This has been a TOUGH week. Tough. So tough that I had to pull myself together several times yesterday, in order to prevent myself from exploding on people. Yesterday afternoon I came across Kid President and then watched his pep talk video. That kid is so cute.
Five things for today.
1. Grey's Anatomy season finales stress me out so much. SO MUCH. I love the show, despite how awful and cheesy it can be sometimes. The finale episodes, though. Man.
2. My running game has not been amazing this week. I'm hoping for a better weekend.
3. The kiddo has been eating so much better this week. He's a fan of carrots and he likes to take the tomatoes off my plate. (He doesn't always eat the tomatoes, but he has at least tried them.) For some reason, this excites me to no end. He also ate some of the beef in the spaghetti sauce this week. Progress.
4. I finally put the new Justin Timberlake album on my iPod (the Shuffle, not my Nano, because that's dead at the moment. Stupid technology.) I love it. I may even attribute my faster running last week to JT.
5. My kid requests songs. At 20 months he requests E-I-E-I-O, Farmer No? (Farmer in the Dell), DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love and Werewolves of London. Among other songs. I came across this video last night. You'll have to excuse the darkness, but that's me and L reading his Old MacDonald book and he sings along with me.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Breastfeeding at 20 months (and beyond)
I started this post last August. It's taken me a while to finally
edit it and hit publish. It's a sensitive subject and one that I found
myself feeling very passionate about.
Most "experts" recommend breastfeeding for at least the first year, and up to two years. It's healthy. For us, it's been relatively easy. My goal was to make it to at least the one year mark, and we could cut back (wean) as the baby saw fit. I didn't think that I'd be pumping as much after the one-year mark, and I haven't been as adamant about pumping an extra session I built in, but for 18 months, I religiously pumped during my work days. I have so much frozen milk. I could have fed another child for months. (I've totally offered to donate milk to other moms in need.)
In my child's first 20 months of life, we only traveled once without him. It was one long weekend (3 nights) and we've done one more long weekend in the past couple of weeks. The first trip was this past August and before the trip, several people told me that it would be a great time to wean. It stressed me out. I wasn't ready to stop. The baby wasn't ready to give it up. And I knew that I didn't have to. I just needed to educate others about this. I planned to pump while we were away, and originally I was just going to dump everything, rather than deal with the hassle of the airlines. I then came across some information about TSA and the regulations and figured I'd give it a shot and bring the milk back home. (The hotel I booked had a refrigerator, so I knew I was good on storing the milk.)
That Friday was my first test. I nursed the baby before we went to the airport, and then left him with my mom. My next time that I would have to pump happened to be when we were in the air. So I let the flight attendant know I'd been in the restroom for a longer than normal period, and headed back to the restroom for 15 minutes. (My double electric pump - with batteries - was perfect for the plane.) The rest of the day found us in the comfort of our hotel room, and I managed to stick to the "schedule" the baby and I would normally have at home, which was helpful. Basically any of the times the baby would be taking a bottle, I pumped.
Saturday was a little trickier. We were doing a bus tour, going to Yankee Stadium and seeing more of New York City, and I wouldn't always have the comfort of the hotel room for pumping. Before we headed to the baseball game I was able to take care of things, but I knew I would need to bring along the manual pump to use during the game. I had never used the manual pump, but I found myself in a restroom using it about halfway through the game. Score one for me! The only time I was questioned was going through security at a restaurant at Yankee Stadium. The guy said, "you have a baby bottle in there?" He could clearly see I didn't have a baby with me. I replied, "you really don't want to get into that right now. Trust me." Otherwise, no other issues.
Sunday was a lot like Saturday. We would be out and about, so I stashed the manual pump in my purse along with a bottle. The restrooms at FAO Schwarz are much more comfortable than those at Yankee Stadium, by the way. It was Sunday that I realized that the manual pump was for the birds. If I didn't have the electric one, I don't know that I could have kept this up for 11 months like I had.
We headed home Monday. I had everything labeled in individual bags (and then placed in a large gallon bag), except for two small bottles. When the TSA agent saw the bag and the bottles, she looked over the large bag and let me know that she was just going to test the two bottles. I have no idea what she was testing for, but I was grateful she didn't pull apart the 16 small bags. It could have been messy.
At around 15 months, the baby did start to cut back. I think that was around the time we cut back to nursing 4 times a day (it was also that point where he started sleeping through the night.) When he was 18-months-old, I eliminated the afternoon nursing session, thus ending my afternoon pumping session at work. While we were out of town a couple of weeks ago, we made the decision that I wouldn't pump during the day any more. It's been a non-issue for the baby. He does still ask for milk (and he signs it), but he's satisfied with a sippy cup. I still have several months worth of milk frozen.
Transitioning to cow's milk has been a challenge. We've tried mixing breastmilk with cow's milk and he tends to spit it out. He's a little more receptive if we give him cow's milk now, but it still isn't his favorite thing in the world. Instead of pushing it on him often, I make sure he's getting dairy in other ways (cheese, yogurt in his smoothies, etc.)
I know my initial goal was a year, and I'm so glad it was easy for us to hit that goal and continue. Physically, I'm ready to be done with this chapter. Mentally, it's still challenging some days. Mom guilt sucks and I'm trying to push the guilt aside.
I'm hoping that this helps at least one mom out there. I've spent many evenings on Google searching for answers. Our nursing relationship was challenging at times, and I worked hard to keep things going as long as we did. So to any moms that are currently in the throes of breastfeeding, it can be a challenge, it can be easy. It can feel rewarding, but it's also not for everyone. Don't feel the guilt if you don't make it to a year (or two years!)
Most "experts" recommend breastfeeding for at least the first year, and up to two years. It's healthy. For us, it's been relatively easy. My goal was to make it to at least the one year mark, and we could cut back (wean) as the baby saw fit. I didn't think that I'd be pumping as much after the one-year mark, and I haven't been as adamant about pumping an extra session I built in, but for 18 months, I religiously pumped during my work days. I have so much frozen milk. I could have fed another child for months. (I've totally offered to donate milk to other moms in need.)
In my child's first 20 months of life, we only traveled once without him. It was one long weekend (3 nights) and we've done one more long weekend in the past couple of weeks. The first trip was this past August and before the trip, several people told me that it would be a great time to wean. It stressed me out. I wasn't ready to stop. The baby wasn't ready to give it up. And I knew that I didn't have to. I just needed to educate others about this. I planned to pump while we were away, and originally I was just going to dump everything, rather than deal with the hassle of the airlines. I then came across some information about TSA and the regulations and figured I'd give it a shot and bring the milk back home. (The hotel I booked had a refrigerator, so I knew I was good on storing the milk.)
That Friday was my first test. I nursed the baby before we went to the airport, and then left him with my mom. My next time that I would have to pump happened to be when we were in the air. So I let the flight attendant know I'd been in the restroom for a longer than normal period, and headed back to the restroom for 15 minutes. (My double electric pump - with batteries - was perfect for the plane.) The rest of the day found us in the comfort of our hotel room, and I managed to stick to the "schedule" the baby and I would normally have at home, which was helpful. Basically any of the times the baby would be taking a bottle, I pumped.
Saturday was a little trickier. We were doing a bus tour, going to Yankee Stadium and seeing more of New York City, and I wouldn't always have the comfort of the hotel room for pumping. Before we headed to the baseball game I was able to take care of things, but I knew I would need to bring along the manual pump to use during the game. I had never used the manual pump, but I found myself in a restroom using it about halfway through the game. Score one for me! The only time I was questioned was going through security at a restaurant at Yankee Stadium. The guy said, "you have a baby bottle in there?" He could clearly see I didn't have a baby with me. I replied, "you really don't want to get into that right now. Trust me." Otherwise, no other issues.
Sunday was a lot like Saturday. We would be out and about, so I stashed the manual pump in my purse along with a bottle. The restrooms at FAO Schwarz are much more comfortable than those at Yankee Stadium, by the way. It was Sunday that I realized that the manual pump was for the birds. If I didn't have the electric one, I don't know that I could have kept this up for 11 months like I had.
We headed home Monday. I had everything labeled in individual bags (and then placed in a large gallon bag), except for two small bottles. When the TSA agent saw the bag and the bottles, she looked over the large bag and let me know that she was just going to test the two bottles. I have no idea what she was testing for, but I was grateful she didn't pull apart the 16 small bags. It could have been messy.
At around 15 months, the baby did start to cut back. I think that was around the time we cut back to nursing 4 times a day (it was also that point where he started sleeping through the night.) When he was 18-months-old, I eliminated the afternoon nursing session, thus ending my afternoon pumping session at work. While we were out of town a couple of weeks ago, we made the decision that I wouldn't pump during the day any more. It's been a non-issue for the baby. He does still ask for milk (and he signs it), but he's satisfied with a sippy cup. I still have several months worth of milk frozen.
Transitioning to cow's milk has been a challenge. We've tried mixing breastmilk with cow's milk and he tends to spit it out. He's a little more receptive if we give him cow's milk now, but it still isn't his favorite thing in the world. Instead of pushing it on him often, I make sure he's getting dairy in other ways (cheese, yogurt in his smoothies, etc.)
I know my initial goal was a year, and I'm so glad it was easy for us to hit that goal and continue. Physically, I'm ready to be done with this chapter. Mentally, it's still challenging some days. Mom guilt sucks and I'm trying to push the guilt aside.
I'm hoping that this helps at least one mom out there. I've spent many evenings on Google searching for answers. Our nursing relationship was challenging at times, and I worked hard to keep things going as long as we did. So to any moms that are currently in the throes of breastfeeding, it can be a challenge, it can be easy. It can feel rewarding, but it's also not for everyone. Don't feel the guilt if you don't make it to a year (or two years!)
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
our kiddo's first circus experience!
A couple of months ago, I found out that Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey circus was coming to town. Their "Fully Charged" edition would be in Asheville for four days and I got so excited because the not-so-tiny-baby would be over 20-months-old and would probably enjoy the elephants. (And the lights and the acrobats and all of it.)
I was kind of right.
We arrived early because of the "all access" pre-show. They basically have a lot of the performers on the main floor and you can get in on the action. They had a low tightrope for kids to try out and towards the end, they brought out Duchess, the elephant. Lucas had been pretty antsy, but he was totally taken aback when he saw the elephant. (Keep in mind, we have been working on saying the word "elephant" ever since he saw elephants at the zoo last month.)
The main show was 2 hours long, with a 10-15 minute intermission. As long as there were things happening on the main floor for him to watch, he sat still and really took it all in. They had three animal acts throughout the show that involved the horses (and two camels), dogs and finally two elephants.
I think he had a great time. During the first half, he started to fall asleep, but after the intermission (and his quick lunch/snack), he was ready for more!
I was kind of right.
We arrived early because of the "all access" pre-show. They basically have a lot of the performers on the main floor and you can get in on the action. They had a low tightrope for kids to try out and towards the end, they brought out Duchess, the elephant. Lucas had been pretty antsy, but he was totally taken aback when he saw the elephant. (Keep in mind, we have been working on saying the word "elephant" ever since he saw elephants at the zoo last month.)
The main show was 2 hours long, with a 10-15 minute intermission. As long as there were things happening on the main floor for him to watch, he sat still and really took it all in. They had three animal acts throughout the show that involved the horses (and two camels), dogs and finally two elephants.
I think he had a great time. During the first half, he started to fall asleep, but after the intermission (and his quick lunch/snack), he was ready for more!
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
training Tuesday - Downhill at Dawn week 2
I'm keeping up with the Train Like a Mother plan. I'm loving it, and I feel like I'm getting back to "runner me." I'm finally getting my groove back as a runner, and I haven't felt this good since pre-pregnancy....so over two and a half years ago.
Tuesday - Planned: 5 miles. Actual: 5.11 miles in 55:19 (10:49 pace) My boss's son met us for this run. When we finished the last mile (all uphill, I might add), I mentioned to him that I ran a half marathon just a week before. This was new information for him (and it made me laugh.) He definitely made me run harder, and I'm glad he's home from college for a few weeks. I am hoping he'll be able to push me to be a little faster over the next couple of weeks!
Wednesday - rest
Thursday - Planned: easy 5-6 miles. Actual: 5.08 miles in 49:01 (averaged 9:39 pace)
I ran this by myself. I ran the same course as Tuesday, and I just went out hard and kept it up. I have no idea how I kept it up, but I felt amazing!
Friday - Planned: easy 4 miles. Actual: 4.23 miles in 41:16 (averaged a 9:45 pace.)
I did an out and back run - 2.1 miles out, 2.1 miles back. I was a little sore from Thursday, but I just plugged the old iPod in and ran.
Saturday - Planned: 11-13 miles. Actual:10.25 easy run. I ran with Suzanne, and we took it kind of slow for 8 miles and I ran the other 2.25 on my own. I was sore from the previous two days of faster runs and this was my last "long" run before the half marathon.
Sunday - I overdid it with yard work and I did take a walk in the afternoon. I ended up with a very sore back. Oh, and this was supposed to be my rest day.
Monday - According to the TLAM plan, this was a "fun workout" day. I chose to do the 30-day Shred, level 2. After my day of yard work, this was no walk in the park. I pushed through and now I'm considering moving it up to level 3 later this week.
I have a shoe question. I've been wearing the same running shoes since last fall. I trained for my marathon and last half marathon in these shoes. I have 3 weeks until the next half marathon and the shoes are on the edge. Do I try to spend the next 3 weeks breaking in the new shoes? Or just continue on with the current shoes? (My only issue is the back of the shoe is wearing out. Normally my knees hurt when I need new shoes, but that has not occurred yet.)
Thoughts? How many races are you able to get through before you make the switch?
--
And linking up. (You should link up, too, if you're doing Training Tuesday posts!)
Tuesday - Planned: 5 miles. Actual: 5.11 miles in 55:19 (10:49 pace) My boss's son met us for this run. When we finished the last mile (all uphill, I might add), I mentioned to him that I ran a half marathon just a week before. This was new information for him (and it made me laugh.) He definitely made me run harder, and I'm glad he's home from college for a few weeks. I am hoping he'll be able to push me to be a little faster over the next couple of weeks!
Wednesday - rest
Thursday - Planned: easy 5-6 miles. Actual: 5.08 miles in 49:01 (averaged 9:39 pace)
I ran this by myself. I ran the same course as Tuesday, and I just went out hard and kept it up. I have no idea how I kept it up, but I felt amazing!
Friday - Planned: easy 4 miles. Actual: 4.23 miles in 41:16 (averaged a 9:45 pace.)
I did an out and back run - 2.1 miles out, 2.1 miles back. I was a little sore from Thursday, but I just plugged the old iPod in and ran.
Saturday - Planned: 11-13 miles. Actual:10.25 easy run. I ran with Suzanne, and we took it kind of slow for 8 miles and I ran the other 2.25 on my own. I was sore from the previous two days of faster runs and this was my last "long" run before the half marathon.
Sunday - I overdid it with yard work and I did take a walk in the afternoon. I ended up with a very sore back. Oh, and this was supposed to be my rest day.
Monday - According to the TLAM plan, this was a "fun workout" day. I chose to do the 30-day Shred, level 2. After my day of yard work, this was no walk in the park. I pushed through and now I'm considering moving it up to level 3 later this week.
I have a shoe question. I've been wearing the same running shoes since last fall. I trained for my marathon and last half marathon in these shoes. I have 3 weeks until the next half marathon and the shoes are on the edge. Do I try to spend the next 3 weeks breaking in the new shoes? Or just continue on with the current shoes? (My only issue is the back of the shoe is wearing out. Normally my knees hurt when I need new shoes, but that has not occurred yet.)
Thoughts? How many races are you able to get through before you make the switch?
--
And linking up. (You should link up, too, if you're doing Training Tuesday posts!)
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