room in Peg Perego and Uppa Baby strollers.  Meanwhile, I'm just pleased that Norah let me comb her hair and that I don't have spit up (or shit up!) on me.

**We haven't actually gotten to meet with this big-wig doctor himself yet.  So far, we've just seen the P.A.  With the next visit, we have finally been granted access to the Emerald City to see Mr. Oz himself.

***I swear, the teachers at DC are just as knowledgable as pediatricians and specialists.  Simply through their vast experience with kids, they seem to have seen everything, and consulting with them is often times more valuable than any time spent with doctors.  Plus, they see our kids FAR more than the drs. ever do, so their assessment is one that I trust.

I Don't Like Sharing

This afternoon, I headed over to the campus gym to hit the treadmill, as has become my habit on Mondays and Wednesdays the past few weeks, and today, I encountered a problem I just knew was inevitable:

No treadmill availability.

The gym is small -- c'mon this is a public community college, so it's not like this place is an L.A. Fitness or anything -- and there are only 8 treadmills.  And, currently, 4 are out of order.  Thems not good odds, yo.

So, when I got there today, all 4 treadmills were occupado.  2 people were actually running on their treadmills, but the other 2 were walking on theirs like they were just out for a leisurely stroll on the beach.  Part of me wanted to be all, "Use it or lose it!"  But that's frowned upon gym behavior, and just plain bad sharing (I'm always telling Norah that she has to learn to "take turns" so maybe I should learn that too), and I had to concede to jumping on an available elliptical (of which there are twice as many).  I don't love the elliptical, but after my first "mile" on there, a treadmill opened up and I was on it like white on rice.  With my time constraint, I couldn't start my run over, so I only ran 2 "legit" miles on the treadmill.

I felt a bit like I was cheated out of my full run, but such is life when you're "sharing" equipment with others.

Toddler Tuesday: Play Time!

It's interesting to watch how kids' play develops as they develop; you can see how their world becomes more complex and imaginative as they do.  I love this.  I think it's so fun to see how Norah now interacts with her toys in a manner that requires her imagination.  Here she is this morning hosting a lunch/tea party for her babies and Bo-Bo.

They eat an eclectic assortment of food, and apparently, they have to eat straight from the pots and pans she prepared the food in, but there were no complaints from her guests.  They all seemed satisfied by her hospitality.

Now, if only SHE would eat as good as her babies do!

The Weekend Running

This weekend, we had a "cold" front move through our area so temps dropped from the 90s to the 70s.  It still got in to the 80s during the afternoon, but first thing in the morning was glorious, and I took advantage of it 3 days in a row: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  I was still just sticking to my 3 mile route, but it felt good, and I think it's finally time to start challenging myself by increasing my mileage and adding some "long" runs into the future weekend running.

And it's a good time for it too since we're finally starting to get our own version of fall here in SoFlo.  It's nothing like the pleasant temps most of you get to enjoy this time of year, but lows in the 70s is a nice change of temp around here!

Four Months

Caleb is 4 months old now.  And what can I say? 

He's a Smiley McSmilerson:

 Whose getting stronger everyday!

Ass Abs

So, it's pretty easy to guess what part of the body most women are concerned about re-shaping post-partum.  If you guessed "abs," you are correct!  There is no prize.

Typically, I don't do a lot of strength work because:

A.  I'm lazy.  And,

B.  I'd rather watch TV.

But, I figured yesterday that I could do a lazy version of yoga with a 10 minute yoga program that I stream through Netflix -- thus satisfying the ab work, albeit lazily and with the TV.  I did the 10 minute warm-up (sun salutations, mostly) and then did the 10 minute ab workout.  It was hard.  I did my best to keep up, but I mostly just flailed about and hoped for the best.

Afterward, I ate a grilled cheese sandwich.  Because 10 minutes of an ab workout = a cheesy reward!

I thought I'd be sore today, but I wasn't -- guess I didn't do enough flailing -- but when I started my run, I did feel a distinct bit of tightness in my gluteous maximus.  That's right: I had a bit of ass-soreness from my ab workout!  Which just confirms my fear that with age + kids, everything heads south. 

Eh, it didn't slow me down for my run: Still got 3 miles done in 28:59 on the treadmill.

Toddler Tuesday: That's What She Said

Norah is at a stage that I've looked forward to for 2 years now: She talks!  And, on a daily basis, it amuses me to some extent.  Here are some of my favorites as of late:

"How doing, Mama?"  or "How doing, Daddy?"  Polite and considerate!
...

"Mine!"  Okay, Smiegal, settle down.
 ...

"MY Caleb!"  Oh, how cute!  That kind of posession is okay.
 ...

"I like this...Mama like this?"  Yes, I like this very much!

...

In conversation with Jerry: 

Jerry: "What's your brother's name?"

Norah: "Caleb."

Jerry:  "What's your dog's name?"

Norah: "Scooter."

Jerry:  "And what do you call me?"

Pause.  Then, Norah:  "Silly!"

...

One day when Jerry ushered Norah out of the bathroom so he could have some privacy (HA!):

Norah stood at the bathroom door and cried: "Daddy, Norah crying!"  (Note:  Must be read like so: "Now-ah cw-ying!")

Jerry from inside the bathroom: "Why are you crying?"

Norah: "Norah wanna see poopy!"

...

Finally, I continuously find her relationship with her stuffed bear, Bo-Bo, to be amusing.  The best analogy I can give is that Bo-Bo is to Norah what Hobbes is to Calvin. 

So, the other night when it was raining, Norah: "Look Bo-Bo!  Raining!  No scared.  It's okay."

Manic Monday

I keep thinking that life is going to settle down at some point, and that fitting the running in is gonna get easier, but that's probably delusional.  I know that somewhere out there, some parent has half a dozen kids, a spouse who's deployed in Afghanistan or something, and they're working a crazy 80-hour a week job and they are still getting their miles in -- but me?  I'm barely eeking out 12-15 miles a week.

Today, I had to fit it in at a weird time for me: Noon.

Normally, I don't run in the middle of the day, but that's when it worked best today.

Early morning didn't work for me because A.) I was woken up early this morning at 4, 5:30, 6, and then for good at 6:45, and then B.) We had an early morning PT appointment for Caleb's tilty neck.

Typically, I would postpone the run until after my class, but today, I have to rush home to meet the A/C people because our A/C is on the fritz.

So, a quick nooner it was!  I only had 25 minutes before my office hours, so I had to do my best with the time available, but I got 2 miles done in 19:52 and then ran the remaining 5 minutes at a slower "cool down" pace.  I think the total mileage was something like 2.4 miles.

Part of me knew that I could have squeezed a full 3 miles in (really, no student is going to be hanging out outside my office door AT 12:30 wondering where I am), but I try to be as diligent as possible in being present in my office as I have posted.  So, it was a short Monday run.  But it was something.  And one of these days -- maybe when the kids are in college (?!) -- I won't be using that ("it was something") phrasing anymore.

Wordy Wednesday

Today, I again hit the treadmill and I did my 3 miler today in 28:58!  I am on FI-yah!

If nothing else, these days spent on the treadmill sure do help my running-self-esteem. 

So, some random treadmill/gym tidbits:

• The gym has a "no cell phone use" policy.  And, the other day, I actually saw an employee enforce it.  I'm kinda curious: Why no phones?  Don't get me wrong, it actually pleases me (as an instructor who is frequently looking at a class full of students texting while I'm talking, I am ALL for restricting the use of cells in certain environments), but I really wonder what the reason is.  Any guesses?  I suppose I could ask.
• Most of the gym-users are the college's students, and when I'm in there, I feel as though I'm transported back in time to my college years and using that college gym: There are a lot of people there who seem to simply be there to look pretty and socialize.  Needless to say, I see a LOT of flirting.  Which, hey, is probably better than picking up someone at a bar, right?  (For the record, I totally met Jerry at a bar!)
• Each time I use the treadmill at the gym, I find myself "racing" the treadmill users next to me.  It makes me feel good to know that I'm clipping along at a faster pace and for a farther distance than people who are (most often) 10-15 years my junior.  Like I said above, this is GREAT for my self-esteem!
• Today, I got a prime treadmill spot -- near a fan!  So, I had the advantage of not only running in the A/C, but I got a fan too!  It was glorious.  I wonder what the gym sets their A/C at.  Again, I'm just curious about the temp advantage of running inside vs. outside this time of year in FL.  Outside, this afternoon, it was 96 F; I'm guessing the gym HAS to be at least 76 degrees.  Maybe even cooler.  Again, maybe I should ask!

Treadin' on the Treadmill

This afternoon, I again made a date with the treadmill at the campus gym, and again, I set myself a new post-Caleb PR.  3 miles in 29:15!  At that pace, right now, I may as well be the Millennium Falcon set on Light Speed!

Still, I feel duplicitous about the treadmill:

On the one hand: Unbelievable boredom.  It's so tough, mentally, to run but not go anywhere.  Add to that the fact that I have nothing to look at but the monitor, and I find that 3 miles seems to go awfully slow when I'm watching those miles clip by .1 at a time.

On the other hand, physically, I find it so much easier to run on a treadmill.  I spend most of the time fiddling with the speed, and the beauty (or agony, depending on how you look at it) of the treadmill is that you HAVE to go that speed.  It's a run-or-fly-off-the-machine situation.  So, it just makes me RUN.  Plus, it helps that it's about 20 degrees cooler in the gym than it is outside, and that counts for a lot.

Tentatively, I'm planning to utilize the treadmill about twice a week, so perhaps I will just count those runs as "speed work" (I put that in quotes because true speed work seems planned -- using lots of numbers and an abacus, I assume; my version of speed work is just treadmill-style fartleks) since I'm no where close to those same digits in the outside world!

Looking Forward

Given the discussion over at Jamoosh's this week pertaining to race medals and cutoff times, perhaps Norah needs to take these off, huh?

Trust me, she wouldn't give them up willingly.  She told me yesterday, "Mine!" 

As for MY running, I got a Saturday 3 miler in yesterday morning, and it got me thinking about future running/racing plans.

Back when I was preggo with Caleb, and dreaming of returning to racing, I thought I might be able to train for an HM by late fall.  Specifically, I thought I could probably be ready by the time Ft. Lauderdale's 13.1 rolled around in early November (Caleb would be about 5 and 1/2 months then and I ran the Miami HM when Norah was that age).  I had been keeping this tentatively in mind, but then I actually looked at a calendar, and...um, nope.  That's not gonna happen.  I haven't run anything longer than 3 miles.  I can't put in the necessary training in the next 8 weeks in order to pull off an HM.  And, I just have to accept that this time around, it's been a tougher road in the return to running.

Instead, I'm thinking of running a 10K that same weekend (The Key Biscayne Lighthouse Run on Nov 12).  8 weeks should be enough for me to build up to a 10k, right?

The 10K I have in mind, I've run before -- in fact, it was the first race I ran post-Norah's birth!  I can't help but love that kind of symmetry.

Next step: Actually register for it.

Thank God for SILs

My SIL, Care-Bear, is visiting us for a few days this week.  Her trip is uber-short (don't you hate it when people use "uber"? it's so pretentious, isn't it?  I uber-hate it!).  She arrived yesterday and leaves tomorrow, but we're always pleased that she can fit a visit with us into her jet-set lifestyle -- earlier in the week she met Will Ferrell (and had the restraint to not ask him for "more cowbell"); so by my logic, that makes us comparable to movie stars. 

Even though her trip is short, I still took advantage of her eager-beaver attitude about being with the kids, and I escaped for a run this morning.  I took Caleb with me so that she was only harnessed with Norah (who L-O-V-E-S her auntie; she follows her around the whole time Care-Bear visits), and we had a nice 3 miler.  He fell asleep; I plodded along.  It was glorious.

Plus, when I got home she wanted both kids, and I got to shower in peace!  I tell ya, she's worth her weight in gold!

Just the Facts

Here are the facts:

• I don't like running on treadmills.
• Mentally, I find then to be nearly as mind-numbing as watching grass grow.
• Also, they give me vertigo.

But here too are the facts:

• In FL, it's hot outside for most of the year. 
• That means that for most of the year, running outside is best either first thing in the morning or late in the evening.
• My schedule with work and kids does not always allow me to utilize those times of the day for running.
• Also, I like to sleep.

Then there are these facts:

• We don't have a treadmill at home -- they are big; we have a small condo.
• But, I do have FREE access to the campus gym where there is a row of treadmills.
• In air conditioned comfort.
• Also, did I mention FREE?

So, today, after my afternoon class, I slipped into my running stuff and hit the gym, and thus the treadmill.  And here are these facts:

• I got my 3 miler done. 
• And, I got it done in 30:05.  A 10:02 min/mile average!
• That's the fastest 3 miler I've run post-Caleb!
• Also, I hung at a 9:22 pace for about half a mile at the end.  I felt like it might kill me, but I did it!  Awesome Sauce.

Toddler Tuesday

Today, I decided to take a rest day.  I had run the past 3 days in a row, and for me, lately, that's a significant little streak, and I needed/wanted the rest day.  So, without any running to regale you of, I figure I'd share a little glimpse into my life with Norah -- ie, I shall label this anecdote "Naked Narrative."

At 2 years old, Norah is a combination of hysterical cuteness and maddening frustration.  This is an example of such a combo:

She likes to be naked, apparently.

She's gotten pretty good at stripping herself and then streaking through the house in the nude.  This morning, for instance, I went in the kitchen long enough to rinse out my coffee cup and in that 1 minute or so, I came back into the living room to discover her completely undressed.

Now, on the one hand, I think that a giggling, naked 2 year old is probably one of THE reasons I wanted to have children in the first place.  It's just dang amusing.  I mean, c'mon, who doesn't find a 2 year old's chubby little butt cheeks adorable and humorous?!

On the other hand, it's funny until you're trying to get her dressed again.  I actually would just let her chill out in the buff if she were fully potty trained -- what does a naked kid in the house matter? -- but because she's not fully potty trained, a naked little girl means that, inevitably, pee puddles are gonna be right around the corner for me to (literally) step and slip in.  So, once she's naked, it's maybe a few minutes of enchantment and being caught up in her free-spirited charm, and then comes the ugly task of chasing her down and wrestling her into a diaper and clothes.

The best comparison I can give is that it's like trying to stuff a squirming, wet octopus into shorts and a t-shirt: It feels like she has twice as many limbs, and no matter how dry she is, she's a slippery little beast!

It doesn't help that the Laws of Parenthood dictate that such dressing will be accompanied by her LOUD protests, Caleb will chose that moment to start crying, and a FedEx truck will drive by so Scooter will start howling.  Such a symphony of noise always makes me immediately lose my sh*t; I typically think of myself as being pretty patient, but when 2 kids are crying simultaneously and the dog is baying, I feel like my brains are gonna explode with frustration.

Then, finally, she's re-clothed and re-diapered; Caleb is soothed, and Scooter is reprimanded, and I'm sweaty and a little psychotic. 

Then...a few minutes later, I find the whole exhausting business humorous again!

Another Early Run and 3 Month Check Up

This morning, I again got to enjoy an early -- but not too early -- 3 miler.

Jerry was home this morning because we had a dr. appointment with Caleb, so I went out for my run at about 6:45, and it really does feel like perfect timing: Temps are manageable (aside from the incredible humidity), sun is rising but not risen and it's nice to not have the sun on me without having to run in the dark; plus, it still gets done early.  It'd be great if Jerry didn't leave for work until 8 am because I could do this everyday, but alas, he leaves at 7.

And Scooter would make a poor babysitter.

Anyhoo, in other news, Caleb had his 3 month check up this morning.  He grew an inch, 25 inches now (75th percentile), and gained a little more than a pound, 14 lbs, 6 oz (60th percentile).  He's growing and developing just fine, but there's still concern over that dang flat spot.  He had his skull x-rays on Saturday, and goes back to the specialist in a few weeks, and he's going to be starting PT soon.  Aside from those measures, we just have to continue to minimize his time on his back.

I know we're doing all that we can to help his head even out, but I can't help but feel some anxiety over his head shape.  And every time I have to put him in his bouncy chair, or lay him down on the floor or in his crib (we can't hold him ALL the time!), I feel guilty -- like I'm just flattening his head out further.  It sucks too because he loves those places.  When I put him in his bouncy chair, he's like, "Heck yeah!  I love bouncing this thing and grabbing these swinging animals that are in my face!"  In contrast, when we put him on his tummy or in his Bumbo chair, he's more like, "F you, Mom.  F you!"

Oh well, I'm still crossing my fingers that it will even out as he grows, and in time, I can look back and think, "Eh, what was I worried about?"

Weekend Warrior

The weekends are always busy, but because Jerry doesn't have to head out the door early for work, I'm able to fit runs into the morning a bit better.  On Saturday, I got up at 6, fed Caleb and he went back to sleep.  Norah got up shortly afterward, but she likes to start her days by watching Sesame Street and having some juice.  So, she snuggled on the couch with Jerry, and I headed out for a 3 miler.  It was cute; before I left, she told me: "No running, Mama.  Sit down."  She's kinda bossy lately.

Then, this morning, I did the same, except Caleb didn't want to go back to sleep.  He wanted to stay up.  So, I got him dressed and put him in the BOB, and he accompanied me for my 3 miler.  He stayed awake at first, but when I peeked in at him at 1 mile, he was out.  Here he is before we left:

Both runs were humid as hell, and when I got back, Norah declared: "All wet!"  And then she asked, "Raining?"  Nope, not rain my dear, Sweat!  This picture doesn't do the river of sweat justice; it was literally just rolling off me!  Yummy.

Now, it's time to chillax this afternoon with my one beer and watch some football!

The Vikings don't actually play until 4, and even then, I'm not sure if the game will air here, but still, I gotta wear my Vikings stuff!

Okay, I Admit It

These are maternity pants.

And, no, I'm not pregnant again.  I just don't fit into all my work pants.  It's a sad place to be.

I'm within spitting distance of my pre-preggo weight, but I'm about 26.2 miles away from pre-preggo SHAPE.  So, some of my "regular" clothes fit...alright...but I honestly shed them as soon as I get home in favor of comfy sweats.  And while some pants and skirts technically button, etc, they do NOT flatter -- let's just say that Pudgy Belly is never "in."

So, this morning, I found myself in my closet trying to find a work outfit that I hadn't already cycled through a few times in the short weeks I've been back at work, and I was coming up with nada that was comfortable.  Thus, I reached for these maternity pants. 

They are indeed full panel maternity pants.

But I folded down the panel, selected a long tee and called it "good enough."  And, honestly, I feel it's a small victory that I decided against a maternity shirt to pair it with -- it was on me and I was trying to convince myself that it didn't "look" like a maternity shirt, but I knew that if I had to talk myself into believing that it didn't look like a maternity shirt, then, well, it was probably VERY obviously a maternity shirt.

I know that pregnancy weight takes time to lose and that regaining that pre-preggo body (especially that pre-preggo mid-section) takes time, and I remember that it didn't fully happen for me after Norah until she was about 9 months old.  Caleb is only 3 months old.  Still, I looked at his cute little mug this morning and thought, "Dude, you've reduced me to this!"

On the plus side, DANG these pants are comfy! 

Sleeping vs. Running

Running has been sporadic as of late.

I often go to bed with these grand ambitions about getting up early and knocking it out at 5 am, but then that dark hour rolls around, and I decide: "Nah.  I'm gonna sleep!"

Granted, Caleb is sleeping through the night now, so I'm getting more rest now than I did for 3 months, but I'm still tired (my ideal vacation right now would mean taking a weekend away and just sleeping that entire time: beaches? resorts?  fancy restaurants?  no thanks, I just want to sleep all day and all night).  So when it comes to choosing whether I sleep or run, I usually choose sleep.

And who am I kidding?  I've never been a morning person, and morning running has always been a struggle for me -- even pre-kids -- so I can't blame them (entirely) for my inability to get out of bed in the morning.  It's just that now, with kids, that ungodly, inhuman hour is often my only choice.  So, how to make it not my only choice?

I never thought I'd say it: But...I do wish we had a treadmill.  I've diligently avoided treadmills for years, but now I am seeing how they may be a necessary evil -- it may be boring, but at least it provides a method for getting it done (especially when it's either too dark or too hot out).  The problem for us is where to put a giant piece of machinery like that?  We live in a 2 bedroom condo.  And with 2 kids, a dog, and a bazillion toys, where does one find the space?  I don't know, but I think a side-project may involve somehow finding that space.

That, or I actually have to get out of bed at 5 am.  Ugh.  Gotta find some space...We don't really need a dining room table, right?

Monday Miscellany

On Friday, Caleb had his first appointment with the baby-head-specialist.  Official diagnosis?  Yup, that's a flat spot. 

He has to have an x-ray to confirm that bones aren't fusing together incorrectly (they don't believe they are, but they want the confirmation), and he was prescribed some PT to work on correcting the torticollis (tilty neck business he's got going on), but other than that, the doctor's gist was essentially: He's young, and as he develops and spends more time off his back, this will probably even out.  Still, they want to monitor it, so we go back in 6 weeks.  In the meantime, the dr. said we should try to minimize the time he spends on his back; so, we've been trying to make sure he's in a variety of other positions.  Like sitting in the Bumbo chair:

Holding the truck makes sitting in the purple chair, on a pink blanket more masculine, okay?  And speaking of diminished masculinity...Norah's autie sent her a gift of assorted nail polishes and lip glosses, and barrettes and other girl accoutrement.  She Loves -- yes, capital "L" -- them.  But, a girl can only apply so much lip gloss to herself, so her dolls all got lip gloss, and Scooter got some lip gloss, and, you guessed it, Caleb got some lip gloss:

He was a sitting duck in that purple chair!

However, the recipient in the household for "Most Unlikely Subject of a Girlie Makeover" goes to...Rex!

Every dino needs some hair ties and bracelets on his tail, right?

So, what else has been new this weekend?  Well, Caleb made his maiden voyage in the BOB for his first run!  With Norah, I waited until the conservatively advised 6 month mark before putting her in the BOB and taking her running, but after reading/hearing of others who'd put their babies in the BOB as early as 8 weeks, I figured I'd go ahead and give Caleb's brains a jiggle and take him for a test run.  It went great!  He clearly is big enough/strong enough to sit in there just fine, and he fell asleep about 8.2 seconds into the run and slept for the entire 3 miles.

It was a nice change of pace, since the last few times I tried to take Norah all I heard was "No like it!"  "Go home!"  "Norah walk!"  He gave me no grief and was a million pounds lighter.  I think we will be doing this again on future weekend runs.

Lastly, we decided to spend Labor Day at a kickass park that has a water park, etc.  We haven't been there since the beginning of summer, so today we packed a picnic and spent about 3 hours there.  Norah was so spent from the fresh air and activity that she took an epic nap this afternoon: 2 and 1/2 hours!  The time outside wore us all out, and for a bit, we all got the chance to nap this afternoon.  I happened to snap this pic of Jerry and Scooter snuggling:

Or, really, I should say this pic of Jerry snuggling an unwilling Scooter.  But, that's how Jerry snuggles...it's a fine line between snuggling and holding someone down.

Three Months

Today, Caleb is 3 months old!

He's getting bigger and stronger all the time, and he definitely has increased his neck strength this month, and I think his tendancy to tilt to one side is now less dramatic.  Still, he does have that flat spot on the back of his skull, so he has his first appointment with the baby head specialist on Friday.

In the meantime, he's nothing but a cutie-cake!  In the past month, his fussiness has pretty much diminshed, and now he mostly just cries when necessary (hungry, dirty, tired), and he really has such a happy, smiley personality.  His teachers at daycare said that "he is a pleasure to take care of -- so easy!"

And I agree.  I sure lucked out with both kids in the baby department -- you can't beat TWO easy-going, personable kids!

Red Letter Day

Last night, for the first time, Caleb slept through the night!  Cue marching band, balloons, and the van full of celebratory confetti!

He went to bed at 7:30 pm and slept solidly until 6:30 am.  Sweet and sour chicken, it was awesome!

At 5 am, I was awakened by my full boobs...I guess you could say that my knockers were a' knockin!  Ha!  (Jerry is SO gonna give me a condescending look and say, "You know that you're the only one who thinks you're funny, right?" for that joke.)

So, I got up to pump and figured: Hey, I'm up, may as well go run.  So, run I did: A full, legitimate 3 miler!  Complete with the requisite pre-dawn spiderwebs and everything.  It felt pretty dang good.

I'm crossing my fingers that last night's 11 hour snooze-fest will repeat itself tonight and I can repeat this morning's success tomorrow morning.  So far, so good: He was down again at 7:30 tonight, so...fingers crossed!

Monday Runday

Once again, I had resoved to get up at the crack of dawn and run, and once again, I did not get up to do that.  Instead, I took the advice I gave Norah at 5:15 when she appeared at our bedside: "Go back to sleep; it's still night time."

But, Mondays are an easy day for me in terms of work.  I just have one afternoon class, and if I leave school right when my class gets done, I can hurry home and be there by 3:45.  Which is what I did today.  Jerry and the kids don't get home until 4:30, so I quick took Scooter out, then dressed in my running clothes and was back out the door at 4.  Now, running at 4 pm in August in South Florida is not usually advisable, but I figured I could get 2 miles in and a quick shower before they got home, so...heat be damned!...I got out there and ran my little 2 miler.

Got home, got in the shower, and was rinsing the conditioner out of my hair when I heard them come home.

It was nice to fit it in despite skipping the morning option.  Still, one of these days, I'd like to feel like I don't have to rush through a run, or squeeze it into some weird time of day.  Sigh...I don't think a day like that is my near future. 

Oh well, getting it done is good enough!

Pissed Off

Last spring, I was awarded the Professor of the Year Award, and it felt pretty dang awesome to be recognized in such a way.  And, part of the award is more than awesome: it's a reserved parking space -- my choice of space -- for the entire academic year for 2011-2012.  So, it has felt SO good to pull onto campus everyday and know that I don't have to circle the lot 20 times to find a space; I can just pull in and park.

Until yesterday.

And then again today.

And that's because some other thoughtless faculty member was parked there.  There's a SIGN!  With MY name on it; it says: "Reserved for Professor of the Year: Jess, English Department"!  (I'll take a picture some time; it's Awesome Sauce.)  Yesterday when it happened, I actually encountered the "perp" as he was getting into his vehicle, and I confronted him.  The shakedown went like so:

Me:  "Um, hi!  Are you Jessica H.?"

Him, looking guilty:  "No."

Me:  "Yes, I know that because I'm Jessica H!"

He was appropriately apologetic and I felt vindicated.  But, then I pull in today, and...different vehicle there!  It wouldn't piss me off so much if it were a student parking there, because, well, students disregard that kind of stuff all the time.  But both days, it has been a fellow faculty member!  (I know this because of the campus tag hanging in their vehicle.)

So, today I called security and asked for the vehicle to be ticketed.  They told me they would "investigate it."  Not very satisfactory to me: I want tanks and torpedoes.  So, I composed a "stern note" (I didn't want to come across as angry or offensive, but I wanted to shame them -- this space is part of an AWARD and having a fellow faculty member disregard that actually feels incredibly disrespectful) and placed it under their windshield wiper.  I hope they feel remorse for intruding on something that is special to me.

Maybe I need to booby-trap the space -- poison darts seem appropriate, right?!

Didn't Happen

This morning, I got up at 5:20 am to run.  I went through the brief rigamarole of pre-running prep, and at 5:40 was headed out the door.

Problem was,

once I got out the door, I discovered that it was POURING rain.  Not a drizzle.  Not a sprinkling.  RAIN.

Sorry, if I don't have to, I'm not going out in that.  So, I went back inside, got back into my PJs and got back into bed.  Sucked to miss the run, but the extra hour of sleep was nice!

Morning Running

This morning, I actually got up and made it outside for an early morning run.  It was:

• Sticky, icky humid.
• I narrowly missed stepping on a frog.  Or, maybe it was a toad.  I don't know how to tell the difference.
• I ran straight through a spider-web and picked its tendrils from my skin and hair the entire run.
• And, a bug of considerable size and girth thwaped me in the mouth.

So, as always, I remain convinced that the only benefit of early morning running is getting it done first thing in the day.

The Bubble

There are two certainties in this world when you have a new baby: One, you're not gonna sleep much.  And two, you're gonna live in what I call "the baby bubble."  Meaning, you have no clue what is going on outside your own little world.  This has been true for us as it is true for most parents of new babies, and it has been exacerbated this summer by our choice to get rid of cable.

So, I have basically NO clue what has been going on this summer if it doesn't involve how much Caleb slept last night or whether or not we have fruit squeezees in the house for Norah.  Therefore, I honestly had no idea that a HURRICANE was forming in the Atlantic and pretty much headed straight our way.  Wah?  I thought it felt extra humid...

Looks like it won't hit us directly (fingers crossed) and my guess is that it will steer pretty clear of South FL in general.  Still, we'll probably get lots of heavy rain and wind this week as it nears the coast.

So, the current running conditions here in South FL?  Holy humid, Batman!  I ran a 3 miler tonight and I may as well have been breathing pea soup!  I checked the weather when I got home and saw that the dew point was 76 -- I should've just continued to live in ignorance rather than know that.  As my favorite dew point reference will tell you: A 76 dew point can be described as "extremely uncomfortable" -- which is like saying that Charlie Sheen is a "little bit crazy."  C'mon!  He's batshit crazy, and a dew point of 76 is F-ing* miserable!

Yet, I ran one of my "faster" times.  Go figure.  Maybe it was so uncomfortable, I just had to go faster to get back in the A/C!

It'll probably be a pretty wet, humid week in terms of getting running done, and let's hope that Hurricane Irene decides to stay well out there in the Atlantic -- because if it comes through here, high humidity will be the least of my concerns.  And the good news is that typically after a hurricane blows through, we enjoy a few days of clear, beautiful weather.  So...next week should be pleasant!

*Yeah, I used to drop f-bombs on here without thinking about it, but this is a family-friendly place now...dangit!

The Kiddos

Fingers up her own nose:

 Fingers up his nose:

 He doesn't really seem to mind:

Some is Better than None

That's been my rationale so far this week in regards to running.

With the return to work, and everyone getting settled into our change in daily routine, fitting running into the mix has been tough.  So, I've been mainly running 2 milers because of time constraints.  A 2 miler feels like it barely counts as a run, but at least it's something.

I'm hoping that Caleb soon starts sleeping through the night, or if nothing else, at least develops a predictable sleep schedule at night.  He's had some nights that would count as a full night's sleep (9 pm-5 am) but those have been rare; mostly, he gets up once or twice, but the timing is never the same.  That makes planning for an early morning run (the time of day when I probably have the most leeway in terms of fitting something in) tough.  Plus, I'll be honest, when I'm up with him at 3 am, my brain most often goes, "Get up again at 5 to run?!  Ha!  No thanks."

To his credit, we often put him down for the night between 7:30 and 8, so to sleep from then until 2 or 3 am is pretty good for a baby who's not yet 3 months old, but on the other hand, I don't go to sleep at 8 pm!  So, it'd be nice for ME to get 7 or 8 hours of solid sleep.  I feel like once his sleep becomes more consistent, my running will become more consistent.  But, maybe I shouldn't be waiting for that.  Certainly, other sleep deprived moms manage those early morning runs...

...however, I'm convinced they are cyborgs.

First Day Back

Caleb was all smiles when I left him at daycare.

And I still cried.

Norah cried when I left her.

And I cried some more.

But, I know Norah only cried for 30 seconds or so, and then she was fine.  I knew she would be, so we (Jerry met me there to ease the transition, and he knew I'd probably need a hug after leaving them, so it was the two of us dropping them off) made our exit as quickly and painlessly as possible -- in my experience, leaving kids is like pulling off a band-aid, best to do it as fast as possible; lingering is harder on the both of you.

Both had a good afternoon and I got a lot of work done in my office in preparation for my classes.  Plus, I got to enjoy some of the aforementioned perks of being back to work (ie, peeing by myself).

So, all in all, it went well.  And man alive, the day went by so fast!

Back to School

Today is my last day of summer, and thus, my last day of maternity leave as well.  Tomorrow, I go back to work and the kids go back to daycare.

On the one hand, I'm totally sad that my break is over and that it's back to the grindstone:

• It'll be tough leaving the kidlets -- Norah is returning to school in a new classroom with a new teacher and Caleb is just starting.  It doesn't matter that I have 2 years' past experience with leaving Norah, it's still tough to part from her, and Caleb has never been left with anyone but family, so it'll be extra hard leaving him for the first time.
• I will miss them both.
• Back to work means back to WORK.  Classes to teach, office hours to hold, meetings to attend, committees to sit on, papers to read.  My god, the papers to read! 
• My daily schedule will be a bit busier, especially the two nights a week that I have night class, so fitting running in is gonna be even harder, and probably means o'dark thirty for most runs.  Blech.
• This may sound trivial, but it gets harder to breastfeed once you return to work -- I can still nurse Caleb the first half of the day, and in the evening.  But, I'll have to pump at work.  And even though I have an office where I can have privacy, it still feels weird to have my boobs out at work.  That, and hauling that damn pump back and forth each day is a pain. 
• I'm gonna have to try and fit myself back into my pre-preggo work clothes.  Haven't even tried on stuff to see what fits and what doesn't.  I'm bracing myself for a demoralizing evening tonight with that task!

But despite that rather short list of negatives, I'm excited to be starting back to work:

• I can go to the bathroom by myself, and eat my lunch in peace (while surfing the interweb uninterrupted!).
• I also get to drive half the way there and the full way home...by myself!  Ahhh, the silence!  Or, all the NPR I can fill my nerdy little ears with!  I don't have to sing along with Elmo and I don't have to answer a million "Why?s"
• I get to return to doing "adult" work!  And, I enjoy my job: I like the material I teach, I like my students, and I like my colleagues.  I especially like the fall term; for some reason, "back to school" time is one of my favorite times of year.
• I think it's good to miss the kidlets some.  It would be really tough to be gone from them all day, but my schedule allows me to be home with them all morning, and we don't go to school until mid-day, so I get a nice balance of time at home and time at work.  And, the time apart is nice -- it helps me appreciate the time with them more, I think.  Plus, I know they're in good care.  That helps.
• Fridays!  I don't teach on Fridays, but I still take the kids to daycare in the afternoon.  I already have a mental list of all the things I'll be able to get done on Friday afternoons!  Oh yeah, those 4 and 1/2 hours each week are awesome, and I can't wait for the return of Fridays!

So, yes, a mixture of emotions as I anticipate this transition: Some things are gonna be tougher, but on the whole, I think I'm looking forward to returning to work. 

And come, next May, I'm sure I'll be looking forward to my summer at home with the kids!

Norah's 2nd Birthday Party

Yesterday, we celebrated Norah's 2nd birthday by having a shindig at our place.  We'd given her a choice for theme, and she chose Toy Story.  So, while she napped yesterday afternoon, we decorated the house in all sorts of Woody, Buzz and Jessie party supplies.  Here's Norah after getting up from her nap and discovering some of the party preparations:

This year, she really understood, and enjoyed, presents and present opening.  And, she got a lot of great loot!

 Here's her Toy Story cake with Woody and Buzz:

She liked having "Happy Birthday" sung to her and she liked blowing out her candle.  So much so, that midway through eating her slice of cake, she put her candle back in and pretended to blow out the candle again.  It was very cute.  Here she is enjoying her cake; she's a frosting fan:

This morning she was up at 6 am, eager to play with all of her new toys; plus, she got a pretty cool Jessie get-up that she was anxious to put on.  Here she is, below, posing in her Jessie shirt and cowgirl boots, with accompanying Jessie doll.  Don't mind me, the "other Jessie," it was early and I hadn't showered yet.

So, today, she's been busy playing vet in her new princess tent, and Jerry and I are slowly easing into the post-party day.  It wore us out throwing a b-day party for a 2 year old, and I've needed a little extra coffee to get me going this morning.  I didn't drink a drop of alcohol, but for some reason, prepping for the party, having the party, and then cleaning up after the party seems to have given me a party-hangover!  Thankfully, birthdays only come around once a year, and it was worth it: She had SO much fun, and so did we!

Three Things Thursday

• Last night, I had my fastest post-baby 3 miler to date: 32:44, for an average pace of 10:53/mile.  And, I had to work HARD for that sub-11 min/mile pace!  One forgets how tough it is to regain stamina and endurance when you've taken some time away from running, but thankfully, those things DO return.  Slowly but surely!
• Norah had her 2 year old dr. check up today.  She grew an inch and half in the past 3 months, but didn't gain any weight, so she was 34 inches tall and 26 lbs -- average percentiles for both.  She again acted as though the doctor was waterboarding her during the exam, but once she got her Nemo and Dory stickers, she'd already forgotten the torture of having him listen to her heart.
• We also visited daycare today so we could drop off supplies and let the kids acquaint themselves with their rooms and teachers.  It went well, and Norah wanted to stay so she could continue playing on the playground.  Next Tuesday is the big day for all 3 of us: Back to school!  I'm both dreading and looking forward to it (more on that next week).

Happy 2nd Birthday, Norah!

Last year, for Norah's 1st birthday, I did a retrospective of her first year in pics.  And, I figured I'd do the same thing this year.

Here she is last August, shortly after she turned 1:

 13 months: This was on our camping trip to the Keys in September:

 14 months: Gettin' in trouble:

 15 months: Being silly.  Chillin' in her Vikings jersey:

 16 months: Christmas Day.  Somehow, the tattoo, coupled with the frilly dress and cowgirl boots, seems to be quintessentially Norah:

 17 months: At the South Florida Fair:

 18 Months: At the Palm Beach Zoo:

 19 Months: Taking the time to stop and smell the flowers:

 20 Months: Playing at a water park:

 21 Months: Post-nap cuteness:

 22 Months: Finger-painting fool:

 23 Months: 4th of July Mascot:

 24 Months: 2 years old and such a big girl!

Happy 2nd birthday Norah!  We're so lucky to have a little girl as funny, smart, and charming as you; we love you and think you're "cool beans"!

Monday Miscellany

• We decided to take the "wait and see" approach before calling the baby head specialist about Caleb's cranium.  I really don't think the flat spot is that dramatic, and I kinda think that with a little time and some more neck strength, he'll eventually even out.  I don't think his brain is getting dented, so we'll wait another month and see what the pediatrician thinks at his 3 month check up.
• Ran a 3 miler tonight and the volume on my Shuffle wouldn't adjust.  It was set at what is probably Apple's recommended volume, but I prefer a more damaging decibel, so it annoyed me that the gadget was on the volume-fritz. 
• This is my last week of summer.  Next Tuesday, I return to work and Norah and Caleb go to "school."  I can't believe my summer, and thus my maternity leave, are almost over!  It's gone WAY too fast.
• Norah went to see her first movie in a movie theater on Saturday.  Jerry took her to see "Cars 2."  The entire experience lasted about 50 minutes, and her most memorable part seems to have been the popcorn.

Flat Headed Baby

Caleb had his 2 month check up today, and I over-estimated his weight by about 2 lbs -- he weighed in at 13 lbs, 4 oz -- but dangit, that kid feels heavier to me!  And clearly "my" version of weighing him at home (ie, I step on the scale without him, then pick him up and see what the difference is) is a flawed procedure.  Aside from gaining a few pounds, he also grew about an inch and is 24 inches long now.  Both height and weight put him in the 80th percentile.  Just above average.

Aside from those digits, he checks out healthy, but he's developing a distinct flat spot on the back right of his head.  See, his head has always tilted naturally to the right, and he has some scrinched up neck muscles that make him favor a certain head position (the pediatrician had noted this before and said he was probably positioned this way in the womb), so he always lays the same way when he sleeps.  The result?  A flat spot.

So, the pediatrician referred us to a baby head specialist (the dr. actually has some fancier sounding specialist title but it's too long and technical for me to remember), and we have to try and rotate his head while he sleeps, as well as alternate how we put him down to bed.  Hopefully, the specialist just gives us a special positioning pillow, and instructs us further on some PT for him.  Otherwise, he could become "Helmet Baby."  Which isn't a huge deal -- I see a lot of Helmet Babies these days (supposedly the whole back-to-sleep thing has saved lots of babies from SIDS but has caused a lot of flat headedness as a result) -- but it'd be nice to avoid one.

If he does have to get a baby helmet, Jerry says he'll "trick it out" with cool graphics and stuff.  So, we'll make an appointment with the baby head dr.  and hope there's no need for a helmet.  But, if he does get one, I guess Jerry will ensure that he'll at least be a cool Helmet Baby!

On Parenting

Jerry and I are always joking about the things we never thought we'd have to say (for instance: "Don't bite the dog!"  "Lotion is not food!"  and "Yes, Ryan poops in the potty."), but there is also a growing list of things we'd never thought we'd do.  On that list this week?

Hmmmm, let's see.  Well, I:

1.  Used a pair of tweezers to pull a hunk of bread out of Norah's nose at the dinner table yesterday.

And

2.  This afternoon, for the second time this week, I had to clean a turd up off the floor.

You envy me, don't you?

Need some elaboration?  Okay.

So, the bread up the nose first:  Norah's seems to have a propensity for nasal excavation and exploration.  It seems that every time I glance at her, she's knuckle deep in one of her nostrils, and she's not the sort of explorer who's satisfied with just a poke and prod with the end of her index finger.  No way.  This girl has so far shoved everything from popcorn to Q-tips up there, and last night, at dinner, she got a significant amount of bread up there.*

Blowing and sucking weren't working to dislodge the bread, so I fetched a pair of tweezers to nab that bread, and when I pulled it out of her nose, Jerry nearly hurled at the sight of the mucus covered foccacia.  Me?  I am beginning to think that I would've made a fine medical doctor with my tweezer precision!

So, then, on to my turd stories for the week:

Norah has been doing super duper excellent at using the potty for potty.  But she has yet to poop in there; therefore, we've been trying to make a big deal about how everyone poops in the potty (Yes, even Ryan!) and I think she's starting to catch on.  Unfortunately, in her attempts to get to the potty in time to poop in there, she has had a few "poopcidents."  She's pretty dang good at getting her pants and her diaper off, it's just hitting the potty in time that seems to be where her miscalculation lies, and on Monday, I cleaned poo off the bathroom floor, and this afternoon, I had to scoop it up off the bedroom floor.

Clearly, parenting is a dirty job.  Thankfully, it's also pretty funny!

Oh, and for those not interested in either kid boogers or kid poop, I did manage another 3 miler last night.  In 33:26, which is an average pace of 11:09/mile.  Ka-chow!

*Yes, we were present at the dinner table when she managed to MacGyver that bread up her nose.  We get an "F" in parenting for not paying attention.  In our defense: Dinner time often feels like a three ring circus and Jerry and I often strive to actively ignore both kids so we can wedge in what little conversation between the two of us that we can.  So, she gets some bread up her nose?  At least it's organic, right?

Got a Run Done

Usually, each night, Jerry and I each take a kid and handle each kid's bedtime routine (Caleb's "routine" is a bit of a joke since he hasn't yet figured out that it's a routine, and he most often doesn't go down for the night until about 9 or 9:30, but we are trying to convince him that bedtime should be a more reasonable 7 or 8).  But, last night, Jerry took them both so I could go and run.

It was awesome.

I went out at about 7 pm, when the night is a bit more bearable -- temp-wise -- and did a 3 miler.  It took me 34:04, and I think my average pace was about 11:25/mile.  Still slow, but 15 seconds faster per mile than what I started with a few weeks ago!

It was so nice to be back and showered before 8 pm.  Norah was asleep by then, so the only thing left to do in the evening was pace the house holding Caleb for an hour.  And, actually, to give credit where it's due: After an hour, I had to hand him off (the boy is HEAVY) and Jerry's the one who eventually got him to fall asleep.  (When Norah was a baby, I nicknamed Jerry "the baby whisperer" because he always had the magic touch -- or timing -- to get a cranky baby to sleep.  With Caleb, he still holds his "whisperer" title.)

I'm hoping I can either convince Jerry, or get him drunk enough, to repeat the favor tonight because I really liked last night!

The Best Laid Plans

Last night, I had planned to run.  But then Norah once again took longer than expected to go to bed, and before I knew it, my evening -- and my chance to run -- were shot. 

So, then, I thought, "Well, I'll do my best to get up early tomorrow and run in the morning."  Ha!  I was up at 12:00, 1:30, 3:00, and then 5:30 last night.  Think I was up for an early run this morning?  Nope.  Didn't happen.

It's easy to feel frustrated with these "interruptions" to my planned running, but I'm doing my best to remain flexible and to simply acknowledge the blatantly obvious: I have two kids -- a 2 year old and a 2 month old -- it's gonna be tough to find time for any "planned" activity: If I get to eat a meal sitting down and take a shower at some point, my day is a success! 

Still, a running Jess is a happier Jess, so Jerry promised that tonight he'd MAKE a run happen for me.  I'm lucky that even when the kids don't understand that Mommy needs to run, Daddy does!