Thinking about Wellness

Dear Friends and Family,

Time to be a little selfish and begin thinking about me again.

I promised myself that I'd give myself until P turned one before tackling losing the baby weight. Why? Well, because I found that milk supply dropped when I was losing weight. Now that she's drinking water as well as milk and there's enough in the freezer to last until P turns one, I've got a lot more flexibility and I'm beginning to think about how to tackle losing the baby weight.

I can do a lackadaisical approach, cross my fingers, and hope. I can jump back on the Weight Watchers bandwagon. Or, I can do something in between. I think I'll start with the in between and go back to Weight Watchers if I'm not seeing the results.

Here's what I'm thinking... I think I'm going to break the day into two hour chunks and work my way back into weight loss. That way I'm making small changes throughout the day vs. tackling it all at once which I don't think I have the mental bandwidth to do right now.

Twenty Four Hours of Food

midnight to 2AM
2AM to 4AM
4AM to 6AM
6AM to 8AM
8AM to 10AM
10AM to noon
noon to 2PM
2PM to 4PM
4PM to 6PM
6PM to 8PM
8PM to 10PM
10PM to midnight

There. That doesn't seem so crazy. And, I think I know which time bucket I'm going to tackle first. noon to 2PM. That's when I eat random candy in the office, especially from the candy dish by the new moms' rooms. noon to 2PM is a good option for a water zone where I've got my water bottle to slake my thirst and the knowledge that I've just eaten to manage my hunger.

Twenty Four Hours of Food

midnight to 2AM
2AM to 4AM
4AM to 6AM
6AM to 8AM
8AM to 10AM
10AM to noon
noon to 2PM		water zone
2PM to 4PM
4PM to 6PM
6PM to 8PM
8PM to 10PM
10PM to midnight

One down, eleven to go.


Cheers!
mouse

Back to Our Routine

Dear Friends and Family,

P got the all clear yesterday to return to school today. I'm not sure anyone knows what caused Monday's hiccup so I'm not sure anyone knows if it'll happen again and what we should do if it does. I guess you have to get used to not knowing everything you might want to know.

So, today, we're all back to our routine. P at school. Mr. mouse and me at work.


Cheers!
mouse

04.28.10: Details to Come

Dear Friends and Family,

Weekend write up and P write up all to come.

Here's the cliff notes version:

1. family flies to Naples, Florida for wedding
2. family drives to Miami to see friends
3. family gets on flight to return home
4. baby gets sick during layover in Houston
5. family drives to hospital
6. baby gets well enough to be discharged
7. family drives to airport
8. family gets on flight to return home
9. parents in wait and watch mode

Happy Wednesday!


Cheers!
mouse

Leaps and Bounds

Dear Friends and Family,

Last night, P made a bunch of mental connections. She saw me drop her yellow ball into her red cup and she crawled over for a look. She peered into the cup and smiled when she saw the ball. She picked up the cup to shake the ball around. She went after the ball when it rolled or jumped out of the cup and put it back in. AND, when she wanted the ball, she stuck her hand into the cup and grabbed it vs. tipping it out of the cup the way she had been doing.

I feel like she made the transition from baby to toddler last night even if we officially have a few more weeks to go.


Cheers!
mouse

Earth Day 2010

Dear Friends and Family,

Earth Day 2010 - what are you doing to make a difference?

Well, um, over the past year, I haven't been the model green citizen with driving P to school, using disposable diapers, turning on the AC and the heat for P, and becoming lazy about thinking of new ways to be green.

Hmmm... And, I'm off for an early start today at the office. I'll have to think on this one.


Cheers!
mouse

Peek a Boo

Dear Friends and Family,

P woke up on the right home last night. And, I decided to pull over and feed her and have Mr. mouse meet us for dinner.

We went out for Peruvian. And, surprise, surprise, P is a fan of the beef stew. After eating, she was sitting on Mr. mouse's lap while Mr. mouse and I finished our dinners.

She was playing with Mr. mouse's napkin when Mr. mouse realized she was playing peek a boo with us. At which point, dinner was effectively over because I couldn't resist playing peek a boo back, laughing at her and hiding behind my napkin. She was so happy, it made all of our evenings.

I'm glad P is generally a happy baby.


Cheers!
mouse

Short Week

Dear Friends and Family,

Monday down. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday to go.

Then, I have Friday off to spend with P. One down, three to go.

Been waiting for inspiration and now it's time to get ready for work.


Cheers!
mouse

04.19.10: Stranger Anxiety

Dear Friends and Family,

Our almost one year old.

Saturday, during bath time, we noticed that P has a new mole, on her upper thigh/lower butt. At first, we thought it was just dirty, but after scrubbing, we realized it was a new mole. Huh. Not even twelve months old and she has two moles already.

The other thing we noticed was that she's yellowing. When P was exclusively breastfed she had a pale beauty to her complexion. Now that she's eating a variety of foods and getting some sun in the car on the commute, she's gotten a sun kissed glow about her.

And, last but not least, when she was done with bath, she was playing by the edge of the tub with my shampoo bottles. I know, this is wrong on so many fronts. But, we were both watching her super closely. Well, the bottles fell into the tub and out of her reach and either frightened her or upset her. Either way, before we knew it. P peed. And, we both laughed so hard we almost cried.

Other developmental milestones.

Our friend gave us an activity table. P loves standing at it and pushing it around the kitchen like a walker. When she gets tired or bored, she stands at it and plays. Then, when she's ready to go again, she starts pushing again.

Stacking. Mr. mouse was concerned that P wasn't stacking or putting objects into other objects. Well, she finally decided to try it. And, one night, I think it was Tuesday, but I'm not sure, she consistently picked up a lego piece and put it in her activity table and she consistently picked up a yellow ball and put it in her red bowl. Now, she'll crawl after the yellow ball if it rolls away and put it in her red bowl or red cup.

Eating. She's pretty focused. First side. Roll. Second side. Stretch. She gets an annoyed face if she feels like we made her wait too long, a sleepy face if she is tired, and a happy face when she's done.

Sunday, we took a lightening quick trip to the Twin Cities and got to see some of our friends. P was not so good with the quick transition. She was fine with the travel. But, she's gotten shy and it was a lot of people coming and going for her taste. She wanted nothing to do with seeing everyone and wanted to be held by Mr. mouse and/or me the whole time.

I wonder how we'll manage this weekend when we were planning on leaving her with a sitter while we attend a wedding.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: Closed out the weekend with a lovely dinner. P is a big fan of pork cheeks. Why am I not surprised?

Super Early Morning

Dear Friends and Family,

It's 3:30 in the morning and I need to go get ready. Super early meeting at work. 5AM. It's a sane our somewhere and I need to be there for a conference call. Happy Friday.


Cheers!
mouse

Two Out of Three

Dear Friends and Family,

Well, P needed her binky to fall asleep last night, but the prior two nights she made it without. Yeah for P!

We're slowly trying to wean her off of her binky by being slower to offer it to her and only using it when she really needs it vs. just offering it whenever she's in the car or the crib.

Tuesday night, P had a cute moment. She had been hysterical most of the way home and I was pretty drained by the time we got home. I went upstairs to change while Mr. mouse comforted her. Soon, I heard him changing her and it was obviously a massive diaper. I came down to see the scene and she was buck naked draped across his leg whimpering while he was wiping down her butt. I don't know why I fell in love with the tableau. Perhaps it's the allure of a naked baby. Perhaps it's because she looked so small and I forget how young she still is. Either way, I laughed. And, the image still makes me smile.


Cheers!
mouse

Counting Down to Catching Up

Dear Friends and Family,

Uncle. Okay. You, whoever you are, you win.

After months of breezily, blissfully enjoying P's first year, the rate of cumulative sleep deprivation has increased while the rate of change of babyhood has slowed and I have passed an inflection point where I'm looking forward to a future where I get more sleep vs. holding onto a present where I feel like a walking zombie.

June 20th. By my current count, June 20th is when I'll be done with my evening pumping sessions which sounds like heaven because here is my "current" typical day.

typical mouse weekday:

• sleep: 4 hours
• coffee, blog, morning time: 0.5 hour (down from 1)
• feed P: 20 minutes (down from 30)
• shower, personal prep time: 0.5 hours
• morning bag shuffle: 20 minutes (up from 15 minutes)
• commute: 1 hour 15 minutes (up from an hour)
• daycare drop off: 5 minutes (down from 15 minutes)
• work: 9.75 hours (down from 10)
• day care pick up: 15 minutes (down from 30)
• commute: 1.5 hours
• feed P: 1 hour (up from 30 minutes)
• down time, play time, dinner, Mr. mouse time: 0.5 hours (down from 1)
• nap: 3 hours (up from 1.5 hours)
• pump and miscellaneous house errands: 1 hour (up from 30 minutes)

I'm tired just writing about it. To think, there is a future where 7 hours of sleep beckons. Sheer bliss.

The commute's been killer the past week - a combination of getting a later start and summer construction and P not sleeping through the afternoon commute. June 20th. I can make it. After all what are my other options?


Cheers!
mouse

04.12.10: Motor City and Back

Dear Friends and Family,

Another weekend, another quick trip. This time, we went to MI to see old friends and to get our teeth cleaned. Poor P spent a lot of time being corralled into baby safe spaces and in her car sear. She was SO happy to be free to roam when she got home. You could see it in her eyes. You could hear it in her laugh.

Still, it was good to see friends. We spent Friday night in a hotel. Then, after the dentist appointment and a trip to the supermarket to pick up dinner goods, we headed over to one of Mr. mouse's old friend's house. His wife and two kids were out of town so he was bachelor for the weekend. As usual, dinner was a group affair. Our friends D squared and their two kids joined us for some Korean barbecue. Then, we put P down for the night and watched a movie - Brothers. I have to say, I enjoyed it.

Sunday, we met up with another set of friends for dim sum. This is why we still go back for dentist appointments. The real reason is to see friends. The dentist just ensures we go twice a year.

Drove home. Unpacked. Let P roam. Then, we all crashed for the night.


Cheers!
mouse

Those Days

Dear Friends and Family,

I ran into an old friend and colleague yesterday. We started talking. And, we realized we needed to get together for coffee.

You know when you have one of those days? Those days where you're tired, you're hungry, your boss is being a dork, you know you've been working too many hours and there's no end in sight, you had a bad commute in and you're looking forward to a bad commute home because construction season just started, and you just want to throw in the towel?

I know. Everyone has those days. Every job comes with those days. But, when you have a couple serial those days, it makes you stop and think and wonder. And, that was my friend and me yesterday.

Would I be happier doing something different? I don't work for the money. So, what is my motivation? Perhaps I need to step back and revisit all of this.


Cheers!
mouse

On Location

Dear Friends and Family,

We earned $400 yesterday for allowing a TV crew to set up some lights on our roof. Not only that, but we had security detail outside of our house since their equipment was in our front yard.

How cool is that? Much cooler than working until midnight, I'd say.


Cheers!
mouse

Crunch Time

Dear Friends and Family,

It's crunch time today. We've got a war room. We've got the right people. Let's hope we can get to the right answer.


Cheers!
mouse

$330 Well Spent, I Hope

Dear Friends and Family,

Mr. mouse had a handy person come over yesterday and do a bunch of little things that needed to done on the mouse pad.

He caulked the bay window and deck door, reattached some deck siding, and refastened some nails that had come loose. Last night it rained, briefly, and none of it came in.

I guess we'll see if it holds as the more extensive spring rains come in.


Cheers!
mouse

04.05.10: Bienvenue à Canada

Dear Friends and Family,

On a whim, we decided to follow the good weather, to get P a passport stamp, and to get away from the daily drudgery of a routine. We ended up in Quebec for the weekend enjoying the sights, sounds and tastes of Canada. First passport stamp: check.

After some starts and stops Saturday morning involving several phone calls to the bank, we took the ferry across the river. It's an excellent opportunity to take lots of pictures of Quebec and we weren't the only shutterbugs on the trip. First boat ride: check.

We spent the rest of the morning walking through Lower Town and Upper Town - people watching, shopping, and taking more pictures. Then, we stopped off at the hotel to feed P and drop off some gear before taking the car out to a crêperie Mr. mouse read about online. Mr. mouse ordered the cassoulet and P ate most of the duck confit that came with the dish. She could not get at it fast enough. I almost fell out of my seat laughing. Discovery that your child is a gourmet: check.

Next stop: a re-gentrified neighborhood and a loop through a toy store. We picked up a Pat the Bunny for P for Easter and a book with French words. Back in Old Quebec, we walked to the Parliament and then through the streets to the wall, where the locals hang out. I fed P in the car while Mr. mouse went looking for a t-shirt for P. Dropped off the car and the gear and headed out for some more walking and pictures. The Hotel Fountenac dominates Quebec's skyline and we got there at that magical moment when it's dusk and everything looks that much better for the lighting. Took lots of pictures along the boardwalk and introduced P to maple sugar candy - I'd like to recreate it at home this winter once we get snow. It was so good. First indulgent sugar treat: check.

Last, but not least: dinner. We decided to stay close to the hotel since we had an early morning on Sunday and I didn't want P to get cold if the weather turned. On a lark, we stopped by a restaurant that a friend recommended and they had a table available. After considering the four course dinner, we landed on a la carte entrees - the chicken in a flaky pastry and a dish of game meats. Would you believe P was a big fan of the bison/pheasant casserole? Confirmation your child is a gourmet: check.

Sunday morning, we left bright and early. We got home, gassed the car, showered, ate, and headed out for some family pictures and a quick trip to the aquarium. It was pretty windy, but, hey, at least we can say we tried.

And, now, it's Monday and I'm hoping the week isn't a killer week.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: Walking the streets of Quebec confirmed we could still be unicorns.

Bitten

Dear Friends and Family,

No, not the clothes line by Sarah Jessica Parker. No, not some vampire thing. Plain and simple, P was bitten at school yesterday. Some kid got excited and, you know, when kids get excited, they bite.

Wait. Stop. No, I don't know. When P gets excited she laughs. She shakes like a bowl full of jelly. She falls. She does not bite.

Okay. I'll admit back in November when her first two teeth came in, she bit me a couple of times while eating - a couple of times when she was overeager to start and a couple of times when she thought that was an acceptable way to signal that she was done with that side. And, she learned quickly that biting was not acceptable. And, she hasn't bitten anyone since.

Well. I suppose she'll go through more adventures as she progresses through school - biting, hair pulling, you name it, kids do it. Excellent.

I was going to write yesterday morning about her self soothing skills (she got it together on the car ride home and in her crib yesterday morning), but I ran out of time in the morning and then she was a basket case on the way home yesterday. Guess there's a learning curve before she's consistent. Our little P.


Cheers!
mouse